asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now received observations on the report dealing with the control of entry to the teaching profession; and when he expects to make a statement on the suggested general teaching council for Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State on 22nd January, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Hannan).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek a report about the use of a certain anti-leukaemia serum from the French Ministry of Health, which has been conducting inquiries into its value; and if he will make a statement.

As the hon. Member will be aware there has already been extensive publicity about the results of the tests conducted in France. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Health, is awaiting a communication from the French Ministry of Public Health.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now invite Inverness County Council to discuss with representatives of his department the provision of a time-tabled vehicular ferry service between Berneray and North Uist islands.

My Department have already by letter sent on 15th January asked Inverness County Council for its views on the inhabitants' request for a car ferry to Berneray.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the fact that Messrs. MacBrayne's new car ferry timetables provide for only two direct return services weekly between Lochmaddy and Uig, and no service to North Uist on Saturday or from North Uist on Monday, and that the daily bus services from Uig and Kyleakin, connecting with the Uist-Skye-Harris ferry service, are inadequate and, in some cases, end at Portree, if he will now instruct Messrs. MacBrayne to recast timetables to give the Uists and Harris a daily return service and the Uists and Harris a better and more frequent bus service to and from Uig and Kyleakin.

No. The approved timetable for the Skye-Harris-North Uist car ferry is designed to give the best service possible with the vessel at our disposal in the light of the traffic expected at Tarbert, Harris and Lochmaddy. The ferry and bus timetables will however be kept under review in the light of experience of their operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many outstanding applications there are from Shetland fishing crews for grants and loans.

Two applications for assistance towards the purchase of boats for Shetland are being considered by the White Fish Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of all the results of the survey recently carried out in Edinburgh into the needs of pensioners; and whether he intends to ask other local authorities to carry out similar surveys.

Yes. I know about the Edinburgh survey and I have recently reminded local authorities of the importance of identifying the needs of old people. I think I should leave it to them to consider how this can best be done in their areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the latest figures to date for slum houses dealt with in Scotland in the period covered by the present three-year programme; and how these compare with the programme figure for the three years.

The current three-year programme for 1962–64 covered about 40,000 unfit houses. To the end of September, 1963, about 18,500 unfit houses had been closed or demolished. In addition, about 2,000 houses not classified as unfit had been closed or demolished in slum clearance and redevelopment operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many uncertificated teachers in Scottish schools are in possession of university degrees or of certificates of professional training valid outside Scotland; and what steps are being taken to enable them to qualify for a Scottish certificate.

On 1st October, 1962, the uncertificated teachers in service included 281 graduates, 51 of whom had received professional training valid outside Scotland, and 231 trained non-graduates, 44 of them men. I will send the hon. Member later figures as soon as they are available.Last July I drew the attention of all uncertificated teachers to the possibility of their obtaining financial assistance under the Special Recruitment Scheme to complete any training necessary for certification in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations have taken place between him and the Minister of Transport regarding those proposed rail closures in respect of which the Scottish Transport Users' Consultative Committee has now reported.

I cannot be expected to divulge the nature of consultations between Ministers. Each case is being considered separately and decisions will be announced by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Transport, in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the extra £30 million of public investment in Central Scotland in 1963–64 is in respect of new projects; and if he will specify the particular projects.

The increase in public service investment in Central Scotland for 1963–64 was primarily to enable central departments and local authorities substantially to accelerate the development of essential services in support of economic growth. It is not possible to relate a precise part of this additional investment to new starts, although a number of the individual projects listed in the White Paper have been or will be initiated in the present financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress in Scotland has been made in the application of industrialised methods in house building.

The use of methods involving industrialisation in one degree or another is steadily increasing in Scotland. I expect that this year some 40 per cent. of houses in multi-storey blocks and some 10 per cent. of other public sector houses will be built by these methods. In 1965, these proportions should rise to some 55 per cent. and 15 per cent. respectively. I welcome the formation of the consortium of Scottish housing authorities and I am sure that its work will give a fillip to greater use of industrialised building.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for amendment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947, as it applies to Scotland, in relation to the notice given to nearby residents and occupiers of the intended construction of new buildings.

Applications for certain categories of development already have to be advertised while others may be at the discretion of the local planning authority. Experience does not suggest that it would be in the public interest to extend the classes that must be advertised.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give approval for the construction of a bridge over the Clyde at Erskine.

I hope that, as notified in the White Paper on Central Scotland, it will be possible to start construction within the next five years. I have already agreed to the appointment of consulting engineers to prepare a preliminary report on possible designs; thereafter a provisional order will have to be promoted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further appointments have been made to the Highland Transport Board since 5th December.

Apart from the appointments which I announced on 5th December, I appointed Mr. James C. Robertson on 13th December and Mr. David Currie, O.B.E., J.P., on 7th January, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the large number of rare and valuable books from private and institutional libraries sold by auction in Scotland recently, and that many of these books have been bought for overseas collectors; and if he will take steps to have books such as these to be bought in future for the Scottish nation, and so keep the libraries intact.

I have no evidence that the number of rare and valuable books being sold abroad has increased recently. There is machinery whereby valuable books can be obtained for the national collection and I think it is working reasonably well.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to counter the probability of falling employment in agriculture in the Highlands emphasised by the recent meeting at Inverness; and why he has rejected the suggestion to create a Highland Development Board.

The study of this area which the Scottish Development Group is now undertaking will cover future employment prospects in agriculture as well as other aspects of the Highland economy. I have not so far been convinced that the appointment of a Highland Development Board or Authority would facilitate the solution of Highland problems.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date Mr. Alexander Love, of Shaw Avenue, Armadale, was told, prior to his examination for endorsement to the Ordinary National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, that he could not expect to be considered for the award of such a certificate.

My further inquiries have shown that Mr. Love did not submit an application to be considered for an award until after he had sat the examination in June. He was told he could not be considered at that time and not before the examination as those responsible for it had previously informed me. I regret that this caused my hon. Friend's Answer on 22nd January to be misleading on this point.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that many Scottish tenants are receiving notices to buy their houses, which are often in a bad state of repair and lacking bathrooms; and, in view of the fact that under the Rent Act, 1957, the alternative to purchase in these cases is eviction, whether he will now introduce legislation to repeal that Act in Scotland.

I am aware that there have been cases where landlords of decontrolled houses in Scotland have given buy or quit notices to tenants, but I have no evidence to justify amending legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the increase in the numbers of grey seals in the small isles of the Outer Hebrides and the consequent damage to local fish stocks, already seriously depleted by widespread and frequent illegal trawling, and in the light of the conclusions of the Home Department's scientific expert in this field, Dr. Bennet B. Rae, and his comments in Scottish Fisheries Bulletin No. 12 regarding the urgent need to cull seals to save fish stocks and preserve the grey seals own colonies from over-population and starvation, he will permit during the next appropriate period, covered by the Grey Seals Protection Act, 1932, the limited culling of seals under supervised, humane conditions in the Western Isles.

The annual Orders made in recent years suspending the close season for grey seals off parts of the Scottish Coast have, in agreement with the Nature Conservancy, not applied to the Western Isles. I shall, however, consider the matter further in consultation with the Conservancy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the estimated number of people who emigrated from the country in each of the last 12 years.

The estimated net migration loss from Scotland to the remainder of the United Kingdom and overseas in each of the last 12 years was as follows:

1951–52	…	…	…	29,100
1952–53	…	…	…	31,300
1953–54	…	…	…	27,000
1954–55	…	…	…	25,100
1955–56	…	…	…	27,200
1956–57	…	…	…	33,100
1957–58	…	…	…	25,400
1958–59	…	…	…	20,300
1959–60	…	…	…	28,500
1960–61	…	…	…	34,600
1961–62	…	…	…	29,500
1962–63	…	…	…	34,000

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the approximate cost of improving the Stranraer to Dumfries road, A.75, to trunk road standards.

Between Dumfries and Stranraer A.75 could comfortably carry twice its present traffic. Small scale improvements will be undertaken as funds can be made available, but no large-scale improvements are at present in view.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the directives issued by his Department to education authorities on the use of corporal punishment in Scottish schools; whether schools are required to keep a punishment book; and if there is a specification covering the physical properties of the commonly used strap.

Discipline in schools is a matter for education authorities and one on which it would be inappropriate to issue directions to them. Advice from the Department for the guidance of authorities and teachers on this subject is contained in the memorandum "The Primary School in Scotland". I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the relevant extract.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of in-patients who had orthopaedic or general surgical treatment in Bridge of Earn Hospital and were resident in Fife, during the years 1962 and 1963.

The number of in-patients from Fife treated in Bridge of Earn Hospital was as follows:

			1962	1963
Orthopaedic	…	…	603	599
General Surgery	…	…	849	757

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that a transport service for vehicles will be maintained between Newport-on-Tay and Dundee until the Tay road bridge is completed.

The Tay Bridge Order authorises permanent discontinuance of the ferry service only on completion of the bridge. Any Order which may be promoted to authorise earlier discontinuance will need the approval of Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the representations recently made to him about the provision of water supplies to houses situated off the general run of the local water authority's mains; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. In future, piping designed to serve such properties will be considered for grant under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts on merits in the same way as other elements in schemes submitted by local water authorities.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he is aware of the forthcoming dismissal of 500 workers at Avro-Whitworth Coventry Ltd.; and what action he is taking to encourage the provision of work to prevent the disintegration of technical teams and the dispersal of skilled workers who have hitherto maintained an invaluable tradition within the aircraft industry.

Yes; I am aware of the company's announcement that the number of employees at Baginton will be reduced by about 500 over the next six months.As to the second part of the Question, Hawker Siddeley hold substantial Government contracts and we are in discussion with them over other projects.It is, however, for the firm to decide how to allocate work among their different factories.

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans he has for assisting the development of light transport aircraft as recommended in the Estimates Committee's Second Report of the present Session.

All the recommendations in the Second Report of the Estimates Committee are receiving careful consideration.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many flights on non-scheduled services other than trooping contracts were undertaken by foreign airline operators from this country to overseas territories during 1963; how many passengers were carried on them; and what are the comparable figures for British airline operators.

Statistics of traffic at United Kingdom airports show that in the year ended 30th September 1963, 9,700 flights on non-scheduled services were made by foreign airline operators between this country and overseas territories, and 14,600 flights to and from overseas territories were made by British airline operators, other than trooping flights.The numbers of passengers carried were respectively 489,000 and 651,000.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he has reviewed the terms of reference and working of the Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee; and whether he will provide the Committee with the machinery necessary to establish transport aircraft requirments and priorities.

The Select Committee on Estimates in its recent report on transport aircraft made some recommendations bearing on the functions and organisation of the Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee.These recommendations are being carefully examined and a statement will be made in due course.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many people have been appointed to the Board of the British Overseas Airways Corporation in the past 10 years; and how many of them had previously been employed full-time by airlines or in the aviation industry.

Seventeen and seven respectively.

asked the Minister of Aviation what order he now intends to place for a light helicopter to meet military requirements; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Aviation what small helicopters have been evaluated within the last six months with a view to supply to the Royal Air Force and the Army.

The small helicopters which were evaluated with a view to supply to the Services were the Hughes 269, the Brantly B.2, the Hiller 12E, and the Bell 47G. In addition, a joint Anglo-French design, a version of the Westland Skeeter, and the new Hughes 300 have been submitted. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence told the House on 22nd January that he is urgently considering this requirement; meanwhile, I cannot say which helicopter will be chosen.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he is aware of the shortage of aircraft work at Associated Electrical Industries Limited in Coventry; and, in view of the redundancy which it is likely to cause, what action he is taking to increase the amount of work made available to this firm.

Yes. I understand that the factory's management is doing its best to avoid any redundancies. The company is considered for all relevant Ministry contracts.

asked the Minister of Aviation what alterations have now been made or are contemplated in the specification of the Concord Aircraft.

We are considering proposals to increase the power of the Olympus 593 engine and to make certain changes to the wing design of the aircraft in order to achieve better range and payload.

asked the Minister of Aviation what reply he has made to the representations sent to him by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry regarding his proposal to limit the services provided by Scandinavian Air Services to and from Prestwick Airport.

The essence of the reply was that I must require Scandinavian Air Services to bring its trans-Atlantic operations through Prestwick into conformity with our Air Services Agreements with the Scandinavian countries.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will now make the Corbett Report available to Sir Giles Guthrie in order to help him in planning the future of the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to ensure the observation of the regulations against lorry drivers being required to drive excessive hours.

An employer who requires a driver to work more than the permitted hours commits an offence against Section 73 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police and for the licensing authorities who have special staff for the purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the reasons for not publishing the report of the panel of economists and engineers who studied, under the auspices of the Road Research Laboratory, the feasibility of reducing the number of cars in congested areas by various taxation devices.

I have not yet decided whether to publish this report but I hope to reach a decision soon.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has yet made a decision on the control of reconditioned tyres for use on motor vehicles on sale to the general public.

I accept the desirability of introducing measures to regulate the sale of re-cut tyres. Ways and means are now being considered.

asked the Minister of Transport what further studies are being undertaken into the proportion of through traffic in towns of different kinds and sizes, in view of the preliminary analyses give in the Buchanan Report.

This information will be provided by transport surveys. These are already in hand or planned for the main conurbations. Similar surveys will be needed in smaller towns and cities.

asked the Minister of Transport what further studies are being undertaken into the congestion costs caused by different kinds and sizes of vehicles operating in varying traffic conditions, in the light of the problems discussed in the Buchanan Report.

I am undertaking no studies on this particular aspect of congestion costs at present.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement about the preliminary Report of the British Waterways Board which he received before Christmas.

Yes. The Report will be published tomorrow and I have made arrangements for copies to be placed in the Vote Office this afternoon.I am grateful to the Board for this Report which is a lively and helpful contribution towards the consideration of the future of the waterways. I am obliged to it for completing this first stage of its task so quickly.I am also impressed with the energetic steps the Board has already taken to improve its financial position in pursuance of its statutory duty.The Board makes it clear that as yet its views are tentative and that more detailed studies and consultations are necessary, particularly a detailed engineering survey and systematic financial investigations in relation to the alternative courses open to it. It suggests that as the next step it should proceed with these. I agree with and welcome this intention. Conclusions on the preliminary indications of the Report and on future policy cannot be reached until the studies have been completed.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will instruct his surveyors who inspect foreign ships like the "Lakonia" which are over 25 years old to require a high proportion of the lifeboats to be lowered, to ensure gear is in order.

The requirement for the periodic lowering of lifeboats on foreign passenger ships is governed by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1948. This requires weekly drills when practicable and if a voyage is to exceed one week a drill before the ship leaves port. Different groups of boats must be used in turn at successive boat drills. When the 1948 Convention is replaced by the Convention of 1960, every lifeboat will have to be swung out and, if practicable and reasonable, lowered at least once every four months. This will apply to ships of any age. My surveyors would normally only witness a boat drill on a foreign ship at the owners' request. The inspection of lifeboat gear is of course the responsibility of the Government of the country of a ship's registry.

asked the Minister of Transport what study he has made of the United States of America's Federal Maritime Commission policy in relation to its effect on British shipping; and if he will make a statement as to its effect on British passenger services and British exports and imports.

The effects of U.S. shipping policy on British interests are under constant study by my Department.The rules the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission make under United States shipping acts cover virtually the whole field of the commercial management of shipping. The Commission claim the right to regulate in respect of shipping to and from the United States transactions made in any part of the world by nationals of any country if, in their view these transactions are detrimental to U.S. commerce; their regulations are intended to apply not only to shipowners but to shippers doing business with them, who may, of course, be in this country. The Commission ask shipping conferences to disclose details of requests by shippers and correspondence about freight rates and other conditions of shipment even though the arrangements are made outside the United States; and have recently asked conferences to vary certain freight rates in the interests of the commerce of the U.S. or to submit evidence in justification of the existing rate differentials.The Shipping Act and the Commission's regulations are complex and widely drawn, and difficulties of interpretation frequently arise that can only be resolved by the expensive process of litigation in the American Courts. In addition, complying with the Commission's regulations results in heavy administrative costs and delays. It is difficult to quantify the effects the detailed control of the Commission has on British interests, but they must be substantial.In addition, the activities of the Federal Maritime Commission raise matters of jurisdiction which, while primarily the concern of governments, further add to the difficulties of trading with the U.S.The activities of the Commission are under constant study by my department, and their potential impact is discussed with the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom and other interested bodies. Her Majesty's Government, usually in concert with other governments, have made representations to the United States Authorities on a number of occasions.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that bogus distress signals have been fired at sea off the Scottish coast as a result of which Scottish lifeboat men put to sea on quests which proved fruitless, thereby wasting time, energy and fuel and depriving ships in genuine distress of their services; what inquiries he has made into these acts; and what action he is taking in the matter.

I know that on a number of occasions recently report of flares in the vicinity of Westray Firth have had the regrettable results described by the hon. Member. Further inquiries are being made and I hope that these will enable us to discover what lies behind the reports.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will seek, by legislation or otherwise, to free seamen from the risk of arrest when they fail to join their ship in time or refuse to sail because of dispute with the ship owners.

As I said in an Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. J. Howard) on 15th November, 1963, I have initiated consultations with both sides of the shipping industry about the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts relating to seafarers. I should not favour piecemeal alteration of the comprehensive code in the Acts, which allots both rights and obligations to seamen and to employers, with the safety of the ship as a primary consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport, in considering the proposal to close the railway line from Newcastle to the Tynemouth area, what information he has been given of the most recent annual financial loss incurred by it.

The Railways Board has only just published notice of its proposal to close this line to passengers. No financial information has yet been given to me. I expect this later, when the proposal reaches me in the normal way.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction in the public interest to the British Railways Board not to dismantle freight facilities such as storage sheds and sidings on main lines which are proposed to be closed, pending the hearing of objectors before transport users' consultative committees.

No. The 1962 Transport Act gave the Board complete freedom to run its freight services as it chose. It is putting in hand schemes of freight concentration and rationalisation which are often quite independent of proposals for passenger service closures. It would not be in the public interest for me to interfere with this process, which is part of the modernisation of the railway system.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the overloading of freight vehicles has contributed to accidents on motorways and trunk roads, respectively, since the inception of motorways; and what action he contemplates to reduce this cause of accidents.

The precise extent to which overloading of goods vehicles has contributed to accidents on motorways or trunk roads is difficult to determine. With the help of the manufacturers and operators we are working at a scheme for preventing overloading of goods vehicles by prescribing a maximum permissible weight for each vehicle.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the speed of freight vehicles has contributed to accidents on motorways since their inception; and what regulations he proposes to introduce on this matter.

Precise information is not available.I have no evidence at present that would justify imposing special regulations for goods vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport what advice he has received during the current year regarding the use of fast lanes on motorways by freight vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

I receive regular reports from the police about motorway driving generally and this practice in particular. As I said in answer to the hon. Member for Rochester and Chatham (Mr. Critchley) last month, I condemn the blocking of the fast lane of a three lane motorway carriageway by a comparatively slow overtaking vehicle, whether goods vehicle or not. I am not at present satisfied that the best way to improve matters is by regulations, and I am considering what more can be done to bring home to drivers their responsibility to observe the rules of motorway behaviour which are contained in the Highway Code.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that his proposed special inquiry into road deaths at Christmas cannot be comprehensive in view of the fact that no arrangements exist at the present time for the provision of full reports about the cause of all road accidents; and whether he will arrange that for the next few months a sample of all road accidents be submitted to examination as to cause and the results then submitted to analysis by the Road Research Laboratory.

The object of the special inquiry is to establish, as far as possible, the facts about the fatal road accidents at Christmas, not at other times of the year. The Laboratory will have access to, or will itself obtain, detailed information about the circumstances of the fatal Christmas accidents, including much that is not available in the normal statistical returns.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make it a condition of the use of motorways in dense fog that vehicles travel in convoy in the control of the police.

No.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement about his plans for a Hunter replacement aircraft.

I have nothing to add at present to what I said on this subject on 11th December last.

asked the Minister of Defence if Her Majesty's Government have yet come to a decision regarding participation in the proposed multinational nuclear force.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General for what purpose he proposes to purchase 48 acres of land on the site of Woolwich Arsenal; and what consultations he has had with the London County Council on this matter.

We had planned to establish at Woolwich depots for the storage and distribution of engineering supplies, but it is possible that the land will not now be required for this purpose. My right hon. Friend is in consultation with the L.C.C.

asked the Postmaster-General what will be the effect of the proposed expansion of the telephone service by Her Majesty's Government, as announced in Command Paper No. 2211, upon the development of the telephone service in the Coventry area.

I fully expect that the plans announced in Command Paper 2211 will both meet the rising demand for telephone service and bring about the virtual abolition of the waiting list in the City of Coventry by March, 1966. Plant is already available to meet 83 per cent. of demand and work now in progress will ensure that many of those at present waiting for telephones will get them within the next few months. I may add that all the exchanges in the city are already automatic and equipped with STD.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the days on which telephone calls are available only at the full rate and the reasons for this, together with the method by which these special charges are brought to the notice of telephone subscribers.

The cheap rates normally apply from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day and all day on Sunday.To assist in keeping to a minimum the number of operating staff who have to be on duty during the Christmas season, it has been the practice for many years to suspend the cheap rates on certain days at Christmas and the New Year. The detailed arrangements on the last occasion were:

asked the Postmaster-General if he will indicate the number of rural and urban telephone kiosks which have been removed in the last three years in Wales and Monmouthshire, and the respective figures for the counties of Brecon and Radnor.

Four rural and 15 urban telephone kiosks have been withdrawn from Wales and Monmouthshire during the last three years.None of these was in Breconshire or Radnorshire.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans have been made for low-power stations to serve those parts of the London ultra high frequency service area which will be unable to get good reception when British Broadcasting Corporation 2 starts next April.

I have approved in principle proposals by the B.B.C. to build the first four U.H.F. "fill-in" stations for the London service area. These will serve the Reigate, Tunbridge Wells, Guildford and Hertford areas. The B.B.C. hopes to have these four stations in service about the middle of 1965. Other shadow areas within the service area of the main London station will be provided with improved service as further fill-in stations are built.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to be in a position to reply to the letter sent him by the hon. Member for Basingstoke on 2nd January about the case of Major Cory.

I hope to write to my hon. Friend shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many single and return warrants, respectively, were issued at Catterick Station to cover the £96,000 worth of warrants issued between 1st January and 31st December, 1963.

About 10,500 and 21,750 respectively.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will hold a Naval Review at Spithead in 1964 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Naval Air Service.

The 50th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service will be marked by a Fleet Air Arm Review at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton on 28th May, 1964, in the presence of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The Review will be worthy of a very notable occasion. It is not proposed to hold a Naval Review at Spithead.

asked the Minister of Health why the meeting of the Joint Sub-Committee on Hospital Engineers has been delayed until 19th-20th February; and why the management side cannot promise that they will be ready to undertake further discussions with the staff side on salaries at this meeting.

The management side cannot arrange a meeting before that date. They are still considering the views of the staff side on the new salary scales they have offered.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the dispute between seamen and their employers concerning conditions of employment; and what action he proposes to take.

The National Union of Seamen has informed me that it is in dispute with the employers represented on the National Maritime Board and that, as from midnight on 16th February, members of the union will withhold their labour wherever the union advises them to do so. Yesterday my officers discussed the situation with representatives of the union and the Shipping Federation. I am considering urgently what action I should take in the light of the reports I have received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when it is intended to establish the High Court in the Federation of Southern Arabia.

I understand that it will be established as soon as the president and members have been appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how many men, women and children of British nationality were known to be in Zanzibar on 12th January, 1964.

Precise up-to-date figures are not available but it is estimated that there were approximately 440 citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies of United Kingdom origin on Zanzibar Island and about 22 on Pemba.

asked the Minister of Education if he will rename the post of Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools so as to express more adequately its changed functions over the years.

I have no such intention and doubt whether a renaming would serve any useful purpose. But I should be happy to discuss the hon. Member's suggestion with him if he so desires.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what general directions have been given by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for the administration of the estates of deceased persons falling to the Crown as ultimus haeres, particularly in regard to ex gratia payments to friends of the deceased who have no legally enforceable claim against the estate.

A detailed practice which has been evolved over the years is followed in making ex gratia payments from these estates. The general effect is to recognise equitable though unenforceable claims which in the case of friends must ordinarily be based on evidence of services to the deceased or of his intention to benefit the applicant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Secretary of the Albany Trust may expect a reply to his letter about research into homosexual offences dated 29th November, 1963, and addressed to the Home Office Research Unit, Thames House South, S.W.1, receipt of which has so far not been acknowledged.

The proposed research project raises some difficult questions which representatives of the Trust have now been asked to discuss with my officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to make it compulsory for paint manufacturers to print on their containers either the formula of the contents or the dangers to which users might be exposed.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health has recently reached agreement with the Paint Makers Association of Great Britain for the labelling of containers for paint with a lead content of more than 1 to 1·5 per cent. with the warning:

"Do not apply on toys, furniture or interior surfaces that might be chewed by children."

The Lead Paint (Protection against Poisoning) Regulations, 1927, require that receptacles containing lead paint with a lead content of more than 5 per cent., to be used for the painting of buildings, shall be marked by the employer as containing lead. If the hon. Member has in mind some danger not covered by these arrangements my right hon. Friend would be glad to consider any proposals he may like to send him.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the total sum paid in general and other grants to Dorset County Council in the years 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, and 1963; and if he will give the estimated total grants for 1963 and 1964.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. The grants reported by Dorset County Council to have been brought to account in the various years are as follows:

Year		General grant	Other grants and reimbursements
		£	£
1953–54	…	—	2,616,116
1954–55	…	—	2,883,496
1958–59	…	—	4,205,216
1959–60	…	2,577,608	1,789,992
1962–63	…	3,189,894	2,307,918

I estimate that general grants for 1963–64 and 1964–65 will be £3,774,491 and £3,973,518 respectively. I have no information about other grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what consideration has been given to the law relating to the importation of goods and materials into this country which have only partly been made or processed in a Commonwealth country but were received from another country before being exported into Great Britain, including processed cloth, textiles, wearing apparel, and pottery made in one country and decorated in another; to what extent they are precluded from claiming preferential entry under his regulations; and what action is taken to deal with this problem.

To be eligible for preference, goods must be manufactured in and consigned from the Commonwealth preference area, and a prescribed proportion of their costs must be attributable to materials produced and work done in the area. Cloth must be woven in the Commonwealth. Pottery and made-up textiles such as wearing apparel must be made there. Mere finishing processes carried out in the area on foreign goods would not make them eligible. I see no reason to change the law or the Regulations made under it.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what proportion of eligible applications for standard building grants received by his Department in the six months from 10th July, 1963, was approved; and what total sum was involved.

523 out of 684 eligible applications for standard building grants, or 76 per cent., have been approved. The remainder are being handled as speedily as possible; the total sum is at present estimated at about £8 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what proportion of eligible applications for standard equipment grants received by his Department in the six months from 10th July, 1963, was approved; and what total sum was involved.

387 out of 592 eligible applications for standard equipment grants, or 65 per cent., have been approved. The remainder are being handled as speedily as possible; the total sum is at present estimated at about £4·5 million.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will state the estimated output of common and of special building bricks from Scottish brickworks for 1964; what were the corresponding figures for 1958 and 1953; and what are the estimated figures for imported bricks in the same years into Scotland.

In 1963 the output of clay bricks in Scotland was 635 million commons and 70 million special facing and engineering bricks. The corresponding figures were 588 million and 45 million respectively in 1958, and 723 million and 55 million in 1953. There is capacity for increasing production in Scotland and as demand for bricks in 1964 is expected to be higher than the output in 1963, I anticipate that output will be increased.No figures are available for imports of bricks into Scotland from either England or Overseas.