asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Income Tax authorities send for details of a husband's personal tax, etc., to a wife when the husband is still alive; and if he will make a statement.

It is not the practice to do this. If my hon. Friend has been told of a particular case where this has happened and will send me the details I will look into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the extent of United Kingdom investment in the French engineering, electronic and other industries; and if he will give an estimate of the value of such investment to the British economy.

The information is not available, but United Kingdom direct investment in all industries in France, except oil, banking and insurance, is estimated at £73 million at the end of 1962. It is difficult to give a calculation of its value to the British economy, which takes many forms from the direct financial return to the promotion of United Kingdom exports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for local authorities to be given representation on regional boards for industry.

No. I do not consider such representation appropriate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants of over 10 years' service will receive no pension on retirement; how many civil servants only count part of their unestablished service for pension purposes; and, in view of these circumstances, resulting in salaries below the agreed rate, what action he proposes to take to ensure that agreed scales are paid.

There are at present 8,090 non-industrial temporary civil servants aged 46 or over with over 10 years' service. Opportunities for establishment are available to over half this number. The number of civil servants whose unestablished service will partly or wholly count as to one-half for pension purposes is of the order of 350,000. Civil servants, both established and unestablished, are paid at rates either agreed with staff representatives or awarded at arbitration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that persons paying Income Tax obtain their retirement pensions at less cost than persons relieved of paying tax, if he will examine the position with a view to equalising the cost of retirement pensions.

I have noted my hon. Friend's point; but, as she is aware, it it a well-established principle that relief from tax is allowed for contributions paid to secure a pension under a pensions scheme and that the pension is taxable when it is received.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will abolish the tax on cigars and pipe tobacco.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that certain companies in receipt of large capital allowances for tax purposes have been assessed on profits totalling £127 million but have paid gross dividends of £228 million to their shareholders; what is his estimate of the loss of revenue in these cases; and what action he intends to take.

Yes. The companies concerned have paid the proper rate of tax on their profits and subsequent payment of dividends cannot of itself lead to any loss of revenue. Any question of subsequent repayment or charge to Surtax depends upon the circumstances of the recipient of the dividend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study he has made of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General that, arising from the introduction of investment allowances for new plant etc., over £12 million in tax has been repaid to certain companies despite the fact that the tax has not been paid in the first place; what is his estimate of the total sum so paid out; and if he will take steps to bring this practice to an end and recover the tax from the companies concerned.

I have made a careful study of this Report. Since the repayments in question were in respect of losses which, if not relieved in this way, would have been available for carry forward and set-off against subsequent profits this tax will, in effect, be recovered if and when subsequent profits are made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his decision to convert £50 million of the debt of Richard Thomas and Bald-wins into ordinary shares at par was supported by an independent valuation; and what benefit will accrue to the revenue from the debt relief granted to this company.

The Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency consulted the financial advisers of Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd. before approval was given to the capital re-organisation of the company. Since R.T.B. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Agency the issue price of the new shares does not affect the value of the Agency's total investment in the company. As regards the second part of my hon. Friend's Question, at current interest rates the company will save about £2¼ million in interest payments annually. There will be a corresponding reduction in the company's borrowing requirement from the Agency.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much financial assistance has been paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer in each of the last three years which will have the effect of relieving unemployment in Northern Ireland.

No assistance is paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer for the direct purpose of providing employment in Northern Ireland. Adjustments are made between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which are designed to ensure that the Northern Ireland Government can provide services on a roughly equal standard with those elsewhere in the United Kingdom, taking into account the special needs of Northern Ireland including the high level of unemployment there. These adjustments have involved payments from the United Kingdom Exchequer and National Insurance Fund, averaging just over £45 million per year over the last three financial years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest annual revenue received by the Treasury from the 10 per cent. totalisator pool betting duty on greyhound racing; and what is the estimated return that would be received by the Treasury if this tax were abolished and replaced by a 4 per cent. tax on all forms of betting, gambling and gaming.

Net receipts of pool betting duty from totalisators on dog racecourses during 1963 were £5,492,353.At this time of the year I think I should use discretion in estimating the possible yield from hypothetical taxes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress to date in implementing the report by Sir Gilbert Flemming on the dispersal of Government work from London.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is still his policy to carry out the recommendations of the Flemming Report on the dispersal of Government Departments from London.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about the implementation of the Flemming Report on the dispersal of Government offices from London.

We are getting ahead as fast as possible with the selection of dispersal locations for the programme of moves which my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary outlined in his statement of 18th July. The Government are treating this as a matter of greatest importance, but time must be allowed for careful planning if the work is to be carried on efficiently and hardship to staff is to be avoided.My right hon. Friend's earlier statement emphasised that this was necessarily a programme which would have to be spread over a number of years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken on the representations made to him about the need for increased financial assistance to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

This is a matter for the Arts Council. However, I understand that the Council has now found it possible to offer the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company for the next two years grants on a scale which in the Council's view should enable the company to maintain its activities both in London and in Stratford-upon-Avon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the book value of those parts of the iron and steel industry originally vested in the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency; and what is the current book value of assets and prior charges still held by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency, and of loans provided to their former and present subsidiaries.

The book value to the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency of its investments and obligations on 13th July, 1953, was £364·3 million. The corresponding figure on 1st January, 1964, was £131·3 million. The latter figure relates entirely to shares in, and loans to, Richard Thomas & Bald-wins Ltd. and excludes two fixed interest stocks which are repayable in the course of 1964 with a redemption value of £18·1 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he proposes to open his Budget.

I have not yet settled this.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an assurance that in the proposals which he is formulating regarding the taxing of gambling and gaming, he will include provision for the tax to be equitably applied to all forms of betting, gaming and gambling, thus not discriminating against one form of gambling to the exclusion of another.

I have noted this suggestion, but I cannot give any indication of what my budgetary proposals may be.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to permit the Mbadwa party in Nyasaland to conduct its electoral compaign unmolested; whether the murderers of Mr. G. Pondeponde, a Mbadwa party leader, has been arrested; and what investigations have been made into the recent series of attacks against leaders of the Mbadwa party.

If incidents are reported, in which members of the Mbadwa party have been molested while conducting an electoral compaign, they are investigated by the police in the normal way. The Nyasaland police are actively investigating the murder of Mr. Pondeponde, but as yet no evidence is forthcoming as to the person or persons responsible. Three attacks on Mbadwa party leaders have been reported to the police. Two are currently under investigation and a case file on the third is under consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now reconsider the decision to establish a special roll for Europeans in Nyasaland, with powers to elect five members of the Legislature, in view of the fact that only 814 persons have registered.

I am in consultation with the Governor about this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultation took place with the Government of British Guiana before Mr. Hucks was appointed as Electoral Commissioner; how long it is anticipated that his preparation for an election will take; and when the election may be expected.

None. On the second and third questions, I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 14th January and to which I cannot at present add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take steps to buy out the Tati Concession in Bechuanaland.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to improve economic developments in the High Commission Territories on the lines of the Morse Committee Report.

After the Report was published in 1960, an additional £1·2 million of Colonial Development and Welfare money was made available to the Territories for the period up to 31st March, 1963. Further allocations totalling £5·95 million have since been made for the period up to 31st March, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the statement made in Kingston on 16th January by the Premier of Barbados expressing concern at the delays caused by Her Majesty's Government over the proposed new West Indies Federation, if he will make a statement on the present position of the negotiations and the obstacles preventing early agreement.

A variety of difficulties have arisen. These include differences between the territories regarding the form of federation they desire and differences regarding the degree of financial support to be provided by the British Government. I hope, however, that these difficulties can be sufficiently resolved to enable discussions to be pursued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received the report from the consultant from the Department for Technical Co-operation on the reconstruction of the cotton ginnery in St. Vincent.

I have received a copy of the report which is addressed to the St. Vincent Government. It is now being considered by that Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what plans he has for the disposal to the Government of former British Colonial Territories of the Colonial Office Library; and whether at present books are dispatched on loan to those Governments or to persons in their territories applying for them.

The Colonial Office Library comprises a unique collection of historical material and it is not proposed to disperse it.Books are frequently sent on loan by the Library to Governments, libraries and institutions overseas but not to individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the date to which the period of the present legislative council in Aden has now been extended.

The Council has to be dissolved not later than 25th July, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many of those now detained or imprisoned in the South Arabian Federation are Yemeni subjects or not classified as Federation citizens; how many have been returned to the Yemen or have been released after serving periods of detention or imprisonment; and whether all who are detained or imprisoned are in institutions within Aden.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to persons recently taken into custody under emergency powers.Five are now detained. None of these is detained in Aden. Three have been released.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what arrangements he is making to include representatives of the National Federation of Builders' and Plumbers' Merchants in the formal consultations he is holding to consider the detailed plans for the establishment of a National Building Agency.

I met representatives of the National Federation yesterday.I gave them an assurance that the National Building Agency would not itself place orders or stock components or building materials. In order to encourage the greater standardisation of components, the Agency would encourage clients to place their orders in the most economical way. The actual supply of the components ordered might well be done most economically through the traditional channels of distribution.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works when it is hoped to complete the work on the Treasury.

About half the accommodation is complete and occupied. I expect the remainder to be completed by the end of March.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will take further steps to make known to the public that facilities are provided by most local authorities under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act for loans to people desiring to purchase their homes; and if he will encourage authorities who have not yet adopted the Act to do so.

Most local authorities operate housing loan schemes, for the most part using the wider and more flexible powers in the Housing Acts. I am continually encouraging the authorities to make full use of their powers, but it is not for me to take steps to make these facilities known to the public. The powers to make loans for house purchase are permissive and the local authorities must be left to make their own arrangements for publicity.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what was the number of new houses, flats and bungalows completed and started in the County Borough of Bournemouth in each of the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963; how this record compares with other seaside county boroughs of a similar size; and what plans are in hand for increasing the rate of home provision.

The following are the figures for 1960 to 1963:

—		Private enterprise	Local authority	Total
Started
1960	…	1,661	99	1,760
1961	…	911	164	1,075
1962	…	448	135	583
1963	…	406	77	483
Completed
1960	…	1,327	110	1,437
1961	…	465	133	598
1962	…	566	116	682
1963	…	560	111	671

These figures compare reasonably with those for other seaside county boroughs of similar size. Bournemouth County Borough Council has submitted a proposal to start 200 dwellings in the current year. I do not know the plans of private builders.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what review of the Bournemouth Development Plan he has made since the publication of the Buchanan Report; and to what extent the estimated future demands of traffic movement requirements have been taken into account.

The proposals are still under examination and I am not yet in a position to comment.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has so far been made by the European Launcher Development Organisation; and when it is now expected that the European Launcher Development Organisation launching vehicle incorporating Blue Streak at its first stage, will be ready to send a satellite into space.

The Convention has been ratified by Australia, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Belgium, Germany and Italy are the other participating countries. It is expected that sufficient ratifications will have been deposited to bring the Convention into force by the end of February. Meanwhile the member countries have undertaken an agreed programme of work. This includes the firing trials of the launcher at Woomera in Australia. There will be three phases to the firing trials. The first, due to begin in April, will consist of firings of the Blue Streak rocket alone. The second will consist of Blue Streak carrying dummy upper stages and is planned to start in the middle of 1965. The third will consist of firings of the complete three-stage launcher carrying a satellite test vehicle. This is planned to take place in 1966.

asked the Minister of Education what steps are being taken to speed up the provision of adjacent playing fields for the Sacred Heart Convent School, Dagenham.

I understand that the Essex local education authority hopes to complete shortly the purchase of half of the land required. The purchase of the rest cannot be completed quickly because it involves displacing allotment holders for whom alternative land must be found.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the increase in the number of school places of all kinds in the 12 years to the last convenient date; and what percentage this represents of the number of places available 12 years before.

Between 1st October, 1951, and 30th September, 1963, about 2,756,000 new places were taken into use at primary and secondary schools other than special schools. The number of places taken out of use in that period is not known, nor is the number of places available at any given date. I regret therefore that I cannot answer the second part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Education how many pupils left secondary schools in Wales, including Monmouthshire, in the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively, to take up careers as veterinary students outside Wales.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will make a statement on the work of the standing committee and the special working party of the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers on the supply of graduate teachers of mathematics.

This important question is being studied by a Steering Committee comprising representatives of the universities, the schools and my Department, under the chairmanship of Sir Nevill Mott. Last year the Committee compiled a booklet, published jointly by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Associations, setting out in detail for the guidance of the schools the courses available at each university in Great Britain for an honours degree in mathematics, specifying their scope and entrance requirements. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of this booklet, and would like to draw his attention to the Prefatory Note which records the origin of this Committee in a decision of the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers in 1961. The Committee is at present engaged on a study of the latest available information about admissions to the mathematics departments of universities in relation to the needs of the schools.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has now considered the letter concerning his policy on apprenticeships and technical training sent to him recently by the Bristol and West of England Engineering Manufacturers' Association Limited; and what reply he has sent.

I have considered the letter and a reply will go very shortly.

asked the Minister of Education when steps will be taken to expand the Rush Green College of Further Education to meet the needs of the surrounding area.

The Essex local education authority has included a proposal to extend this college in its recent submission for the 1965–66 further education major building programme. I shall consider this proposal carefully together with all the others which I have received.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development, in view of the fact that some of the five directors of the British Lion Film Company may be associated with an application for a holding in the Company in accordance with the terms recently stated, to what extent this will affect his decision on that application.

All the applications received will he considered in the light of the conditions I have outlined. I cannot at this stage evaluate the weight of any particular factor in reaching a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will introduce legislation to enable the benefits under the Local Employment Act to apply to local authorities.

No. A local authority carrying on an undertaking which provides employment in a development district is already eligible for assistance under the Local Employment Acts. It would however normally not be appropriate to offer assistance by way of loan since local authorities already have access to the Public Works Loans Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will list the annual quotas for china and earthenware tableware in current agreements with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the other Socialist countries of Eastern Europe for export and import, respectively.

We have a quota of £15,000 for the importation of United Kingdom china and earthenware into the U.S.S.R. for the 18 months ending 30th June, 1964. There are no specific quotas for the importation of china and earthenware into other Eastern European

Country	Description of goods	Period	Value
			£'000
Roumania	Tableware (of china porcelain and earthenware).	1st October, 1963 to 30th September, 1964.	5
Czechoslovakia	Chinaware and earthenware (including ornamental china).	1st January, 1963 to 31st December, 1963.	100
Hungary	Pottery, including porcelain and china, total comprising:	27th January, 1963 to 26th January, 1964.*	80
	Peasant pottery		40
	Decorated (Herend) porcelain		30
	Household earthenware		10
Poland	Table and fancy pottery (of which not more than £15,000 for ornamental ware).	1st July 1963 to 30th June,1964.	100
Bulgaria	Pottery and porcelain articles	1st April, 1963 to 31st March, 1964.	40
U.S.S.R.	Earthenware and china	1st January, 1963 to 30th June, 1964.	40
* Extended pro rata for 3 months.

In addition we allow a quota of £100,000 for the importation of table and fancy pottery (including not more than £65,000 of ornamental ware) from East Germany under the trade arrangements made by the Federation of British Industries.

asked the Minister of Power what repayments of the loans made to Colvilles Limited have been received; whether the firm is up to date with its payments; and by what date complete repayment is due.

None. Repayment is due on 1st October, 1978. The agreement provides that the company may postpone payments of interest accruing up to three years after starting production. The interest due in 1962 and 1963 was so postponed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in Montgomeryshire have been notified that their land is to be

Thirty-six farmers in Montgomeryshire have been notified that all or part of their land is being reclassified. This represents a little over 2 per cent. of all eligible farms in the county.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he has now reached a conclusion on the Thorold Committee's recommendations that a higher price should be prescribed for milk in small containers.

My right hon. Friend is not at present satisfied that this proposal would be in the general interest. It is, however, permissible to make a small extra charge for cartons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the extent of the export trade to the Continent in 1963 of live lambs and sheep, and the extent of the export trade to the Continent for the same period in carcase meat of the same animals.

The latest information about exports of animals and carcase meat to the Continent was given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir A. Hurd) on 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will invite President Lyndon Johnson to visit this country at the earliest opportunity.

I am visiting Washington for talks with President Johnson next week. We had better take one step at a time.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the recent events in Tanganyika, Kenya and Uganda, if he will propose to the United Nations the establishment of a special international force to be held ready to assist countries who request external aid in dealing with breakdowns in law and order, so obviating the need for unilateral military assistance.

No. We have expressed support on a number of occasions for the principle of a permanent international force. The creation of such a force is, of course, an essential element of the West's disarmament plans. But proposals for the immediate creation of a permanent peace-keeping force are not practicable as the Secretary-General of the United Nations has said.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the Soviet Government's new proposals for disarmament, including the destruction of all bombers, he will consult President Johnson with a view to proposing joint acceptance of them by the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to what my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said yesterday about these matters in answer to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Warbey).

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the commitment of British troops to these countries, what consultations he has had with the Prime Ministers of Tanganyika, Uganda and Kenya regarding joint arrangements to counter Communist subversion in that area.

Consultation with the three Governments on security and other matters has been close and continuous in recent weeks. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations said in the House on 27th January he is proposing to have early consultations with the three East African Governments concerned on the problems of security.

asked the Prime Minister on what date he received a communication; from the National Farmers' Union concerning incomes of farmers; what was the text of this communication; and what was the nature of his reply.

The President of the National Farmers' Union wrote to me on 29th January to bring to my attention the resolution on farm incomes which had been adopted at the union's annual general meeting. The letter has been acknowledged, and farm incomes will of course be one of the main matters discussed in the Annual Review consultations which start next week.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware of the concern expressed by industrial and commercial bodies in Scotland arising from doubt as to which proposed railway closures are to be implemented; and what principles Her Majesty's Government will apply to the problem of railway closures in Scotland, following the representations made to him on 27th January by the deputation led by the chairman of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry.

I met representatives of Scottish interests on the 27th of January about the Railways Board's proposals for rail closures in Scotland. An agreed statement was issued after the meeting.I assured the deputation that the social and economic implications would be taken fully into account before my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport took his decision on particular passenger closure proposals.The principles which the Government will apply are those given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in his statement about the Board's Reshaping Report on 27th March last year and repeated on many occasions since then. These still stand.The Government welcomes the comments of bodies such as the Scottish Council in reaching an assessment of particular proposals. In all Scottish cases my right hon. Friends the Minister of Transport and the Secretary of State for Scotland will be consulting together before decisions are taken.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement on the future title of the Admiralty Engineering Service after the reorganisation of the defence Departments on 1st April next.

It will be called the Royal Naval Engineering Service.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent he takes the wishes of local inhabitants into consideration when deciding whether to alter the functions of or to close a small hospital.

Local views both lay and professional are taken fully into account.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent Her Majesty's Government's proposals for Ministerial responsibility in the field of education will involve changes in the statutory position of Scottish universities.

The Scottish universities have been asked for their views on the recommendation in the Robbins Report that the Universities (Scotland) Act, 1889, should be repealed. The matter will be considered in the light of these views.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research studies on homosexuality have been carried out or sponsored by his Department in the last four years; and what further research he has in mind.

In the last four years research grants have been made by the Home Office for studies by Mr. Richard Hauser, who published his results in 1962 in a book entitled "The Homosexual Society", and by Mr. Gordon Westwood, working under the direction of Professor Alec Rodger of Birkbeck College, London. I understand that Mr. Westwood's study, which was of the social background and personality of members of selected groups of homosexuals and non-homosexuals, has been completed and that its results are likely to be published fairly soon. It is not at present contemplated that the Home Office should sponsor or carry out further research on homosexuality, beyond these two studies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, to prevent difficulties being caused to the many thousands of electors who normally take their summer holidays during the period from June until September, he will introduce legislation to exclude those months from the period in which a General Election may be held.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of registered employed persons in the County of Montgomery in the year 1951; what was the corresponding figure for 1963; and whether he will distinguish in these figures between males, females and juveniles.

The following table shows the estimated number of employees in 1951 and 1962, the latest year for which figures are available. Separate figures for young persons are not maintained.

Employees in Montgomeryshire
(Thousands)
		Males	Females	Total
June, 1951	…	7·4	3·1	10·5
June, 1962	…	7·8	3·9	11·7

asked the Minister of Labour what was the rate and number of unemployed for each of the exchange areas in the County of Montgomery at the January count.

Following is the information:

UNEMPLOYMENT AT 13TH JANUARY, 1964
Employment Exchange	Number unemployment	Rate of unemployment
		Per cent.
Welshpool	118	2·3
Newtown	161	3·4
Machynlleth	62	3·5

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the unemployment of railwaymen which has resulted from railway closures in mid-Wales and will result from the further curtailment of services and closure of stations between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth; and what steps he is taking to provide alternative employment for them.

There were 35 railwaymen unemployed in mid-Wales on 13th January, 1964, but I cannot now say how many of these became unemployed as a result of past closures. I understand that the British Railways Board hopes to offer alternative employment to all those who might be affected by further closures planned for this area and the number who might become unemployed will depend on how far this alternative work is accepted. The full facilities of our Department will be available to any who seek our help.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the conditions under which a man already in employment may be accepted for a retraining course in a Government training centre.

Any unskilled man in employment, and any skilled man under notice of dismissal and unlikely to be able to find a job in the same trade, would be eligible for consideration for training in most trades at a Government Training Centre.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the weekly rates of training allowances to men aged 21 years and over in Government training centres; and the average length of courses in these centres.

On the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave on 9th December to the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford (Mr. K. Lewis). The answer to the second part of the Question is that the majority of training courses last six months.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the mileage of trunk roads in the County of Montgomery; and what was as the amount of money spent on them in the years 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

There are 121·38 miles of trunk roads, on which £126,089 was spent in the financial year 1960–61, £122,158 in 1961–62 and £152,491 in 1962–63.

asked the Minister of Transport if he intends to consolidate the present 65 Acts of Parliament which deal with merchant shipping or any group of such Acts which deal with specific aspects of shipping, as was done in the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, which was itself a consolidating measure.

No. I have no immediate intention of doing so.