asked the Minister of Defence what arrangements exist for tripartite co-operation between British Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam and of the United States of America operating in South Vietnam.

None.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his delivery service for unaddressed circulars at reduced postage rates will be available for political literature at Parliamentary and local government elections.

In my statement to the House on the 29th January I said that the service would be suspended during Parliamentary elections. It will continue to be available during local elections.

asked the Postmaster-General how many items of unstamped advertising matter are now received weekly for distribution; in how many instances postmen have refused to deliver them; and how many of these items have been returned to the sender.

We cannot yet quote a representative weekly figure but up to the end of last week just under 1½ million household delivery items had been handed in. Some postmen at a few offices initially refused to deliver the items but with the exception of one man who reported sick and is still away, they agreed to do so later: no items had to be returned to senders on this account.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he will take to prevent persons, who object to having unaddressed circulars sent to their home addresses and offices, from writing the address of the sender of such circulars on the envelopes and returning these to the postbox, unstamped, to be delivered back to the original sender, so that the last recipient pays the postage sum due together with the surcharge.

We have no special steps in mind: we do not expect this to become a widespread practice.

asked the Postmaster-General what instructions have been given to officers of the Post Office regarding the action to be taken in cases where an unstamped circular delivered under the household delivery scheme is reposted marked "Return to sender".

The instructions provide for such a circular to be put with surplus household delivery items that remain after the delivery is completed and be dealt with generally in the same way as them.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inadequacy of the postal service to Bungay; what plans he has to improve it; and if he is satisfied that his new method of parcels delivery is giving a better service in the area, generally.

Our inquiries do not suggest that the letter service to Bungay is inadequate. My hon. Friend was good enough to give me details of complaints of delay to parcels for one firm, and I shall be wilting to him. We are satisfied that cur new system of carrying parcel mails in East Anglia is giving a better service generally within that area.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that self-adhesive stamps are being issued in Sierra Leone; and whether he will adopt such stamps in Great Britain.

To the first part of the Question the Answer is "Yes"; to an. second part "No".

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the high cost of posting relief parcels to Angolan women refugees now in the Congo; if he is further aware that at some post offices the sender is required to complete forms in English, French and Flemish; and if he will take steps to make it easier to send such parcels.

The postage rates for surface parcels to the Congo Republic are based on the cost of providing the service. Much as my right hon. Friend sympathises with the plight of refugees he could not reduce rates for parcels sent to them without offering similar concessions for many other equally worthy causes.As regards the second part of the Question, I think that the hon. Member may be referring to the Customs declaration forms. To meet the requirements of the Congo Administration these declarations have to be either in French or in Flemish—not both—whilst English is, of course, required for our own purposes.

asked the Postmaster-General what the percentage increase in charges to the user has been over the past four years for the postal, telegraphic and telephone services.

I estimate that Post Office charges as a whole rose in the four years beginning October, 1959, by an average of 2¼ per cent. net per annum.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the percentage of disabled men at present employed by his Department.

At the last return—lst October, 1963—nearly 4 per cent. of the 285,500 men employed in the Post Office were registered disabled persons.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider his decision to remove the telephone kiosk at Western Grove, Builth Wells, in view of the fact that the takings have increased by over £30 in 1963, as compared with 1959, and of the objections of the urban district council.

My inquiries are not yet complete, but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

asked the Postmaster-General how many public telephones and kiosks have been wilfully damaged in the Borough of Leyton during the past year; whether this shows an increase on previous years; how many persons have been charged with offences; and what further consideration has been given to the use of devices that cause audible alarm when public telephones are maliciously used.

I am sorry that this information is not available in the precise form asked for, but in 1963 there were 338 cases of wilful damage in the Leytonstone telephone exchange area compared with 342 in 1962 and 162 in 1961. There were no prosecutions in the Leyton area itself, although there were 14 in the East Telephone area of which Leyton forms part. I will write to the hon. Member giving him the up-to-date position about audible alarms.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will include in telephone directories information about the days on which cheap rate trunk calls are suspended.

The arrangements in regard to suspension of cheap rate calls can vary according to the days actually covered by the Christmas season. I think it would be preferable to retain the general statement which at present appears in the preface to the telephone directory, supplementing this by detailed publicity at the time.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now require the Independent Television Authority to refrain from televising cigarette advertising.

No.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what are the terms and conditions of service of officers and men employed in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and what provision is made for them in case of accident or illness.

The basic terms and conditions of service, including sick pay, for officers and men of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service, are in conformity with those applicable to Merchant Navy men under late provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts, and with agreements reached on the National Maritime Board.Officers and ratings killed or sustaining injury whilst on duty are compensated under the Injury Warrant framed under the Superannuation Acts, or under the Industrial Injuries Act, whichever is applicable.The following is a summary of the main provisions involved:

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will give the number of admirals in the Royal Navy at the present time; and how many have a flag-ship under their command.

The number of admirals, including medical and instructor officers, at present serving is 78, but this number will be reduced to 76 by 31st March this year. Only a proportion of the 76 admirals are eligible to fly their flags afloat. Four always do, and 13 others do so from time to time.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what request he has received from the Australian Government for assistance in the replacement of the destroyer "Voyager".

None at present. But the Royal Navy have been in touch with the Royal Australian Navy since last week, following Which Her Majesty's Government have offered the loan of a ship should this be desired.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of men now declared redundant in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport; how many are to be offered jobs at Rosyth, Gibraltar or Singapore; and what will be their pay and removal allowances.

Eighty-eight, of whom 78 are craftsmen. Of these 30 took their discharge without awaiting the expiry of their notices and 11 have accepted alternative non-craft employment offered.The number of craftsmen offered transfer to other yards was 36. They will be regarded as having been compulsorily transferred for the purpose of eligibility for allowances and other benefits. They are being transferred in their existing grades and will retain their present pay.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, in view of the fact that no mention is made, for the first time since 1946, in the Defence White Paper, Command Paper No. 2270, of the employment prospects in the Royal Dockyards, if he will make a statement with special reference to Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport.

No. I would refer my hon. Friend to my statements to the Admiralty Industrial Council on 19th September, 1963, and 3rd January this year, the texts of which have been published.It has been the exception rather than the rule for the annual Explanatory Statement on Navy Estimates to include general statements on employment prospects in the Royal Dockyards.

asked the Secretary of State for War what progress has been made, in consultation with the local planning authority, in the disposal of the site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory, Swynnerton.

I await the views of the county planning authority. I understand that its technical planning investigation is almost complete and that a planning sub-committee will meet at the end of next week to consider the report.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men enlisted in the Army in January of this year in the Counties of Ayrshire, Perthshire, Argyllshire, Lanarkshire, and Aberdeenshire, respectively; and what were the comparable figures for January, 1963, and January, 1962.

The following is the information:

—	January, 1964	January, 1963	January, 1962
Ayrshire	6	10	13
Perthshire	4	9	16
Argyll	Nil	2	1
Lanark	5	7	20
Aberdeen	3	10	28
	18	38	78

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons held in Scottish prisons before trial in 1962 and subsequently found not guilty or released without trial were held in prison for periods longer than four days; and what were the six longest periods for which persons were so held.

I regret that the information for which the hon. Member asks is not immediately available. The Lord Advocate and I will, however, consider how far the investigation referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 10th February can cover information of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on housing subsidies, and farm subsidies and grants, respectively, in each of the last 12 years.

The following is a table showing the net issues from the Housing, Scotland, Vote, and from the Agricultural Votes in so far as they relate to farm subsidies and grants in Scotland, in each of the last 12 financial years:

	Housing	Farm Subsidies
	£ million	£ million
1951–52	10·566	6·816
1952–53	10·992	10·444
1953–54	12·883	12·415
1954–55	14·556	27·918
1955–56	12·647	27·358
1956–57	13·853	34·792
1957–58	15·334	42·544
1958–59	16·259	39·920
1959–60	17·698	38·517
1960–61	18·702	41·058
1961–62	19·551	53·161
1962–63	18·371	46·615

There is included in these figures the amount applicable to Scotland in respect of United Kingdom agricultural subsidies paid by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.In the years prior to 1954–55 the implementation of agricultural price guarantees in respect of cereals, fat-stock, milk, eggs and potatoes was dealt with by the Ministry of Food through a net trading account. For these years it is not possible to identify the element of subsidy to Scottish farmers for these commodities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that the necessary facilities of sanitation and cleanliness are available in all premises used by doctors as clinics; and whether he will encourage local authorities to make available such facilities in conjunction with other health services.

The adequacy of the consulting accommodation of family doctors in the National Health Service is a matter for the local Executive Councils, which have powers to investigate complaints, inspect premises and require improvements where necessary. It is my policy to encourage local authorities to make their clinic premises available to family doctors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will increase the allocation of funds for school building to the West Lothian Education Authority so that it is not obliged to retard its schemes for Linlithgow Academy.

No. The arrangements already made will enable the authority to make a start on Linlithgow Academy early in 1965. This involves no serious delay. Any earlier start would mean giving the authority an undue share of the investment programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals are planned for Scotland in addition to those being built under schemes which were in progress on 30th September, 1963.

The Hospital Plan for Scotland (Cmnd. 1602) presented to Parliament in January, 1962, shows that in

TENDERS APPROVED
Year			Number of Houses by Apartments					Estimated Total Number of Apartments
			Less than 2 apartments	2 apartments	3 apartments	4 apartments	5 apartments or more
1948	…	…	Not available
1949	…	…
1950	…	…
1951	…	…	388	278	14,846	11,489	749	95,183
1952	…	…	415	672	15,200	11,383	811	96,946
1953	…	…	730	1,125	18,677	14,423	1,090	122,153
1954	…	…	520	1,648	21,492	11,604	837	118,893
1955	…	…	348	1,661	16,392	8,169	214	86,592
1956	…	…	739	3,156	16,492	7,678	370	89,089
1957	…	…	349	2,076	13,324	6,672	467	73,496
1958	…	…	283	2,273	12,577	5,150	320	64,760
1959	…	…	298	2,995	12,569	5,273	331	66,742
1960	…	…	834	3,324	13,221	5,156	370	69,619
1961	…	…	482	3,023	9,755	5,052	376	57,881
1962	…	…	1,042	4,621	14,146	6,997	449	82,955
1963	…	…	967	6,153	15,604	6,733	584	89,937

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of new motorway have been completed in each of the last 12 years.

No motorways have yet been completed in Scotland, but 84 miles of modern dual carriageway roads were built in this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the total amount of local authority housing space provided, in terms of apartments, in each year since 1948.

The information is not readily available in relation to the number of houses completed each year or to the period prior to 1951. However, the following table shows the estimated total number of apartments in houses tendered for by public authorities in each year since 1951:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of houses built in Scotland in each of the last 12 years was built by local authorities and for private ownership, respectively.

The proportions, expressed as percentages, of the total numbers of houses completed in Scotland by local authorities, for private owners and by other agencies in each of the last 12 years are as follows:

—	Local Authorities	Private Owners	Other Agencies
	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
1952	72·4	7·2	20·4
1953	75·1	6·1	18·8
1954	76·6	6·7	16·7
1955	71·1	10·3	18·6
1956	69·2	14·3	16·5
1957	74·7	10·8	14·5
1958	70·3	12·6	17·1
1959	68·4	15·5	16·1
1960	62·7	22·8	14·5
1961	61·8	26·2	12·0
1962	60·7	29·1	10·2
1963	62·7	23·5	13·8

Year			Public Authorities				Private Owners
			Local Authorities	S.S.H.A.	New Town Corporations	Aggregate
1951	…	…	100	100	100	100	100
1952	…	…	125	163	404	132	196
1953	…	…	165	171	1,097	171	209
1954	…	…	166	142	1,222	168	228
1955	…	…	135	129	1,103	139	308
1956	…	…	123	108	894	125	400
1957	…	…	135	108	793	135	307
1958	…	…	126	113	1,228	130	355
1959	…	…	104	86	1,293	108	370
1960	…	…	100	71	1,266	102	570
1961	…	…	94	50	1,054	93	624
1962	…	…	90	33	1,313	89	680
1963	…	…	98	62	1,374	101	578

asked the Minister of Aviation, in view of possible redundancy at the Associated Electrical Industries factory on the West Chirton Trading Estate, North Shields, if he will make a statement on future employment there.

There has been a misunderstanding about redundancy at the

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures giving the annual percentage rise or fall in the construction of local authority, new town corporation and Scottish Special Housing Association houses since October, 1951, taking that date as being equal to 100;(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures giving the annual percentage rise or fall in the construction of houses for private owners since October, 1951, taking that date as being equal to 100.

The, following table shows the houses completed in Scotland by public authorities and those built for private owners in each calendar year since 1951, expressed as percentages of the numbers built in 1951:factory. As a result of a fall-off in demand, the company proposes to concentrate aero-engine starter motor production at its Coventry factory, thus gradually withdrawing this type of work from West Chirton where some 250 people are engaged on it. The company, however, proposes to provide new work for the West Chirton factory, and it intends that this new work should employ at least at many people as the work being transferred. The transfer from West Chirton will not begin until an announcement about the new programme of work has been made.

asked the Minister of Aviation if permission has ever been withheld from a civil servant in his Department who wished to leave to join a company which has contractual relations with his Department.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Aviation what has been the total cost of London Airport to the present date; and what expenditure is envisaged during the next five years.

The balance sheet value of the Ministry's capital assets at Heathrow at 31st March, 1963, was £28,834,226, after deduction of accumulated annual depreciation and provision for obsolescence totalling £9,102,427. Expenditure of about £20 million on capital account is envisaged for the current and next five years. These figures do not, of course, include investment by airlines and other tenants in capital assets at the airport.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will now make a statement on the future development of the Sky van light freighter.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to Questions on this subject on 5th February.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the estimated revenue for the year to 31st March, 1964, at Renfrew Airport from landing fees and passenger service charges, respectively; and what percentage increase in total revenue he expects to obtain at Renfrew from the new airport charges to be introduced on 1st April, 1964, if the volume and type of traffic remain the same.

£310,000 and £17,000 respectively; 38 per cent. in a full year of operation, but introduction of the new charge is being deferred until 1st November, 1964.

asked the Minister of Aviation what arrangements have been made for tie recovery of development costs borne by the Exchequer in respect of the Concord airliner on future sales of aircraft.

It is our intention to make suitable arrangements in due course for Government participation in the proceeds of sales. Discussions with the French Government and with the British firms concerned about the nature of these arrangements are in progress.

asked the Minister of Aviation if the Government's share of development costs on the Concord will be decreased by the amounts paid to the British Aircraft Corporation by airlines as deposits on orders placed for this aircraft.

Under the agreements entered into by various airlines with B.A.C. and Sud Aviation these payments are not contributions to development costs, but initial instalments towards the purchase price of the aircraft. They will therefore be covered by the arrangements for Govern Went participation in the proceeds of sales.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has been made towards the assumption by Eurocontrol of responsibility for air traffic control services over the United Kingdom.

The Eurocontrol Convention, which was ratified by the United Kingdom on 3rd August, 1962, entered into force on 1st March, 1963. On 1st March, 1964, the Eurocontrol Air Traffic Services Agency will assume the responsibility accorded to it under the Convention for the provision of services to civil air traffic and to certain military air traffic in the upper airspace of the United Kingdom and of the territories of the other five contracting parties.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air and I have concluded an agreement with the Eurocontrol Organisation under which the United Kingdom National Air Traffic Control Services will provide the necessary services over this country to meet agreed Eurocontrol requirements.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in the provision of automatic safety devices and of warning systems at unmanned railway level crossings, with particular reference to Moorends, near Doncaster, where there have been several fatal accidents.

The British Railways Board is developing a new and relatively inexpensive automatic warning light system for unmanned crossings. Discussions are taking place between interested parties about payment for the wider provision of safeguards at farm-type crossings. Of the three crossings which I think the hon. Member has particularly in mind, I am informed that one may be closed to vehicles now that there is access to a nearby public crossing. I understand that the Railways Board is negotiating with the local authority about the installation of automatic flashing lights at the other two.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the British Railways Board has issued timetables showing that no passenger trains will be run on the Stoke-on-Trent—Newcastleunder-Lyme—Silverdale line from 2nd March; and, in view of the fact that his consent to the closure of this line was based upon the provision of additional bus services which have not yet been planned and announced, if he will, under Section 56(11) of the Transport Act, 1962, direct the Railways Board to continue the train services for the time being.

The Traffic Commissioners have, I understand, now authorised the operation of the additional bus services which I stipulated as a condition of my consent to the closure.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding smoking, if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the London Board to provide more non-smoking carriages on London Underground trains.

No. The number of non-smoking carriages in trains is a matter for the London Transport Board.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the Hull and Hornsea and the Hull and Withernsea lines are included in the list of railways serving seaside resorts which are proposed for closure and for which his consent, if given, will not take effect before 1st October.

These two proposals were published some time ago. They will therefore be dealt with in accordance with the last part of my statement on 12th February in reply to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Antrim, North (Mr. H. Clark).I can assure the hon. Member that I will bear in mind the possible effect of closure on holiday travel arrangements this summer before making my decisions.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that commercial vehicles, particularly long - distance vehicles, have to wait to discharge or collect goods at business premises in parking zones; what proposals he has for stipulating by regulation the times at which these operations can take place; what is his policy regarding the provision of parking bays with special meters for commercial vehicles; and what other arrangements he proposes to deal with this contingency.

Yes. I am at present considering what provision to make for the parking of lorries in a proposed extension of Bristol's controlled parking zone, and will announce a decision as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement upon the recommendations of the Council of Wales Report on the Rural Transport Problem in Wales, Command Paper No. 1821.

I am continuing to keep the Council's views in mind when dealing with particular aspects of the rural transport problem as they arise.As regards bus services, I have published a report of the results of the local rural transport surveys, including the study held in Montgomeryshire. 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 dealing with rail passenger closures my procedure is as I explained it to the House on 20th December. This ensures that full consideration is given to the social implications of proposed closures. The Railways Board's plans for recovering a greater share of bulky and heavy freight are outlined in the Report on the Reshaping of the Railways.On roads, I have included some improvements to the north—south trunk road in my rolling programme and will consider further schemes for future extensions of it. As the hon. Member is aware, I do not think that the arrangements for minor roads should be changed.

asked the Minister of Transport how much capital expenditure has been authorised for the improvement of docks and harbours during 1964 and 1965; and how this compares with expenditure in 1963.

The British Transport Docks Board has been authorised to invest £5·3 million in 1963 and £8·1 million in 1964. I understand that the figures for the remainder of the docks industry an, approximately £13·6 million and £15·5 million in 1963 and 1964 respectively.The figures for 1965 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the earliest date by which he expects to receive the report of the Geddes Committee on the road haulage licensing system; and whether it will be published.

It is too early to say when the Committee will report, or whether the report will be published.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the possibilities of a cross-Channel road bridge were studied by him and the French Minister; whether it has been finally rejected; and to what extent he estimates that, in addition to the tunnel, a road bridge will be needed at a later stage.

Studies by both Governments have been based on the Report of British and French Officials (Cmnd. 2137): this includes detailed comparisons between a rail tunnel and a road/ rail bridge. Much of what is said about a road/rail bridge would apply to a road bridge also. Both Governments have decided in favour of the rail tunnel in preference to any form of bridge. The tunnel will have traffic capacity to meet foreseeable needs for very many years.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the number of demolished or partly demolished motor vehicles on the side of the Watford by-pass near the entrance to the M.1 where gypsies are living in undesirable conditions while continuing their work; and what action he is taking in the matter.

I am aware of this problem which is a very difficult one. Both the police and my agent authority are doing their best to cope with it within their existing powers.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to remove derelict and demolished vehicles left on the verges of public roads by gypsies and others; and who pays the costs of such removals.

The police and local authorities have power to remove from roads vehicles which appear to be abandoned. The removal charge of £2 is recoverable from the driver who left the vehicle in the place from which it was removed, but if such a person is not traced the expense falls on public funds. The police do their best to prevent gypsies and others from breaking up vehicles on road verges. The removal of litter is part of the responsibility of highway authorities for maintaining the highway.

asked the Minister of Transport how long his Department expects to take in studying the report from Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners with regard to trunk road requirements between Hull and the Great North Road; and, in view of the urgency of the problem, when a decision is likely to be made and the work started.

I cannot yet say how long it will take to reach conclusions on this report, which is expected to be of wide scope. But I am well aware of the urgency and importance of improving trunk road communication between Hull and the Great North Road. I have already made provision for some of the work which will arise from the report in the extension of the trunk road programme I announced in October last.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what plans Her Majesty's Government have for inviting Commonwealth countries to bear a greater share of the burden of defence of British interests throughout the world, and especially in their areas.

We are in continuous touch with other Commonwealth Governments on defence matters, and are associated with them in various kinds of defence arrangements in our mutual interests. We are associated with Canada in N.A.T.O. and with Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan in S.E.A.T.O. In Malaysia there is a Commonwealth Strategic Reserve consisting of land, sea and air forces from Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the resignation of Mrs. Joshua, he is now prepared to resume payments from United Kingdom funds to the Government of St. Vincent.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will approach the Government of the Falkland Islands, including the dependencies of South Georgia and South Sandwich, and ask whether they wish the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction conferred upon the High Court of the United Kingdom by the Administration of Justice Act, 1956, to be extended to the Falkland Islands, including the dependencies of South Georgia and South Sandwich, by an Order in Council.

The re-defined Admiralty jurisdiction conferred upon the High Court of the United Kingdom by the Administration of Justice Act, 1956, was extended to the Falkland Islands by the Falkland Islands' Application of Enactments (Amendment) Ordinance, 1962, and to its dependencies—including South Georgia and South Sandwich—by the Falkland Islands' Application of Colony Laws Ordinance, 1962. The Falkland Islands Government preferred to provide for the extension by such legislation rather than by an Order in Council.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving

—	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963
General taxation*	100	105	105	109	116	119	127	132	135	139	153	167	167
Taxes on income paid by persons.	100	101	97	106	114	124	137	145	152	171	194	213	Not available
Taxes on income paid by companies.	100	132	127	115	126	116	127	133	128	93	106	127	Not available
Purchase Tax	100	93	88	101	124	136	146	147	148	151	154	169	165
Duties on wines	100	95	100	105	114	112	119	105	110	105	114	129	138
Duties on spirits	100	97	102	107	115	123	125	128	138	148	164	171	182
Duties on tobacco	100	98	101	105	106	110	115	119	124	132	138	142	144
Motor vehicle licence duties.	100	105	113	120	133	142	152	164	170	192	220	264	284
Duties on hydrocarbon oils.	120	138	156	161	170	178	174	182	198	214	257	293	304
Television licence duty† (£ million).							4	9	10	11	12	13	8
Purchase tax on confectionery, ice cream, etc.† (£ million).												32	Not available
* General taxation has been taken to cover all Central Government taxes on income, expenditure and capital.
† Since these taxes were introduced after 1951, the actual receipts have been given instead of index numbers. The purchase tax on confectionery, ice cream, etc. is, however, also included in the index numbers for 1962 and 1963 for total purchase tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that Britain's gold and currency reserves in January, 1964, rose by only £6,000,000 to a total of £955 million, whereas in January, 1963, the total reserves stood at £1,023 million and the reserves during the months of January, 1963, rose by £21 million; whether he will give the reasons for these figures for 1964 compared with 1963; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is aware of these figures, but does

The table below shows the net receipts of tax by the central Government in index form, receipts in 1951 being taken as equal to 100. Complete figures for 1963 are not yet available and those shown for some items are provisional.not make the same inference from them. The reserves fluctuate from month to month and do not necessarily reflect the basic balance of payments of the United Kingdom. As my right hon. Friend made cleat in his Budget speech Last year, some deterioration in the balance of payments is likely to accompany the rapid expansion of our economy. The incidence of this is bound to be uneven; figures for a single month, therefore, whether they relate to the movement of the reserves or to any trade balance, are not reliable evidence of the extent to which such a movement is taking place.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what date the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency acquired the stock of the Whitehead Iron and Steel Co., of Newport, Monmouthshire; and what proportion of the capital of this company is held by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency.

Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency, indicated its intention to make an unconditional offer to purchase the issued share capital of the Whitehead Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. on 1st February, 1963. Formal offer documents were posted on 12th February, 1963. Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd. now owns the whole of the issued share capital of the Whitehead Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. The Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency thus has no direct holding in the Whitehead Iron and Steel Co., Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government have given to relieve victims of the cholera epidemic in the Republic of Viet Nam.

Her Majesty's Government have made gifts of supplies of saline solution and intravenous administration sets, to the value of about £3,000, including the cost of transport, to the Republic of Viet Nam. Parliament will as soon as possible be asked to vote the amount by means of a Supplementary Estimate. In the meantime advances are being obtained from the Civil Contingencies Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will take further measures to assist in the long-term reconstruction of the City of Skopje.

Yes. My right hon. Friend the then Prime Minister an nounced on 1st August, 1963, that Her Majesty's Government were prepared to offer the Yugoslav Government a loan of £500,000 for the reconstruction of Skopje. In response to a further request from the Yugoslav Government for financial assistance, Her Majesty's Government have now offered a second loan of £500,000. Like the first loan, this will be made under Section III of the Export Guarantees Act, 1949, and will be available for the purchase of British goods and equipment needed in connection with the reconstruction of Skopje. The terms of the loan will be negotiated with the Yugoslav Government in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what response he has had from the United States Government to the request for land forces to assist in promoting order in Cyprus.

The United States Government are agreed in principle to supply troops for an international force on the lines proposed by the British and United States Governments, provided that other allied countries agreed to participate and provided that the plan was approved by the Governments of Greece and Turkey and by Archbishop Makarios and Vice-President Kutchuk. In the event, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations informed the House on 17th February, the plan was approved by all the parties concerned except Archbishop Makarios. It therefore could not be implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the future of his Department's approved schools welfare officers service;(2) if, in view of the importance of their work, he will establish facilities for the training of approved school welfare officers;

In their recent Report on the organisation of after-care my Advisory Council on the Treatment of Offenders recommended, as the Ingleby Committee had done previously, that in future the principal agents for carrying out approved school after-care supervision should be the proposed probation and after-care service and the local child care authorities, and that the approved school welfare service should be wound up. I have accepted this recommendation and, after discussion with representatives of the various approved school interests, I am now considering how it can best be implemented having in mind the need to safe

Year		Terms of Trade*	Imports	United Kingdom Exports	Balance of Payments Current Account (£ million)
		(October, 1951 = 100)			Deficit (-) or Surplus (+)
1952	…	103	80	91	+ 168
1953	…	108	76	91	+ 148
1954	…	108	77	94	+ 125
1955	…	107	89	102	- 156
1956	…	109	89	111	+ 207
1957	…	111	93	117	+ 216
1958	…	120	86	112	+ 342
1959	…	120	92	118	+ 140
1960	…	121	104	126	- 258
1961	…	125	101	130	- 10
1962	…	127	103	134	+ 102
1963	…	125	111	144	+ 117
					(9 months)
* Export unit value index as a percentage of the import unit value index.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry. Trade and Regional Development how many retail grocery businesses went bankrupt in 1957 and in the last calendar year for which the figure is available; and if he will express the latter as a percentage of the firmer.

The numbers of bankruptcies of retailers of grocery and provisions for the years 1957 and 1962—

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development it whether, taking October, 1951, as equal to 100, he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the annual calendar percentage rise or fall to date in the terms of trade, imports, exports, and the balance of payments.

The following is the information:the last available year—are 118 and 221 respectively.The latter figure is 187 per cent. of the former.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how many retail businesses went bankrupt in 1957 and in the last calendar year for which the figure is available; and if he will express the latter as a percentage of the former.

The numbers of bankruptcies of retail businesses for the years 1957 and 1962—the last available year—are 483 and 1,172 respectively.The latter figure is 243 per cent. of the former.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the number and percentage of persons unemployed in the Stornoway area at the latest count; and what were the numbers in Barra, South Uist and North Uist, respectively.

COAL PRODUCTIVITY AND MANPOWER*
				North Western Division		Great Britain
—				Output per manshift (overall)	Average manpower	Output per manshift (overall)	Average manpower
				cwt.	thousands	cwt.	thousands
1951	…	…	…	21·6	56·5	24·8	689·1
1952	…	…	…	21·2	58·9	24·5	706·2
1953	…	…	…	21·8	59·4	24·9	707·5
1954	…	…	…	22·0	58·7	24·9	701·8
1955	…	…	…	22·1	58·2	24·7	698·7
1956	…	…	…	22·4	58·2	24·8	697·4
1957	…	…	…	22·4	57·7	24·9	703·8
1958	…	…	…	23·4	56·2	25·6	692·7
1959	…	…	…	25·1	51·9	26·9	658·2
1960	…	…	…	26·6	45·4	28·0	602·1
1961	…	…	…	26·2	41·8	28·9	570·5
1962	…	…	…	28·9	40·0	31·2	550·9
1963	…	…	…	30·2	36·8	33·0	523·8
Week ended 8th February, 1964†				32·0	39·0	34·9	509·0
* Certain of the earlier figures have been adjusted to make them more comparable with the later figures (see page 19 of Ministry of Power Statistical Digest, 1962).
† In the figures for 1964 the North Western division includes the Cumberland area (formerly in Northern division). In 1963 the figures shown exclude Cumberland; the Cumberland area and the rest of North Western division together employed 40·5 thousand men and had an average output per manshift of 29·6 cwts. in 1963.

asked the Minister of Power to what extent coal mining subsidence has affected property; and what has been the total amount claimed up to the latest convenient date, in the Lancashire coal field area, and the country as a whole.

There are no comprehensive figures for claims, but since the passing of the Coalmining (Subsidence) Act, 1957, the provisions made by the Board for meeting such claims have been included in the Board's published

On 10th February 1,497 or 27 per cent. and 135, 167 and 107 respectively.

asked the Minister of Power what were the coal productivity and manpower figures in the North-West Division Coal Board area and the country as a whole for each year since 1951, and up to the latest convenient date.

The following figures relate to collieries operated by the National Coal Board:Accounts, and in the years 1958–1962 inclusive the totals were £18,505,000 for the country as a whole and £2,472,000 for Lancashire.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what is the number of overseas pensioners in each overseas territory whose pensions and pension increases are paid through the Crown agents; how many are receiving less than the United Kingdom rates; and what is the annual cost of the basic pension and the annual cost of supplement to United Kingdom rates.

The latest estimate of numbers of overseas pensioners whose basic pensions and pensions increases are paid through the Crown Agents, together with the estimated annual cost of the basic pensions are as follows:

Overseas Country	Approximate number of overseas pensioners (including dependants) paid through Crown Agents	Estimated annual cost of Basic pensions (exclusive of overseas increases)
(a)	(b)	(c)
		£
Ceylon	535	165,000
Cyprus	79	26,000
E.A.C.S.O	849	404,000
Ghana	330	50,000
Jamaica	86	15,000
Kenya	1,574	715,000
Malaya	1,635	717,000
Nigeria	2,363	783,000
Sabah	42	23,000
Sarawak	64	43,000
Sierra Leone	291	72,000
Somali Republic	47	13,000
Tanganyika	1,227	561,000
Trinidad	87	18,000
Uganda	826	385,000
Zanzibar	51	18,000
Aden	30	8,000
Barbados	11	3,100
Bechuaraland, Basutoland and Swaziland	20	6,400
Bermuda	10	2,500
British Guiana	105	30,000
British Honduras	11	1,500
Falkland Islands	15	3,000
Fiji	47	14,000
Gambia	31	7,000
Gibraltar	9	1,000
Hong Kong	682	265,000
Leeward Islands	6	550
Malta	12	2,400
Mauritius	115	26,200
Northern Rhodesia	281	116,200
Nyasaland	169	65,500
St. Helena	1	250
Seychelles	2	350
Western Pacific High Commission	4	1,150
Windward Islands	6	700
Mixed Service	2,900	1,340,250
2. Some 9,500 supplements have been awarded under (he United Kingdom Pensions (Increase) Act, 1962, to pensioners whose overseas pensions increases are less than those payable to public service pensioners in the United Kingdom. The cost is approximately £1 million per annum.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what estimate he has made of the cost of assuming responsibility for all overseas pensions up to the date of the various countries' independence, together with authorised pension increases; and how many pensioners would be involved.

Over £10½ million per annum an over 22,000 pensioners.

asked the Minister of Education how many pupils will leave schools within the County Borough of Swansea this year.

I should expect, on the basis of information I have received from the local education authority, that the numbers will be in the region of 600 at Easter and about 1,750 in the summer. But these figures are necessarily based on a number of assumptions, and it would be wrong to place too much reliance on forecasts of this kind.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what was the amount of capital grants made available to the universities through the University Grants Committee in the calendar years 1951, 1955, 1959 and in the last available year.

The amounts of capital grants ma de to universities and colleges, etc through the University Grants Committee have been as follows:

Financial Year	£ Million
1951–52	7·1
1955–56	6·6
1959–60	19·8
1962–63	32·6

I regret that figures are not available for calendar years.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what was the total national expenditure, both as an actual sum and as a percentage of the Gross National Product, on civil research and development in each of the years 1949–50, 1952–53. 1955–56, 1958–59 and 1961–62.

The Advisory Council on Scientific Policy estimated total expenditure on civil research and develop ment in the United Kingdom for the years 1955–56, 1958–59 and 1961–62 at £122 million, £243 million, and £388 million, respectively. The figures represent approximately 0·7 per cent., 1·2 per cent. and 1·7 per cent. respectively of the gross national product in each year. Figures are not available for earlier years.