asked the Secretary of State for Air which Marshals of the Royal Air Force are on active duty; and what emoluments and services are provided for those who are non-active.

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike is Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. For other Marshals of the Royal Air Force, half pay is provided, and when they perform specific duties, services appropriate to their rank.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT particulars of contracts which his Department have concluded with Messrs Ferranti Limited since 1958, giving the dates negotiations started, the dates the contracts were signed, the dates on which delivery of the items began, and, in cases where the contracts have terminated, the dates on which delivery ended, and particulars of the items covered by the contracts, the amounts involved, including the cost of each item and the total amount of each contract, and the contract number.

Since 1958, the value of contracts let to Messrs. Ferranti Limited by the Air Ministry has amounted to approximately £100,000, of which some £65,000 was for the provision of training courses on Ferranti equipments and systems in use in the Royal Air Force. The remainder was for minor items of equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many married Royal Air Force personnel are without married quarters in Aden; how many of these men are not yet qualified to be on the housing list; and what is the average waiting period between the date of being put on the list and securing a married quarter.

Out of 2,790 married R.A.F. personnel in Aden, 1,389 are without married quarters or hirings but 401 are in private accommodation in Aden. There are 14 men who, because of their age, are not yet qualified to have their families with them. The waiting period varies from an average of 3 months for senior officers, warrant officers and senior N.C.O.s to an average of twelve months for junior airmen.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why memoranda, references 38/64, 41/64, and OTM 21/64, giving information about competitions for clerical posts in the Civil Service, a vacancy for the post of welfare officer in the Treasury, and a vacancy for the post of chief superintendent of typists were circulated in his Department under restricted security headings.

Hitherto staff memoranda have been regarded as part of a Restricted series. I think this practice can be improved upon and in future each memorandum will be classified according to its content.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls and boys aged 15, 16 and 17 years are in Walton Prison, Liverpool, awaiting places in approved schools; how many days each of them has spent waiting; and when it is expected that places in approved schools will be found for them.

Girls are not sent to Walton Prison. There is one 15-year-old boy who has been there 31 days awaiting a place in an approved school. He is being admitted to a school today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the terms of the reply sent to the Liverpool Town Clerk on 21st January, 1964, regarding the educational and occupational facilities for young persons awaiting approved school places while detained in Walton Prison, Liverpool.

As the letter is rather long, I am sending the hon. Member a copy of it. General education classes are being planned, and the other facilities now available include a club evening with a varied programme of lectures, film shows and games, an evening in the library, and a non-denominational padre's hour on another evening.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many voters, listed as Y in the newly published electoral register, will be unable to vote if the General Election takes place before October; if he is aware that disqualification of such voters would cause confusion at polling stations and resentment among a number of registered voters who have already been 21 years old for several months; and if he will urgently introduce legislation to ensure that all those whose names are on the existing register shall be entitled to vote at the General Election of 1964.

In accordance with the Electoral Register Act 1949, no person whose name is marked with a "Y" in the 1964 register will be eligible to vote at an election held before 2nd October, 1964. I know of no reason to suppose that the arrangements for "Y" voters will give rise to greater difficulties this year than at elections held since their first introduction fifteen years ago. I have no amending legislation in view.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study he has made of the letter from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, concerning Prisoner Brett, now serving a term of imprisonment for a shooting, which contains further evidence that this crime was actually committed by another person, details about whom have been supplied to his Department; and whether he will arrange for an independent inquiry into this matter.

I understand that Brett's application for leave to appeal, which the Court of Criminal Appeal originally refused, has been re-listed on a point of law for hearing next week. In these cir- cumstances the case is again sub judice, and it would not be right for me to make any comment on it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of death through fire in multi-occupied premises have been reported during the past six months.

I regret that this information is not yet available, but I am obtaining it and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he now proposes to take to secure stricter control of drugs containing amphetamines and similar substances.

I have decided to introduce legislation to deal with this increasingly serious problem. I am having consultations with the manufacturers and with certain other organisations whose advice may be valuable on the form of legislation that I have in mind. My intention is to present a Bill as early as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what reply he has given in the official discussions with Dr. Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, to the proposal that the Governments of Jamaica and of Trinidad and Tobago should be requested to use their good offices to assist in bringing about an agreed solution of the constitutional difficulties in British Guiana.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on his discussions in London last week with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago; whether the discussions included the suggestion that Trinidad and Jamaica should use their good offices to obtain an agreed solution of the constitutional deadlock in British Guiana; and what view he expressed to Dr. Williams on this point.

My conversations with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago were confidential. But I can say that no proposal such as is mentioned in these Questions has been put to the British Government by the Governments of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, since the Constitutional Conference last October.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (1) how many established and unestablished officers, respectively, of the former Federal Public Service of Rhodesia and Nyasaland have been advised that the Territorial Governments are unable to offer them employment; and how many officers and employees have refused to avail themselves of offers of employment by the Territorial Government;(2) what steps have been taken to investigate individual cases of hardship suffered by former Federal public servants in the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; and how many individual cases have been investigated.

Out of a total of 35,000 former Federal officers and employees, about 400 established and 250 unestablished have not been offered employment by the Territorial Governments, and about 1,900 have declined to accept such offers. A Special Commissioner has been appointed to consider cases of hardship. The latest information is that since his appointment was announced on 31st January nineteen applications for assistance have been received. These are being investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations why, in view of the terms of the prospectus of the four per cent. stock 1972–1974 of the Government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Federal assets have been distributed without reference to the stockholders; and what request has been made to the Liquidating Agency that no further assets should be distributed without such reference.

No reference was made to the stockholders because the Governments of Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, as the successors of the Federal Government, are assuming the Federal assets and the corresponding liabilities in agreed proportions, including liabilities to stockholders. The answer to the second part of the Question is, "None".

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the revenue each year in the last 10 years from the import duty on bees; and if, in view of the importance of bees to the fruit growing industry, he will reduce or abolish that duty.

I regret that the information sought in the first part of the Question is not available. The import duty on bees was suspended last Autumn and the suspension will continue throughout 1964. An application made by the National Farmers Union and the Honey Producers Association for the permanent abolition of this duty is being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the final total cost to Treasury Funds for the scrapping of machinery under the Cotton Industry Act 1959; and if he will state the amounts separately in respect of the spinning, doubling, weaving and finishing sections.

The final total cost is not yet known but the best available estimate is £11,700,000. Estimates for the individual sections are:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what is his latest estimate of the final total cost to Treasury funds of the re-equipment phase under the Cotton Industry Act, 1959; and if he will state the amounts separately in respect of the spinning, doubling, weaving and finishing sections.

It is not yet possible to determine the total cost to the Exchequer as it will not be known until well after 8th July, 1964, how much eligible expenditure has been incurred. To date £7,245,994 has actually been paid out in re-equipment grants. Of this £3,512,342 has been paid to the spinning section, £145,390 to the doubling section, £3,049,277 to the weaving section and £538,983 to the finishing sections. I understand that, from inquiries they have made, the Cotton Board estimate that the industry will spend about £57 million under the Act; on this basis the Government liability would be £14¼ million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he is aware, following his recent visit to the South-West Region, of the need for a closer liaison in planning and development between local authorities and county areas, particularly in roads, industrial development and the provision of harbours; and if he will take steps to set up a joint committee of these authorities in the region, for the purpose of arranging closer co-operation and discussing the needs of the region as a whole.

My right hon. Friend welcomes closer co-operation between local authorities on matters concerning regional growth and development; but he considers it most likely to prove effective where the initiative arises locally.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what developments there have been following his visit to the South-West; and if he will make a statement.

As the Minister of Transport announced on 24th February, the Government have decided to authorise further improvements to the A.38 west of Exeter, costing over £2 million. Work on them will begin this year. In addition, a survey for a new road of at least dual carriageway stan- dard is to be made from the existing terminal of the M5 at East Brent in Somerset to a point just west of Exeter; and surveys for new by-passes on the A.38 are being started. I am satisfied from what I saw when I was in the region that to improve conditions on this main artery will greatly help to open up the South West for tourism and industry and to stimulate growth over a wide area.Within the region, Devon and Cornwall have special problems of unemployment, and a rate of population growth lower than the national average. I shall continue to use my full powers under the Local Employment Acts to encourage industry to set up or expand in the development districts there. There are now some 1,600 jobs in prospect in the development districts and a further 3,500 elsewhere in the two counties. But there is a stubborn problem of unemployment in Falmouth and a need for more diversification of employment there. I have therefore decided to build an advance factory of 25,000 sq. ft. in the area.I have been glad to learn that local interests in Cornwall have been discussing the possibility of forming a development group and of studying the county's development. I welcome this initiative; but as the problems of Cornwall are met with elsewhere in the South West peninsula, I believe that studies of this kind might appropriately, and profitably, be extended to cover a rather wider area. I am therefore inviting the Joint Committee for the Economy of the South West to consider this in conjunction with the other interests concerned; and I am informing them that I should be prepared in due course to consider a request for financial support for detailed investigation into particular aspects of the area's econmnic potential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether, in view of the fact that three inter-connected companies supplied over 40 per cent. of telephone apparatus and telephone exchange equipment to the Post Office in 1962–63, he will now refer the suppliers to the Monopolies Commission.

My right hon. Friend will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind when he considers further references to the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development to what extent trade between the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia has increased or decreased since the beginning of this year.

Exports to Czechoslovakia in January 1964 totalled £762,000 as compared with £413,000 in January 1963. Imports from Czechoslovakia in January 1964 totalled £1,482,000 as compared with £879,000 in January 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development why he has decided to build an advance factory at Ryton instead of at Lintzford; and if he will make a statement.

Both sites were considered for the advance factory. That at Ryton was selected since it was more readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the percentage share of the total United Kindom exports of manufactured goods represented by direct iron and steel exports in the years 1937, 1938, 1953, 1958 and 1963.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what plans he has for an early increase in the number of advance factories in Scotland.

My right hon. Friend is considering what further advance factories may be required in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development when the South-East Study, and the Government's conclusions on it, will be available.

A White Paper setting out the Government's initial conclusions on the South-East Study will be presented to Parliament and published on 19th March. The Study will be made available to Members and published in London simultaneously with the White Paper. Copies of both documents will be generally available throughout the country the following day.

asked the Minister of Power if he will discuss with the European Coal and Steel Community, through the machinery of the Council of Association, the harmonisation of iron and steel statistics, with a view to facilitating international comparisons.

There is already consultation on this subject through the machinery of the Council of Association as well as through other international bodies.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is satisfied with the direct net contribution of the iron and steel industry to the balance of payments; whether he will ask the Iron and Steel Board to investigate the reasons why much of the United Kingdom ferro-alloy requirements is imported; and to what extent the iron and steel industry could, without additional tariffs, increase United Kingdom production as a means of saving imports.

The steel industry has made a welcome direct net contribution to the balance of payments in recent years. A substantial proportion of the ferro-alloys used by the steel industry is produced in this country, most of the remainder is imported from the Commonwealth and the European Free Trade Area. I am advised that, without substantial tariff protection, increased home production would be unlikely to displace imports to any significant extent.

asked the Minister of Power, in view of the fact that un-economic and inefficient plant is being maintained in production by the pricing practices of the Iron and Steel Board, whether he will, in the national interest, direct the Board to revise these practices in order to promote the efficient and economic supply of iron and steel products.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him yesterday.

asked the Minister of Education when he received the correspondence from the Council for the Promotion of Education in Swimming, sent to him by the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North; and if he will detail his plans for providing better facilities for the teaching and practise of swimming in schools under his authority.

The correspondence was received on 20th February. On swimming facilities in schools, I have nothing to add to the answers given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner) on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Education what is the percentage of primary schools without a staff-room in the area covered by the Colne Valley constituency.

My right hon. Friend understands from the local education authority that the proportion is 39 per cent.

asked the Minister of Education what percentage of primary schools in the area covered by the Colne Valley constituency was built in the nineteenth century.

My right hon. Friend understands from the local education authority that the proportion is 80 per cent.

asked the Minister of Education on what date he approved the first instalment of the Newcastle-under-Lyme College of Further Education; what was the original starting date proposed for the construction of the college; on what date it is now proposed to commence construction; and what are the reasons for the delay.

The project was approved in principle in August, 1960, to start in the year ending 31st March, 1963. Final plans were received in the Ministry this month, and I understand that tenders are being opened this week and that subject to these being satisfactory work should start soon. The delay has been due mainly to changes in the accommodation required to provide for increased demands, particularly for work-shop accommodation.

asked the Minister of Education (1) how many technical colleges are providing induction courses for young students in accordance with the recommendations of Command Paper No. 1254; and what proportion these colleges form of the total;(2) what proportion of new young technical college students were given full-time induction courses in the last academic session.

As I explained in answer to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) on 21st January, these courses are still at an experimental stage. Comprehensive statistics are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Education what proportion of technical colleges provide tutorial instruction for a major proportion of students taking vocational courses.

I cannot give the proportion, but tutorial methods are being increasingly used.

asked the Minister of Education what increases in technical college staff have been made in the last 12 months to provide induction courses and tutorial classes as a result of the recommendations of Command Paper No. 1254.

This work is undertaken by college staff as part of their normal duties, and cannot be separately identified as an element in the continuing increase in the total number of technical teachers.

asked the Minister of Education how many technical colleges have modified their enrolment procedures for new young students to meet the recommendations of Command Paper No. 1254.

The reorganisation of technical courses under the 1961 White Paper has necessitated changes in the enrolment procedures of all colleges offering these courses.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give the number of youth clubs completed by local education authorities for the years 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and the estimated number for 1964, respectively.

About 210 projects at a building cost of £1·6 million were completed in 1962 and about 230 projects costing £2·6 million in 1963, as part of the youth service building programme. I expect the value of completions in 1964 to be higher. The great majority of these projects are new youth clubs or youth wings of school premises. In addition, a number of clubs have been built as minor works. Figures for 1960 and 1961 are not available.

asked the Minister of Education if he will now recommend the holding of the General Certificate of Education examination next year not later than the end of May 1965 for those areas having early town holidays.

The Secondary School Examinations Council have already asked the examining boards to complete next year's General Certificate of Education examinations by the end of June. It is impracticable for the boards to adopt different dates in different areas.

asked the Minister of Education how many children attending the Holme Valley Grammar School will be affected by the withdrawal of passenger service on the Huddersfield—Penistone—Clayton West railway lines; and what will be the additional cost of providing alternative transport.

I understand that no proposal to withdraw the passenger service on these lines has yet been published by the Railways Board, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport has yet to consider the matter. The local education authority says, however, that about 130 pupils would be affected; and that, if it had to provide special school buses the cost would be about £570 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about his meetings with the Prime Minister of Malta, Mr. Mintoff, and Archbishop Gonzi of Malta.

I will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of grants in aid to non-Government organisations which have been cancelled in the last two years, showing the amount of the grant, the date of its cancellation, and the vote on which it was borne.

I am afraid that the information asked for by my hon. Friend is not readily available, but I am having it collected and will write to her as soon as I can.

asked the Prime Minister whether, during his discussions with President Johnson he received an assurance that the United States of America would supply Polaris missiles under the terms of the agreement of December 1962, in view of the terms of the United States Foreign Assistance Act.

No assurance was asked for or necessary.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what Royal Navy air stations are in commission in the United Kingdom; and which of these are open for civil as well as for military use.

Royal Naval air stations in commission in the United Kingdom are Lossiemouth, Yeovilton, Brawdy, Culdrose, Portland, Lee-on-Solent and Arbroath.With the limitation that Portland can accept helicopters only, each station may be used by British civil aircraft in emergency or distress. In addition they may be used for particular civil flights at the discretion of the commanding officer; and for civil scheduled services at the discretion of the Admiralty.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether any useful information on the problems of kinetic heating was obtained from the T188 aircraft research programme, in view of the failure of the aircraft to reach its designed speed.

Yes. Because of the curtailment of the programme we have not obtained the flight experience on kinetic heating which we had hope to obtain from the T188. We have nevertheless obtained considerable information on this problem during the design and development of the aircraft. This has enabled us to proceed with the corresponding work on the TSR2 and Concord with greater confidence and speed than would otherwise have been possible.

asked the Minister of Aviation what continued research is being made into the use of stainless steel for the construction of high speed aircraft, in view of the cancellation of the T188 aircraft research programme.

Under our general programme of research into structures and materials, investigations are being carried out at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, in the aircraft industry and, of course, in the steel industry into new types of stainless steel. As a new type emerges, its suitability for aircraft construction is carefully evaluated. For example, we are now investigating the properties of the precipitation hardening type of stainless steel which can be more easily worked than former types. The curtailment of the T188 research programme will not hamper this general research.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if he will give the number of unemployed in the Gateshead employment area and for the same period 12 months ago, the number of males and females unemployed at the same date, the age groups of those unemployed, and the number of weeks during which each of the various grades has been unemployed;(2) how many persons, male and female, and persons under 18 years of age, male and female, respectively, were registered as unemployed at the February, 1964, count in Gateshead employment area; what were the comparable figures for 1961, 1962 and 1963; what was the percentage increase or decrease between the years 1961 and 1962, 1962 and 1963, and 1963 and 1964; and what was the number of unfilled vacancies at the latest convenient date.

There were on 5th February, 295 unfilled vacancies notified to the Gateshead and Felling employment Exchanges.The following tables contain the rest of the information requested at the latest dates for which it is available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give his estimate of the approximate increased annual cost of abolishing all National Health Service charges.

The estimated revenue in England and Wales from National Health Service charges in the current year, 1963·64, is £46·4 million. This includes £4·7 million charged by local health authorities but excludes payments by private patients in hospitals. In addition to the loss of this revenue, expenditure, of which no reliable estimate can be made, would be incurred on items now costing less than the charges.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of the gross national product was devoted to retirement pensions in the first full year of the scheme, in 1951, and in the last year for which figures are available.

About 2·2 per cent. in 1949, 2·1 per cent. in 1951 and 3·3 per cent. in 1962, the last year for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would now be the annual cost of abolishing the earnings rule wherever it is applied.

About £110 million initially.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will now make a statement about the Report of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government and I received this Report on 31st January. I have laid it before Parliament today, and copies are available in the Vote Office.We would like to express our appreciation to the Committee for all the work it has done in preparing its advice on the content of the first building regulations to be made under the Public Health Act, 1961. This has been a very heavy task and the members of the Committee have given most generously of their time, energy and experience. We accept this advice in principle.It has already been announced that Ministerial responsibility for building control in England and Wales would be transferred from my right hon. Friend to myself at a convenient time after the Committee had completed this task. Accordingly an Order-in-Council effecting the transfer has today been laid before Parliament to take effect from tomorrow.I propose to make building regulations on the basis of the Committee's advice as quickly as possible. Revised draft regulations should be ready in April, and I hope to make them in the summer, to come into effect a few months later.I am impressed by the support lent by the Committee to the view that more comprehensive legislation is needed in order to enable the control of building in England and Wales to be further rationalised. I am considering its recommendations on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many primary school places were provided in the new town of Cumbernauld in 1961 to 1963, and how many are planned for 1963–64, and 1964–65.

In Cumbernauld, 1,360 primary school places were provided in 1961 to 1963, bringing the total to 2,040. At the end of this year, 680 more places will be ready and a further 680 in the summer of 1965, making 3,400 in all. To meet temporary difficulties the education authority are proposing to make use of transportable classrooms.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many senior secondary school places have been provided in the new town of Cumbernauld in 1963–64, and how many are planned for 1964–65 and 1965–66;(2) how many senior secondary school places are planned in the new town of Cumbernauld for 1963–64 and 1964–65.

A comprehensive secondary school will complete in Cumbernauld early next year. It has been planned to take 1,540 pupils, about half of whom may be following senior secondary courses. A comprehensive secondary school for Roman Catholic pupils is in its planning stages.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the difficulty experienced by owners of buildings in claiming damage to fences or boundary walls when such walls are damaged by a passing vehicle which does not stop; and whether, since the highway authority is not required by law to compensate such owners, he will seek to amend the law so that the highway authority is required to accept some responsibility.

I am aware of this difficulty, but I can see no good reason why the highway authority should be called upon to compensate the property owner.

asked the Minister of Transport what fatal and other road accidents have occurred at the Four Wantz Junction, Chipping Ongar, Essex.

In 1962 and 1963 there were no fatal accidents, two involving injury and seventeen causing damage.