asked the Minister without Portfolio how many of his staff are employed on the preparation of publicity on Scottish matters; and how many of them work in Scotland.

The staff of the Scottish Information Office who are attached to the Scottish Home and Health Department and are responsible for the preparation of information on Scottish Departmental and other matters number 22 including clerical staff. All except two work in Edinburgh. In addition there are other information staff, for example in the Board of Trade, whose work though not specifically on Scottish matters includes some publicity for Scotland.

asked the Minister without Portfolio how much he expects to spend in the financial year 1964–65 on publicising Scotland; and what forms the publicity will take.

As part of the assistance which the Government are to give to the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) over the next three years towards the cost of that part of their publicity effort which is on behalf of Central Scotland, the Council will during 1964–65 receive an outright grant of £15,000 plus a matching grant of up to £25,000. The Council is now considering the ways in which these funds can most effectively be spent. In addition, there is a wide variety of publicity undertaken by the Department the precise cost of which is difficult to estimate. It ranges from booklets encouraging firms to expand to the production of news letters and articles for overseas readers.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications have been made for labour permits for immigrants, unskilled and unemployed, to come to this country from India and Pakistan, respectively; in view of the fact that 10 million jobs will be lost in the next five years through automation to British workers, if he will cease issuing altogether immigration permits; and if he will make a statement.

Up to 28th February, 1964, applications had been received from 173,664 Indians and 137,470 Pakistanis who had neither the offer of a job in this country nor qualifications or special skills of the types to which priority is given. Whilst I could not accept my hon. Friend's forecast, the employment situation is one of the factors taken into account in determining the number of vouchers issued. I am not prepared to stop issuing vouchers altogether since, as the Government have always made clear, the intention of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act is, not to stop immigration from the Commonwealth, but to control it.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give in column form the dozen main occupations used in computing the average industrial earnings in October, 1951, as Men, 166s.; Boys 69s. 1d.; Women 90s. Id., and Girls 57s. 11d.; and October 1963, as Men 334s. 11d.; Boys 148s. 8d.; Women 168s. 3d., and Girls 109s. 2d.; and what was the average in each occupation respectively.

I am sorry that I cannot give my hon. Friend the figures he wants. The figures to which he refers are collected by industry, not by occupation.

asked the Minister of Labour how many apprenticeships were available for boys in Gateshead during 1963; what percentage this respresented of school leavers; and what were the respective figures for 1962.

286, representing 39·1 per cent. of boys entering employment. The corresponding figures for 1962 were 394 and 45·3 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour in how many cases redundancies have been notified as a result of factories being closed down following purchase by a competing company in the United Kingdom.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were on the disabled workers register in Gateshead and Slough, respectively, at the latest convenient date; what percentage of these in each area was unemployed; and what were the comparable figures for the same period 12 months earlier.

On 16th April, 1963, there were 1,770 registered disabled persons in Gateshead and 1,586 in Slough,

KIRKCALDY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Office			Number unemployed on 10th February, 1964				Estimated number of employees in employment at mid-1962
			Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Male	Female
Kirkcaldy	…	…	688	102	520	71	21,100	11,900
Glenrothes	…	…	268	—	244	—
Leven and Methil	…	…	710	84	408	46	11,600	3,800
Separate figures of the numbers of employees are not available for Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes.

asked the Minister of Labour what plans he has for the extension of the Resettlement Transfer Scheme.

I have no proposals for extension at present, but I am continuing to keep the operation of this scheme under review.

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware of the hardship caused to tenants who are obliged to collect ground rents on behalf of landlords from other tenants; and if he will introduce legislation to extinguish these obligations.

asked the Minister of Labour which employment exchanges comprise Kirkcaldy development district; and what are the numbers of unemployed adults, male and female, of unemployed young persons, male and female, and of insured persons, male and female. registered in employment at each of the employment exchanges in the district at the latest available date.

Following is the information

Machinery by which a person responsible for collecting ground rents can free himself from this obligation already exists under Sections 10 to 14 of the Enclosure Act 1854, as supplemented by Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act, 1927. The procedure involves an order by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Attorney-General why the Council on Tribunals has refused to consider the procedure adopted by the transport users' consultative committees at the hearing of objections to branch line closures.

The transport users' consultative committees are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Council on Tribunals.

asked the Attorney-General how many divorce actions were tried by judges who were not permanent High Court judges during 1963 or other convenient period; and what types of legal appointment were held by these judges in addition to their being divorce commissioners.

In 1963, 27,980 divorce cases were heard by county court judges sitting as special divorce commissioners and 3,573 were heard by Queen's Counsel sitting as special commissioners. One of the latter was a Recorder and another was Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions.

asked the Attorney-General how many divorce actions concluded during 1963 or other convenient period were undefended.

Of the 33,879 divorce petitions heard in 1963 30,448 were undefended.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply has now been made to the repeated request of the Government of Cambodia for a conference of the signatories to the Geneva Agreement to guarantee the neutrality of Cambodia.

As Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference, I am continuing the attempt to prepare a generally acceptable basis for a conference on Cambodia. I have placed in the Library of the House the texts of my latest exchange with the Soviet Co-Chairman covering this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been, or is to be, taken within the United Nations Organisation to secure the withdrawal of Egyptian forces from Yemen in accordance with the disengagement agreement.

On 4th November the Secretary-General appointed Signor Spinelli as his special representative "to play a more positive rôle in encouraging the implementation of the disengagement agreement" than the United Nations Yemen Observation Mission had been authorised to perform. Since then, Signor Spinelli has visited the area, but no report has yet been published on the results of his inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the facts that the United States Government propose to test Polaris missiles in the Antarctic, and that this would be a violation of the agreement of 1959 signed by Britain and America to ban the testing of nuclear devices in the Antarctic Ocean and of the International Agreement on the Testing of Nuclear Weapons of 1962, what consultations he had on the subject with the United States Government on his recent visit to America; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the United States authorities that there have been no Polaris firings in the Antarctic and none are contemplated. There is no reason to suppose that the United States authorities would consider such firings, and therefore there was no discussion of this subject during our visit to Washington.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in the course of negotiations on compensation for British victims of Nazi persecution, he will make representations to the Federal German Government to meet outstanding obligations for compensation to those who were in the category of the late Wing Commander Yeo Thomas.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many claims submitted to the Foreign Compensation Commission by British nationals whose property in Egypt was Egyptianised are still outstanding; and how much has been paid out in settlement of these claims.

On 1st March, 1964, the Foreign Compensation Commission had 99 claims by British nationals whose property in Egypt was Egyptianised still outstanding; up to the same date £19,511,154 18s. had been paid out in respect of Egyptianisation claims.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what research is at present being conducted on dust conditions in the coal-mining industry; in what form up-to-date guidance on the results is given to pneumoconiosis panels; and to what extent the panels take into account the incidence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema when they determine whether the health of a miner who is suffering from pneumoconiosis will be endangered by continued work in dust conditions.

I understand that a considerable amount of research into dust conditions in coal mining is being carried on at present, but this is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power. Pneumoconiosis medical panels, from whom the membership of the independent pneumoconiosis medical boards is drawn, are informed of the results of any research which has a bearing on their duties of diagnosing pneumoconiosis and assessing the disability resulting from it. The terms of the letter of advice sent to a man diagnosed as having pneumoconiosis will depend on the facts of the individual case, and particularly on the conditions of work which the medical board considers suitable in the light of the condition of the man's chest at the time he is examined.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the total of fees paid to consultants in the North-West metropolitan region in respect of lectures to nurses given in time for which full sessional fees have already been paid.

None, so far as I am aware.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made with the plan for the development of Ashington Hospital, Northumberland.

Plans for the second phase of development are sufficiently advanced to enable the board to invite tenders as soon as the project can be fitted into their capital programme. A decision on this is expected to be taken shortly.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors were employed in hospitals in the Sheffield Region, at the latest available date; and what is the estimated number required for 1969.

1,293 at 30th September, 1962; the -future needs of boards are being considered in the current review of hospital medical staffing.

asked the Minister of Health how many studies are now in progress on human relations in hospital; how many of the persons engaged in these studies are qualified sociologists; and if he will make a statement.

I am not clear which type of studies the hon. Member has in mind but I will send him, as soon as it is available, an up-to-date list of all hospital studies other than clinical studies or those relating to building and equipment. Complete information about the qualifications of those taking part in the studies is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will enumerate the studies referred to in paragraph 6 of the Report on Communications between Doctors, Nurses and Patients, indicating which have received financial support directly or indirectly from Exchequer funds, and to what extent; which studies are completed; and where they have been published.

It is understood that the joint sub-committee which made this Report had the following studies in mind:—(1) Attitudes of in-patients, hospitals staff and members of house committees to conditions for patients in four London hospitals similar in size and type.Conducted by Royal College of Nursing. Report in preparation.(2) Relationship between patient and patient and between patient and staff, among other matters.Conducted by Institute of Community Studies in association with Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust. Report in preparation.(3) Psychological reactions of patients.Conducted by Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Liverpool, in association with Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust. Report in preparation.(4) A study of patients' attitudes is an aspect of hospital studies affecting patients carried out by King Edward's Hospital Fund for London.No Exchequer contribution is made to these particular studies; a more com-

WEST CORNWALL HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
	31st December, 1961		31st December, 1962		31st December, 1963
	Section 4	Section 5	Section 4	Section 5	Section 4	Section 5
Number of beds designated	20	34	20	34	19	32
Percentage occupancy by paying patients	23	47	18	49	22	56

asked the Minister of Health which of the 25 acute hospitals referred to in his statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 15th July, 1963, still do not allow daily visiting. prehensive list of hospital studies is referred to in my hon. Friend's reply today to the hon. Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt).

asked the Minister of Health in how many training schools laboratory technicians are being trained in cervical cytology.

I refer the hon. Member to the Answer my hon. Friend gave on 3rd February to the hon. Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt).

asked the Minister of Health when he intends to publish the results of the review of hospital medical staffing following the recommendations of the Platt Working Party.

General conclusions will be announced as soon as possible after completion of discussions with representatives of the medical profession.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the numbers of section 4 and section 5 beds in hospitals within the jurisdiction of the West Cornwall Hospital Management Committee and the percentage occupancy by paying patients, at the latest date for which figures are available; and what are the comparable figures for the two previous years.

The figures are as follows:

According to my latest information:

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the recent closing of chemists' shops in Liverpool; what action he is taking to ensure that the need for pharmaceutical services is met; and if he will make a statement.

There has been some reduction in recent years in the number of chemists' shops in Liverpool but I am assured by the Liverpool Executive Council that the present pharmaceutical services in the city are adequate.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish the relevant dates relating to the pay claim of clinical psychologists, including the date on which the original application was submitted, and the date on which a decision was arrived at.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to publish the Report of the Cohen Committee on Health Education.

About the end of April.

asked the Minister of Health how many sociologists are carrying out full-time research into problems relating to the National Health Service.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what annual sum is provided for research in the Estimates for his Department; how this sum was spent in the year 1963–64; what research projects were initiated and what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement.

Specific provision in the Estimates for research in 1963–64 amounts to £3295,000, compared with actual expenditure in 1962–63 of £210,000, but clinical research is also carried out in the course of treatment and building and management research is conducted by the hospitals as part of the ordinary run of business; information about the cost of these activities is not available.The provision of £295,000 for 1963–64 covers:

	£
(a) Payment of part of the cost of the Common Cold Research Unit	32,600
(b) Hospital clinical research	222,000
(c) Operational research by outside organisations	15,000
(d) Other services	25,400

Major clinical research is not financed from my Department's Vote and the funds provided enable a large number of small projects to be carried out. I propose that for 1964–65 there should be a considerable increase in the research provision.

asked the Minister of Health what was the number of perinatal deaths in each regional hospital board area of England and Wales in 1962; and what percentage perinatal mortality represents of the total live and still births in each area.

The information is given in the following table:

PERINATAL MORTALITY, REGIONAL HOSPITAL BOARD AREAS OF ENGLAND AND WALES 1962
Regional Hospital Board Area	Perinatal Mortality
	Number of still births plus deaths under one week	Per cent. of total live and still births
Newcastle	1,966	3·37
Leeds	1,790	3·16
Sheffield	2,621	3·14
East Anglia	711	2·67
North West Metropolitan	2,180	2·76
North East Metropolitan	1,684	2·89
South East Metropolitan	1,579	2·75
South West Metropolitan	1,479	2·74
Wessex	923	2·92
Oxford	863	2·64
South Western	1,437	2·92
Wales	1,677	3·61
Birmingham	3,021	3·24
Manchester	2,773	3·40
Liverpool	1,648	3·60
England and Wales	26,352	3·08

asked the Minister of Health what was the average annual percentage of increase in the remuneration of the average general practitioner from the time just prior to the Danckwerts award and incuding an allowance for the Exchequer's share of superannuation payments.

The figure is approximately 6 per cent. for each year or about 5 per cent. compound.But a precise comparison of remuneration between 1952 and 1964 is not possible owing to the change in the method of calculating the pool after the Pilkington Royal Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that figures published by the Forestry Commission show a substantial drop in the prices realised for small-sized timber over a period when wages, the principal costs involved, have been increased at least twice; if he will make a statement showing the effect of the price and cost changes on both the smaller woodland businesses and on the Forestry Commission; and what steps he is taking to improve the situation.

It is true that prices for standing timber have fallen since 1961 while wages in the forestry industry have risen. Timber prices can be expected to fluctuate, and the decline has been primarily due to lower prices for imported timber and a weaker demand in the home sector. The Forestry Commission has been able to absorb much of the effect of wage increases through greater productivity, and it is reasonable to suppose that private forestry has been similarly affected. Moreover the Commission's planting and management grants to private woodland owners have been increased.Prices for imported timber appear to be hardening and demand for homegrown timber should increase as a result of the establishment of new processing plants designed to use homegrown timber.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent organic fluoride compounds are, or have been recently, used in connection with food storage.

Sodium fluoroacetate has been and is being used occasionally as a rodenticide in the City of London and in the area under the jurisdiction of the London Port Health Authority but only when all other means of control have failed, and never in close proximity to food. It is being used in ships in the Port of London but not in places where food is used or stored. Outside these areas my information is that sodium fluoroacetate and fluoroacetamide have rarely been used as a rodenticide other than in sewers, and not at all recently. The Advisory Committee on Poisonous Substances in Agriculture and Food Storage has been asked to advise whether further restrictions on the use of these substances as rodenticides should be imposed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the progeny testing stations operated by his Department under the Poultry Stock Improvement Plan will be taken over by the British Egg Marketing Board.

Discussions are taking place with the British Egg Marketing Board with a view to transferring the poultry testing stations to it at an early date. One of the four, which the Board has decided it will not need, was sold last November.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the decision of the fishing industry to restrict the landing of Faroese fish in this country.

Representatives of the catching side of the industry asked to see the Secretary of State for Scotland and me and informed us that they propose to operate the landing facilities they control so as to limit the volume of landings by Faroese vessels to the average level of such landings in the past ten years. There is no question of a ban by them on Faroese landings. Having regard to the exclusion of British trawlers from waters that they have traditionally fished for so long a time, and which are so important to the economy of the fishing industry in Aberdeen and Grimsby, their reaction seems to me to be understandable. The action proposed will not materially reduce our total supplies of fish and should not therefore significantly affect prices. Even if the Government had power to intervene, which we have not, I do not think there are grounds for seeking to influence this decision of the industry.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many recruits joined the Royal Navy from the different counties in Scotland in 1963; and what were the figures in each county for January and February this year.

I regret that the total numbers recruited from the individual counties in Scotland are not readily available. The number recruited to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines through the regional recruiting offices in Scotland in 1963 was 846, and for the months of January and February of this year 160.The following information is available:

Regional Recruiting Office		1963	January and February, 1964
Glasgow	…	350	87
Edinburgh	…	206	29
Dundee	…	130	19
Aberdeen	…	113	17
Inverness	…	47	8

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the circumstances in which the body of a Greek Cypriot was removed by the Metropolitan Police from the Serpentine on Tuesday 3rd March at approximately 2 p.m.; how many bodies have been removed from the Serpentine by the Metropolitan Police during the past year; and what were the causes of death.

On Tuesday, 3rd March the police were informed that a body was floating in the Serpentine. It was about 150 yards from the eastern end, and about 5 yards north of the south shore, in about 6 feet of water. The body, which was fully clothed, was recovered by the police and identified as that of an Italian citizen, who had been reported missing from his London home since 4th January. There was no suspicion of foul play. A watch worn by the dead man, which showed not only the time but the day of the month, had stopped at 11.18 on the fourth day—presumably 4th January. At the inquest on 6th March an open verdict of "found drowned" was recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in investigating the possibility of joint use of wireless masts by the police and others, with special reference to the situation at Mynydd Rhiw, Caernarvonshire; and what conclusions he has reached.

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that wireless sites and masts should be shared wherever possible, within the limitations imposed by technical considerations and, in some cases, security. In the case of the Mynydd Rhiw wireless station, my Department is seeking to establish whether there would be any loss of efficiency if the joint police and fire service wireless scheme in Gwynedd were transferred from this site to the Independent Television Authority mast at Arfon. The problems of co-siting are complex and each site has to be considered on its merits.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will now make a statement about the helicopter requirements of the Services.

I regret I am still not in a position to make a statement on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what has been the total cost to date to the Exchequer of transporting to and maintaining in the United Kingdom the deposed Sultan of Zanzibar and his retinue; and if he will list the latter by sex and function, in view of the fact that they now constitute a charge against public funds in Great Britain.

The answer to the first part of the Question is £10,000.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will set in motion studies for the rehabilitation of the thousands of acres of derelict land lying to the south of the line of the Heads of the Valleys road between Brynmawr and Heiwawn.

This area is included in a study of the potential re-use of derelict land which is being made as part of the long-term survey of the economic and social prospects for Wales.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that the proposed rent increase at Cwmbran New Town is the sixth within seven years, and that the failure of the Development Corporation to stabilise rents is due to the high interest rates on its borrowings; and what action he intends taking to ensure that future borrowings of the Corporation may be obtained at lower interest rates.

I have no reason to think that the rents, after the proposed increase, will be unduly high, bearing in mind the standard of accommodation provided.It is not proposed to change the arrangements under which the Corporation, like other borrowers, has to pay the market rate of interest.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the average cost of houses now being built to let by the Cwmbran Development Corporation; what will be the total cumulative interest to be paid upon such a house; what rent will be charged upon such a house; and how much of such rent is attributable to interest charges.

The average cost, including site works, is £2,967. The total cumulative interest is £7,640, based on a 60-year annuity at the current rate of interest of 5¾ per cent. Thus, the average interest repayment is £127 6s. 8d. The proposed rents are between 48s. 6d. and 57s. 6d. a week. That is not directly determined by interest charges (and is calculated after allowing for subsidy and grant of £40 a house a year).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what were the total administrative costs of the Cwmbran Development Corporation for the years ended 31st March, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively; whether a further increase in administrative costs is anticipated for the year ending 31st March, 1964; how many houses were completed in the years ended 31st March, 1961, 1962, and 1963, respectively; how many are anticipated to be completed by 31st March, 1964; and whether. in view of the rental burden now falling on tenants, he is satisfied that such administrative costs bear a reasonable relationship to the number of houses that have been built.

Total administrative costs covering all operations of the Development Corporation were £144,065 in 1960–61, £152,133 in 1961–62, £175,031 in 1962–63, and are expected to be about £254,000 in 1963–64. The number of houses completed during the same period was 403 in 1960–61, 115 in 1961–62 and 287 in 1962–63. For 1963–64 the estimated number is 197 but a further 995 have been placed in contract. The average administrative cost per dwelling has remained virtually unchanged.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representations he has received from the shopkeepers of Cwmbran New Town concerning the proposals of the Development Corporation relating to bus routes in the new town; and whether he will review the Corporation's proposals in order to ensure that no hardship falls upon shopkeepers and consumers of the area.

The Traders' Association has told me that it objects to the proposed one-way traffic system which will affect the use of the bus station. I am looking into the matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how much the County Borough of Eastbourne will receive as a result of the Rating (Interim Relief) Act in the current year.

I cannot estimate how much any local authority will receive in total as a result of the Bill because this will depend in part on the use which they make of their powers to remit rates on grounds of hardship.The Bill applies to 1964–65 and subsequent years and I estimate the grant payable to the Council under Clause 1 of the Bill for 1964–65 at £44,000. This figure is subject to revision in the light of later information. It is intended to pay 95 per cent. of the revised estimate of grant for 1964–65 during that year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs to what extent his regulations give power to local housing authorities to demand the production of accounts before a discretionary improvement grant is paid.

There is no express power to require the production of accounts and normally no need to do so. Occasionally, however, a local authority may reasonably want additional information before paying a grant.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what was the land cost per house unit for dwellings to be erected on the sites at Tower House, the junction of Stoke Poges and Elliman Avenue, Vale Grove, Manor Farm and Chalvey Grove, Slough; and what those charges would represent in weekly rents if economic rents were demanded by the borough council.

Estimates are as follows:

Site	Land Cost Per Dwelling	Notional Weekly rental equivalent (50 week year)
	£	s.	d.
Tower House	733	16	9
Stoke Poges/Elliman Avenue	520	11	11
Vale Grove	500	11	5
Manor Farm	300	6	10
Chalvey Grove	470	10	9

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development (1) what were the numbers of retail establishments dealing in groceries in 1951, 1961, and 1963, respectively;(2) what were the numbers of retailers of confectionery, tobacco and newspapers in 1951, 1961, and 1963, respectively.

Information about the number of grocers and the number of confectioners, tobacconists or newsagents in 1961 is published in Part I, Table 1 of the Report on the Census of Distribution and Other Services. The Report also gives information for 1950 and 1957, the only other years for which these figures are available. Table 9 of the Report provides information about the number of retail outlets in 1961 through which certain classes of these goods were sold, including those outlets where the main business was selling other goods.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the annual cost of rent rebates to the Scottish Special Housing Association in respect of its Kirkcaldy houses; and what percentage this represents of the total annual rent income for Kirkcaldy in respect of the financial years 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

Rent rebates granted by the Scottish Special Housing Association for its houses in Kirkcaldy in the financial years ending 31st March, 1961, 1962 and 1963 amounted to £911, £947 and > £2,600, representing 3·38, 3·51 and 7·14 per cent. of the total rent income receivable for those years respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total number of rebates, and the average amount of rebate, granted on the rents of local authority houses; and what percentage this represents of the total rent income as at 31st May and 28th November, 1963, respectively.

As set out in the 1963 Rent Return (Cmnd. 2277) published on 6th March, the total number of rebates granted on the rents of permanent local authority houses in Scotland at 28th November, 1963, was 29,952, and the average amount was £14 13s. 1d. Rebates represented 2·1 per cent. of local authorities' total rent income. Figures for May, 1963, are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the annual cost of rent rebates to the Scottish Special Housing Association; and what percentage this represents of their total annual rent income for the financial years 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

Rent rebates granted by the Scottish Special Housing Association in the financial years ending 31st March, 1961, 1962 and 1963 amounted to £105,552, £96,967 and £120,256, representing 6·47, 5·64 and 6·29 per cent. of the total rent income receivable for those years respectively.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what discussions he has had with representatives of industry regarding the assistance they can give in the expansion of higher education.

This is a matter which can best be fostered by direct consultation between industry and the institutions of higher education, but I am myself available at any time for discussion of any proposal that may be sent to me.