asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development, in view of the high percentage of unemployment now prevailing in the Stanley employment exchange area and the probability of an increase in the percentage as the result of colliery closures, what plans he has for introducing alternative employment into this area.

I am aware of the need for new employment in the Stanley area. Assistance under the Local Employment Act is available to firms who wish to go there, and the Board of Trade will continue to suggest it as a location to industrialists.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what further steps he has taken to increase the trade of this country with Australia and Canada, respectively.

As regards Australia, our trade promotion campaign is proceeding according to plan. As regards Canada, I would refer to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 12th March when my right hon. Friend referred to his recent valuable talks with Mr. Mitchell Sharp who had emphasised the excellent opportunities for British exporters in the growing Canadian import market. Arrangements to replace the Western Hemisphere Export Council will be announced shortly and special provision will be made for trade with Canada.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether, in view of the threatened deadlock in the Kennedy round of tariff negotiations, he will take an initiative by offering to make unilateral cuts in those British tariffs where there is a disparity between a high British tariff and a lower Common Market tariff.

The European Economic Community are at present considering proposals recently put forward by the United States and supported by ourselves and our E.F.T.A. partners. Discussions continue, and I do not accept that there is a threatened deadlock. Any initiative of the kind suggested by the hon. Member would be contrary to our intention to negotiate on a basis of reciprocity.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will take the initiative in calling an international steel conference, attended by representatives of the main steel producing countries. to draw up and agree comprehensive anti-dumping rules, in view of the in. creasing disturbance to British steel exports caused by the protective measures taken by many countries against the dumping of steel.

No. Satisfactory rules governing anti-dumping action and which apply to all goods already exist in the G.A.T.T., which is the appropriate body for dealing with this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how many applications over the past 12 months he has received to set up industry on the Brandon Urban District Council industrial site, near Durham.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development why an application for a loan of £30,000 to take over the advance factory now standing idle at Crook, where there has been prolonged unemployment, was refused.

This application was refused on the recommendation of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee, who do not disclose the reasons for the decisions they take in carrying out their responsibilities under section 4 of the Local Employment Act, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development why he did not discuss with older and more financially stable companies, and the appropriate trade associations in the pitch fibre pipe industry, the question of the £235,000 loan to Pitch Fibre Pipes Limited, before making such a loan.

Applications for assistance are confidential and it would be improper to discuss them with other companies or with trade associations. The financial position of Pitch Fibre Pipes Limited and the technical features of their project at West Hartlepool were fully investigated by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee, who satisfied themselves, in accordance with the terms of the Local Employment Act, 1960, that there were good prospects of the undertaking ultimately being able to be carried on successfully without further financial assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development when construction of the advance factory on the Port Glasgow Industrial Estate will be completed.

I expect that the advance factory at Port Glasgow will be available for occupation in May.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will give the names of the firms who, during the past 12 months, have received financial assistance from Her Majesty's Government by way of grants or loans of £250,000 or more; and how many firms have been refused such assistance for sums up to £250,000.

During the past 12 months 23 firms have been offered assistance of £250,000 or more either by way of loan and grant assistance under Section 4 of the Local Employment Act, 1960, or by way of grants for building and for plant and machinery. During the same period 358 firms have been offered and 169 firms have been refused such assistance for sums up to £250,000. I cannot disclose the names of the firms concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development why he refused financial help to a firm of boat-builders in Aberdour, Fife, when the help would have enabled the firm to provide additional male employment in the area.

I was not satisfied, after consulting B.O.T.A.C., that the help which the firm sought would enable them to provide continuing employment and thereby further the purposes of the Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the average value per ton of exports of machinery, other than electric, in 1963; and what was the corresponding figure for this class of imports.

United Kingdom exports totalling £859 million and covering a very wide range of non-electric machinery averaged £656 per ton. Imports totalling £254 million averaged £1,173 per ton.

asked the Secretary of state for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how many advance factories have been built in the North-East region: how many have been let; and if, when a factory has been let, an immediate replacement will be commenced.

Since January, 1961, eleven advance factories have been built in the North-East. Six of these have been let or sold and five are now available. I am considering what further advance factories may be required in the North-East. I prefer to consider a programme as a whole rather than authorise individual factories on a replacement basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will introduce legislation to make it illegal for any British company to send outside this country invitations for investments which would be illegal under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act, 1958, if circulating within the United Kingdom.

No. I have received no representations from overseas Governments about this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if, in view of the fact that leather wrist-watch straps manufactured in Eire enter this country free of duty, he will make representations to the Government of Eire to reduce from 36 per cent. to zero the duty charged on leather wrist-watch straps imported into that country from Great Britain.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what consultation he has had with Messrs. C. H. Bailey Limited, ship repairers, about their intentions following their purchase of blocks of the shares of Mountstuart Dry Docks Limited; and if he will make a statement of the effect of a takeover or merger on the employment of shin-repair workers in Cardiff, Barry and Newport.

I have had no consultation with Messrs. Bailey. I am not aware of any grounds on which I could property do so, but I will gladly consider any information provided by the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what representations he has received on the need for new industries in Fife, in view of the closing of Number One Pit at Minto Colliery; what replies he has sent; and whether he will make a statement.

Letters from the Burgh of Lochgelly and from the Fife County Council were received on 12th March, to which replies were sent on 17th March. I am considering what further advance factories may be required in Scotland, and the needs of Fife are being borne in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will state the amount, value and kind of goods exported by Britain to South Africa and imported by Britain from South Africa during each of the last ten years.

I sent this information, with the exception of details of quantity, to the hon. Member on 5th March. Details of quantity are not available for all goods, but for the years 1954–61 are available for many of the individual headings in Volume IV of the Annual Statement of Trade. For later years I shall be pleased to supply any details the hon. Member may require.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will make a statement on the present position of trade with Cuba by Leylands and other British firms, indicating the type, amount, number and value of buses and other goods involved.

No.

asked the Minister of Education if he will name the school included in the Gateshead local authority's proposals for the major educational building programme, 1963–64, for which the first instalment was permitted under the minor works programme; what was the original date of opening of this school; whether at the time of construction it was regarded as a temporary, school; and when he proposes to sanction the second instalment.

The school is the Chester Place County School which opened in 1902. The Department's records do not enable me to answer the second part of the Question, but I agree that there is a good case for replacing the existing school buildings which consist of temporary hutments. I am considering the authority's proposal to do so as part of their submission for the 1965–66 major building programme, on which I hope to make an announcement in the course of the next few weeks.

asked the Minister of Education why no additional expenditure is forecast for the expansion of adult education administered by responsible bodies such as the Workers' Educational Association in the financial year 1964–65.

I did not feel justified in proposing further expansion in 1964–65, over and above what was sanctioned in 1963–64, in view of the Government's heavy and increasing commitments on other forms of education.

asked the Minister of Education if, in view of the trend in the Robbins Report, and education generally, he will grant additional assistance in the field of adult education.

I have agreed that the four long-term residential colleges which have firm plans for expansion should start their building work during the years 1965–68. This will cost about £400,000, half of which will be found by the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Education if he will list the local education authorities which belong to building consortia.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Education if he will list the local education authorities which belong to consortia for the purchase of expensive equipment.

The membership of the two consortia of local education authorities concerned with expensive equipment is as follows:—

asked the Minister of Education if he will take steps to encourage local education authorities to organise consortia for the bulk buying of school equipment such as radio and television sets and scientific apparatus.

I encouraged the setting up of the existing consortia of authorities concerned with scientific apparatus and kitchen equipment where there appeared to be a need for new design and development work. I doubt whether there would be any advantage in relation to radio and television sets or other items of equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that safety razor blades are being distributed to households as free samples and that in some cases the blade is not handed to a responsible adult; and whether he will take steps to prohibit the latter practice in the interests of home safety

I have made inquiries about the present distribution of free samples of razor blades, and I understand that the distributors have from the outset been instructed to leave a sample only if it can be handed to an adult. I am satisfied that the distribution has been carried out with care to avoid any danger to children or domestic pets.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances a prisoner serving a first sentence was permitted to travel from Exeter Prison to Cardiff Prison without escort to see his six year old son lying dangerously ill in a nearby hospital, was released for three hours to see his son, was granted a further three hours' parole in view of the boy's condition, but was refused a further extension despite the fact that doctors at the hospital thought it unlikely that the child would live through the night, so that as a result the child died alone some four and a quarter hours after his father had returned to prison; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the circumstances in which D. A. Jones, Prisoner No. 8732, was allowed out to see his son who was gravely ill at Sully Hospital on 6th March and who died at 1.30 a.m. the next day; to what extent prison regulations could have allowed the authorities at Cardiff to extend the parole beyond 9.45 p.m. when the doctors in attendance intimated that the child was not expected to survive the night; and if he will make a statement.

News of the critical deterioration in the boy's health was received at Exeter prison on 6th March, and the prisoner was immediately released on parole to visit the Sully Hospital, Cardiff, with instructions to report to Cardiff prison at 7.30 p.m. after the visit. During the afternoon the Deputy Governor of Cardiff prison was asked whether it would be possible for the prisoner to stay overnight at the hospital; he replied that he had no authority to allow parole overnight, but he extended the prisoner's parole until 9.45 p.m. The boy died during the night, but he was not alone. His mother and another relative were with him. The prisoner was allowed further parole to attend the funeral and to spend some time afterwards with his wife.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that large sums of money are being spent on advertising to try to influence the electorate at the forthcoming General Election; and, in view of the fact that this money will not be declared in the returns for election expenses, if he will introduce the necessary legislation to prevent such expenditures.

It is for the courts to determine whether any particular expenditure constitutes an election expense for the purposes of the Representation of the People Act, 1949. My right hon. Friend has no amending legislation in view.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to announce a decision on the application by Wembley Borough Council for an amendment to the Middlesex County Development Plan in respect of 8·82 acres of land in Alperton Lane, Wembley, in order to erect industrial buildings on the site and re-locate nonconforming industrial users from other parts of Wembley.

My right hon. Friend has now made the amendment and the formal instrument is being issued today.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he is aware that the delay in publishing the National Incomes Commission Report on university salaries is causing disquiet among university staff; what is the cause of the delay; and when the report will be published.

The preparation and publication of this report is entirely a matter for the National Incomes Commission. They announced on 6th March that they have completed their report and that it is now with the printers. I am anxious that it should appear at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that during last autumn considerable sums of money were paid to the Aden Trades Union Congress by certain foreign powers; and what information he has about the amount involved.

I am aware that the Aden Trades Union Congress has received substantial sums of money from foreign countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many courts-martial were held in respect of the theft of 661,760 gallons of diesel oil at a Royal Air Force station abroad between July 1958 and September 1962; and whether he will make a statement.

Five airmen were court-martialled. One airman was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment and discharged with ignominy. One airmail was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment and also discharged with ignominy. The remaining three each received a sentence of 84 days' detention.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will instruct the firm of Richard Thomas and Baldwins, through the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency, to abandon the restrictive arrangements to which the privately owned firms in the steel industry are parties, so that they may be free to compete more effectively with imports of steel products into the United Kingdom which are a burden on the gold and foreign currency reserves.

No. The Restrictive Practices Court will in April be considering an important and typical case of the arrangements to which the Question refers. It will be for the Court to determine whether the arrangements are contrary to the public interest.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in column farm the 20 highest and 20 lowest national incomes per capita in common currency to the most recent date, as estimated by the United Nations.

Figures of gross domestic product per capita are given in Table D 3 of the United Nations Yearbook of National Accounts Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library. The latest year for which complete figures are available is 1958 and this has therefore been used in selecting the highest and lowest per capita incomes in the table. 1961 figures, however, are also given where available. For many of the less developed countries official statistics are not available and the figures shown are unofficial estimates made by the United Nations Statistical Office. It should be noted that the figures in national currencies have been converted to United States dollars at the prevailing rate of exchange but without any adjustment for differences in relative price levels.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the extra net income per week that would be received by the average person with a present net personal income of less than £2,000 per annum if all personal incomes in excess of £2,000 were to be confiscated and redistributed equally among those with incomes below that level.

The aggregate net income in excess of £2,000 each of all those whose net income after Income Tax and Surtax was £2,000 or more in 1962 was about £417 million. If this excess were confiscated and redistributed it would provide all other adult members of the population with about 4s. 6d. a week each before payment of tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further action Her Majesty's Government are taking to support United Nations civilian operations in the Congo.

In response to an appeal from the Secretary-General for funds to enable United Nations civilian operations to continue in the Congo during 1964, Her Majesty's Government have agreed to contribute a further sum of $500,000. Parliament will be asked in due course to vote this amount during the financial year 1964–65, by means of a Supplementary estimate on the Foreign Grants and Loans Vote. Should payment be required before the money can be voted, an advance will be obtained from the Civil Contingencies Fund.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names and addresses and number of beds available in each of the institutions under his control which provide inpatient psychiatric accommodation for a girl of 13 years of age.

Any psychiatric hospital and some general hospitals may admit a 13-year-old girl who needs psychiatric treatment, depending on her needs and their facilities. For a list of in-patient units which specialise in the treatment of mentally ill and seriously maladjusted children and adolescents I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer on 24th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. A. Brown).

asked the Minister of Health (1) why the hon. Member for Oldham, West has received no reply, other than a formal acknowledgment, to his letter of 26th February, 1964, calling further attention to the case of the thirteen-year-old girl still awaiting admission to a psychiatric institution:(2) when the thirteen-year-old girl referred to in the letter from the hon. Member for Oldham, West to him, dated 26th August. 1963, and accepted by his Department as being suitable for inpatient psychiatric treatment, will be admitted to hospital;(3) what steps he has taken to find inpatient accommodation at a psychiatric institution for the thirteen-year-old girl, in respect of whom the magistrates, when placing her on probation on 16th August, 1963, expressed the hope that she would receive inpatient psychiatric treatment, and about whom the Parliamentary Secretary wrote to the hon. Member for Oldham, West on 22nd November, 1963, and who could not be admitted to the Booth Hall Institution because she is over 12 years of age;(4) why the thirteen-year-old girl about whom the Parliamentary Secretary wrote to the hon. Member for Oldham, West on 22nd November, 1963, to the effect that admission to an open-air school was being sought as an interim measure, has still not been found such accommodation; and what further representations he is making to this end;(5) what steps he has taken since the Parliamentary Secretary's letter to the hon. Member for Oldham, West on 22nd November, 1963, to implement the promise contained in the Parliamentary Secretary's letter of 29th August, 1963, to keep the hon. Member for Oldham, West informed of developments in connection with a thirteen-year-old girl urgently in need of psychiatric treatment.

The hon. Member will now have received a reply together with an invitation to discuss the case.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that the Manchester Regional Hospital Board has been successful in making available, within its area, an adequate range of institutions for mental patients; and if he will make a statement.

In general, yes: but the board intends to make necessary improvements as opportunity occurs.

asked the Minister of Health what hostel accommodation has been provided by the Lancashire County Council for the reception of adult patients of each sex who, on discharge from a mental hospital, have no suitable home.

For the mentally subnormal there is one hostel and others are under construction; for the mentally ill, none so far.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the successful experiments carried out two years ago, he will now allow the British Broadcasting Corporation to operate a local broadcasting station in the city of Leeds as a prototype for eventual development throughout the country.

No. For the present, the Government's policy with regard to local sound broadcasting in general remains as stated in the two White Papers on the Report of the Committee on Broadcasting. I am, however, studying, with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education the special question of the possible use of local sound broadcasting for educational purposes.

asked the Minister of Power what was the book value of collieries closed by the Scottish Board in the period 1947–63.

The N.C.B.'s practice is to depreciate collieries according to their expected useful lives, and the residual book value of most closures is therefore negligible. Any losses on development not covered by normal depreciation provisions are met by the industry as a whole from the Board's central obsolescence fund.

asked the Minister of Power what further steps are to be taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Domestic Coal Consumers Council that traders should be required in their dealings with householders to state the National Coal Board grouping of the different coals they sell.

This is a requirement of the Approved Coal Merchants' Scheme, and I understand that its sponsors are today announcing an extension of its scope. The Scheme will include a new category of authorisesd coal dealer to bring in the comparatively few merchants who have hitherto felt unable to join, and the National Coal Board intends to introduce conditions into its contracts of sale to make this requirement effective.

asked the Minister of Power if he will state the value of exports of iron and steel scrap for 1937 and 1938, from 1952 to 1963, respectively.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Power what representations he or his predecessor made to the Steel Board or to the Iron and Steel Federation since the negotiations for joining the Euro pean Community broke down, with a view to securing the adoption of the European Coal and Steel Community's system of pricing rules for regulating competition and enabling the Board to comply wth its statutory duty of supervising the industry under competitive conditions.

None.

asked the Minister of Power when the joint statistics committee of the Steel Board and the Federation last met; and if he will, in view of the variations in the presentation of the steel industry's monthly and annual statistics, ask the Steel Board to ensure that the production, delivery and trade statistics are arranged on the same basis as United Nations and European Coal and Steel Community statistics, or use his power under the Statistics of Trade Act to ensure that this is done.

The matters in question are primarily the responsibility of the Iron and Steel Board rather than the Minister of Power. I see no reason to interfere.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to publish the Report of Dr. Smeed's committee of experts in pricing systems in congested areas; and whether the Report will be accompanied by a statement on Government policy.

The date of publication has not yet been fixed. The Report deals primarily with the technical feasibility of road space pricing, which is a limited aspect of a wider problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what was the total number of local authority houses built in the Isle of Lewis in the two periods 1945–51 and 1952–63, respectively, and the number completed in each year from 1946 to 1963, inclusive; and if he will give the corresponding information for each of the islands

The numbers are as follows: