asked the Minister of Aviation what decision he has reached on the appeal by British Eagle Airways to him against the refusal of the Air Transport Licensing Board to sanction more frequent services from Belfast to London.

As announced on 9th March. I have dismissed this appeal.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the total cost involved up to the time of the termination of the programme of development of the Ti 88 aircraft.

The total cost up to the termination of the programme is estimated at about £22½million.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many programmes for missiles and aircraft have been terminated in each of the last 12 years.

Two research projects requiring the construction of aircraft and their use in a programme of tests and experimental flights have been terminated earlier than was originally intended. These were the Percival Gas Turbine helicopter, work on which ceased in 1956, and the T188 whose flying programme was terminated early this year.

asked the Minister of Aviation what international regulations exist to control aircraft landings at airports located near mountains.

General criteria for approach procedures to airports having instrument approach aids in conditions of bad visibility are agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. These provide for adequate clearance from obstacles and surrounding terrain. Criteria are also agreed for weather minima for all airports used by public transport aircraft.

asked the Minister of Aviation what minimum charge he has authorised for the Belfast-London section of an inclusive tour air fare.

My right hon. Friend does not authorise separate charges for the individual sectors of through journeys. The short-period return fares from Belfast to the Continent via London, authorised for inclusive tour and other tourist class passengers, are mostly £7 10s. higher than the corresponding fares from London to the Continent.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress is being made in persuading North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to purchase either the P1127 or the P1154 aircraft.

The P1127 is the subject of a tripartite evaluation programme in which the R.A.F., U.S.A.F. and Germany are participating. The decision to develop the P1154 for the R.A.F. should greatly strengthen the export prospects of this aircraft.

asked the Minister of Aviation what consideration he is giving to proposals from Short Brothers and Harland to develop a jet version of the Belfast freighter aircraft.

My Department has had discussions with the company about its tentative plans for developing a jet version of tire Belfast. We are considering what are the prospects of any military or civil requirement for an aircraft of this kind.

asked the Minister of Aviation what is his policy regarding the development of helicopter services between airports and the centres of large cities in Great Britain.

Any operator who wishes to develop such a service may apply to the Air Transport Licensing Board for the necessary licence.

asked the Minister of Aviation what further consideration he has now given to permitting the British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways to tender for trooping.

The Corporations are already free to compete for ad hoc trooping work. I do not think a change in the arrangements for long-term contracts would, under present circumstances, be justified.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether, in view of the small number of usable airfields in Herefordshire and North Wales, he will take steps to ensure that any change of ownership in respect of Shobdon aerodrome will not result in a withdrawal of this airfield from the list of those at present included in the Air Pilot as available for the use of light aircraft.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave today to similar Questions on this subject.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will give details of the two cases in the past ten years when there were competitive tenders for the supply of aircraft, stating in each case the date on which the revised tender was submitted and the date on which the order was announced.

The two cases in question were competition between the Handley Page Herald and the Hawker Siddeley Avro 748 in 1962 and that between the Hiller and Bell helicopters in 1964. The first case was discussed in some detail when my predecessor answered Questions on 5th March, 1962, and in the Adjournment debate on 4th April, 1962. I replied to Questions about the second case on the 18th March, 1964, and during the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill on 19th March, 1964, where the Avro 748 and the Herald were concerned the revised Handley Page offer was received on 25th April or some two months after the Government's decision had been taken and announced.In the helicopter competition the revised Hiller offer was submitted on 28th February, 1964; the decision to order the Bell was announced in reply to Questions on 18th March, 1964.

asked the Minister of Aviation when he anticipates that Heathrow and Gatwick airports will reach traffic saturation.

The Committee appointed to examine the need for a third airport to serve London estimated that this would be required by about 1973. I feel that this estimate is about right.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will grant compensation to those Service men in Cyprus whose unexpected transfer to this country results in their either having to pay Customs duty on motor cars bought less than 12 months previously or to dispose of them locally in Cyprus in a market affected by the situation there.

As regards Customs duty, I would refer to the Answer given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 24th March. In the light of that reply it would be wrong to pay a Service man compensation because he had had to pay duty which had been properly assessed. It would be unusual to pay compensation to Service men for losses incurred on the sale of cars in a depressed market for secondhand cars, but exceptional cases might be considered on their merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many survivors of the first and second world wars hold the Military Medal; how many of them have received the £20 grant; and if he will reconsider the present policy of not making this grant to those who won the medal in the first world war.

I have no record of how many holders of the Military Medal are still living or of how many of them have received the £20 gratuity. Those who won the medal during the second world war—who numbered about 17,000—received either the gratuity or the alternative of an addition to pension of 6d. a day.The decision not to pay the gratuity or addition to pension to those who won the medal before 3rd September, 1939, was taken by the Government of the day in 1945. Successive administrations have maintained it and I do not think there is a case for changing it now.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what directions have been given to British troops serving with the United Nations Emergency Force in Cyprus.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to him and to other right hon. and hon. Members by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 13th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will consider the feasibility of gradually replacing Army units at Gibraltar with Royal Marines, to further simplify the administrative arrangements there and to save Army manpower.

As recent operations have demonstrated, units of the Royal Marines and Army units are in many rôles interchangeable. I intend to take full advantage of this. I am not however anxious to employ units of the Royal Marines with their specialist assault training in static garrison rôles.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he

I have nothing to add to my statement during the Air Estimates Debate.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the acute and growing shortage of schoolteachers, he will conduct a Scottish campaign, utilising all available advertising media, for the purpose of compiling a Scottish register of certificated teachers who are prepared to undertake part-time teaching to help out during this period of staffing emergency, and for the purpose of making the register available to all education authorities.

Most potential part-time teachers are married women or retired teachers who are unable or unwilling to travel far from home, and it is more appropriate that information about them should be obtained by education authorities as at present than through a central register.A fresh publicity campaign, in support of the continuing efforts of the education authorities, is starting this week to encourage more married women to return to teaching service—whole or part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the need for school facilities for maladjusted children, and that many with an intelligence quotient of over 70, are put into classes for the mentally handicapped where they hinder and disrupt their progress; and if he will consult the local authorities with a view to providing appropriate accommodation for such children.

A Working Party is at present considering the question of the ascertainment of children in need of special educational treatment because of maladjustment, and when its report is available my right hon. Friend hopes to be able to give guidance to education authorities in this matter. In the meantime my right hon. Friend would be glad to have any evidence the hon. Member has on the practice to which he refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the fact that 58·3 per cent. of those with test score 52–60 at 8 years of age leave school at 15 years of age in Scotland, compared with 43·8 per cent. in England, he will set up an inquiry into the reasons for the high percentage of those with above average ability leaving school in Scotland at 15 years of age.

No. The figures quoted by the hon. Member relate to a sample of children in March, 1961. Following the introduction in Scotland of the ordinary grade in 1962, the proportion of above average pupils remaining at school beyond 15 has increased substantially.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will define the functions of his Scottish Office Development Department, in relation to those of the Board of Trade.

The Scottish Development Department discharges those of my right hon. Friend's statutory functions most closely related to physical and economic development, and takes the lead in the interdepartmental Scottish Development Group through which plans for regional development in Scotland are formulated and the implementation of the various elements kept in step. The Board of Trade plays a major part in the work of this group, while remaining fully responsible to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development for the discharge of his functions in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how long it will be before all the old public assistance institutions now used as residential accommodation for old people will be replaced, based on the known plans of local authorities.

Local authorities have been asked to consider whether institutions in use before the National Assistance Act, 1948, came into operation can be brought into line with modern standards or whether they must be replaced. No set date has been fixed for the replacement of all such institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many old people are in residential welfare accommodation provided by local authorities; what proportion this figure represents of the total number of such people requiring such accommodation on the basis of local authority waiting lists; and what is the annual rate of new provision.

At 16th December, 1963, there were 6,411 persons, mostly old people, in residential accommodation provided by local authorities, including welfare accommodation made available to local authorities by hospital boards. Information about the total numbers on local authorities' waiting lists is not available. During the five years 1959 to 1963, 648 places have been provided in new homes or extensions to existing homes; over 200 places are expected to be added in 1964, and more than this, we hope, in 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of old people in local authority residential accommodation is in former public assistance institutions; how old is the oldest of such institutions; and how many are between 50 and 100 years old, and over 100 years old, respectively.

At the end of last year 56 per cent. of all the residents in local authority residential accommodation were in establishments which were in use for similar purposes before the National Assistance Act, 1948, came into force. The other information requested is not readily available, and to obtain it would involve a disproportionate expenditure of labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average loan charge, the average interest charge and the average rent, all stated in weekly

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average loan charge, the average interest charge, and the average rent, all stated in weekly terms, for a council house in

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what proportion of primary schools still in use is over 70 years old; and how many of them are without inside lavatories or playing fields;(2) how many junior secondary schools built in the last century are still in use.

The following is the information:1951 and 1963, respectively, in the burghs of Irvine, Troon, Kilwinning, Stewarton and for the county of Ayr.

The following is the information:

The information requested is not collated at the centre. It is for the individual education authorities, where older premises continue in use, to consider their suitability for modern requirements and to suggest proposals for modernisation or replacement when necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue a list of schemes in the road programme costing over £100,000 which were started

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total estimated commitments outstanding on 31st March and the total estimated new commitments in 1964–65 in respect of new

The following is a list of the schemes referred to:construction and major improvements for trunk roads and for classified roads and loans to highway authorities, respectively.

The estimated commitments for major improvement and new construction outstanding at 31st March, 1964, were £29·7 million made up of:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of houses without bathrooms, hot water supplies, or internal lavatory systems; and what proportion this is of the total supply of houses.

The total stock of houses in Scotland at the present time is about 1,660,000. Estimates of the numbers lacking the facilities referred to are:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state to the most recent date the amounts spent in interest charges by the City of Glasgow for the years 1950 to 1963.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount of land taken over by the City of Glasgow for school building, housing and other public purposes, respectively, for each of the years 1953 to 1963; and what was the total cost.

I regret I do not have the information asked for.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of houses over 100 years old and over 50 years old, respectively; and what is the current annual rate of replacement of the older houses.

No estimate is available of the number of houses over 100 years old, but about 340,000 houses are estimated to have been built before 1875. The number of houses over 50 years old is estimated at about 770,000. The annual replacement rate is about 12,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the inconvenience and hardship caused to learner drivers in the Buckhaven and Methil and Levenrnouth area, in having to travel to Kirkcaldy to undertake driving tests; and if, in view this, he will arrange to have testing facilities available for several periods per week in the burgh of Buckhaven.

I do not think the distances learner drivers travel to Kirkcaldy for tests causes undue inconvenience or hardship.

asked the Minister of Transport how many applications he has received, since January, 1963, to move loads exceeding 14 feet wide or 90 feet long; and in how many cases permission was refused.

A summary of the applications received to move all cate- gories of abnormal loads by road during the period of 1st January, 1963, to 31st

asked the Minister of Transport what reply he has sent to the Chamber of Shipping on the representations he has received on the action of the Federal Maritime Commission.

My Department has throughout been in close touch with the Chamber of Shipping on this issue, but there have been no exchanges in writing.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish the terms of the Note sent to the Government of the United States of America on the action of the Federal Maritime Commission.

The note was presented on Monday, 13th April by the Netherlands Charge d'affaires on behalf of his own Government and the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It has not been customary to publish the terms of notes exchanged with the United States Government on these matters and in this case ten other countries are involved. But I can say that we have left the United States Government in no doubt about our concern at the precipitate action of the Federal Maritime Commission about our views on the jurisdictional issues involved and about our belief that the proper way to settle these matters is by the normal processes of consultation and not by arbitrary and unilateral action.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in connection with his future road programme, he will give an assurance that none of the new roads involved will be selected to bear a special tax in the form of a toll for payment by those using them.

No. It would be wrong to prejudge the outcome of the studies that are still proceeding.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has yet reached a decision on the detailed examination of charging tolls on later motorways.

No. Detailed traffic studies are still under way and it will be some time before we shall have all the information needed for a decision.

asked the Minister of Transport having regard to different plans for the by-passing of Ongar, what count has been made of traffic passing the junction between the Chigwell-Ongar and Brentwood-Ongar roads; and what have been the results.

Essex County Council will carry out a traffic survey this summer.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the traffic congestion in King's Lynn which gets worse year by year, in which year work will start on the trunk road section of the King's Lynn bypass; and whether this section will be completed at the same time as the county road section of the bypass.

I cannot say when a place in the road programme can be found for this section of the bypass. The more urgent classified road section will be completed first.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the estimated total labour force now employed on highway maintenance by local authorities and contractors.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the latest estimates of traffic using the A.19 Selby Toll Bridge, the Swinford Bridge, Berkshire, the Whitchurch Bridge, Berkshire/Oxfordshire, the Whitney Bridge, Herefordshire, and the Aldwark Bridge, Yorkshire, respectively.

From the information available, the best estimate that can be made is that for maintenance and minor improvements the numbers are about 62,000 and 5,500, respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of all toll bridges, the income from which is tax free, indicating the names of the owners and the scales of charges made in each case.

The names of the owners and the scales of charges of the bridges referred to by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in his Answer of 18th February 1964 are as follows:

Traffic on the A.19 Trunk Road near Selby Bridge in August, 1963, amounted to about 6,800 motor vehicles per day. I have no up-to-date traffic figures for the other bridges, which are all on classified roads. These are the responsibility of local highway authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider the desirability of introducing into Great Britain the use of temporary portable steel highways which can be assembled in a few hours to enable traffic to flow unimpeded when part of a motorway has to be closed for repairs, such as have recently been introduced in West Germany.

Such repairs as have been necessary up to now have not caused congestion. But I will consider the use of temporary structures in the future if undue congestion seems likely.

asked the Minister of Transport what experience has been gained for both underground and main line railways from the experiment with driverless trains between Hainault and Woodford.

This experiment with automatically driven trains in public service only started on 5th April. Little experience has therefore been gained so far. It is not correct to refer to these trains as driverless. Each has an operator at the front of the train to keep a lookout, open and close the passenger doors and take over control of the train if required. The British Railways Board tells me that it also will follow the experiment with interest with a view to the possible application of automatic driving to main line railways.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will take steps to reimburse the travelling expenses of unemployed persons registering for benefit for the first time and living some distance from the nearest office.

No. Attendance is not obligatory if the claimant lives more than ten miles from the nearest local office of the Ministry of Labour or in any other case where undue hardship would result.

asked the Minister of Health what progress he is making in regard to his inquiries into the diet of mental patients.

A study in twelve hospitals is in progress.

asked the Minister of Health when the 1964 revision of the Hospital Plan is to be published.

About the beginning of May.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what were the amounts spent in interest charges on housing by the Featherstone Urban District Council in the West Riding of Yorkshire in each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what were these interest charges, expressed in terms of percentage represented by the total yearly outlay on housing for these years.

The figures* are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) what was the interest charge per new house incurred by the Featherstone Urban District Council in each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what this interest charge, expressed as a percentage, represented of the total cost per house for each of these years;(2) what was the interest charge per new house incurred by the Castleford Borough Council in each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what this interest charge, expressed as a percentage, represented of the total cost per house for each of these years;(3) what was the interest charge per new house incurred by the Pontefract Borough Council in each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what this interest charge, expressed as a percentage, represented of the total cost per house for each of these years.

My Department's records do not show the cost of borrowing applicable to particular schemes or to particular years, this information can he obtained from the local authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what were the amounts spent in interest charges on housing by the Castleford Borough Council an each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what these amounts, expressed in terms of percentages, represented of the total yearly outlay on housing.

The figures^* are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, what were the amounts spent in interest charges on housing by the Pontefract Borough Council in each of the years 1950 to 1963; and what these amounts, expressed in terms of percentages, represented of the total yearly outlay on housing for those years.

The figures^* are as follows:

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether, in connection with the arrangements which he has made to demonstrate Canadian techniques and standards in the construction of limber houses, he will ensure that in all such demonstrations information is provided as to whether commercial considerations relating to balance of trade will or will not permit any more timber to be imported into this country in large quantities to construct such houses; and what materials other than timber can be used in connection with such techniques for house building.

No. We are demonstrating the possibilities of a particular method of construction using materials which can be obtained on a commercial basis. This will enable those who are interested to make their own judgment and comparisons.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many comprehensive schools and comprehensive school systems were set up from July 1945 to January 1952; how many have been set up from 1952 to the present day; and how many are proposed for the future.

In January 1952, there were nine comprehensive schools in England and Wales. In January 1963 the latest date for which information is available the number was 175. At this date there were 50 local education authorities in whose areas at least some senior pupils were in comprehensive schools. Many authorities are considering the question of secondary school reorganisation but I cannot say at any particular date how many proposals to set up new comprehensive schools can be said to have taken firm shape.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the future use for educational purposes of Ely Theological College.

I am not aware of any proposals in this matter.