asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for granting established conditions of service to civil servants who have served for many years in an unestablished capacity.

Arrangements are being introduced, with the agreement of the Staff Side of the Civil Service National Whitley Council, whereby civil servants who have completed 20 or more years of continuous unestablished service, and have reached or passed their minimum retiring age, may be nominated by their Department to the Civil Service Commissioners for establishment.The Commissioners will be enabled, by an amendment to their Regulations, to accept for establishment a person so nominated, if his Department certifies that he is competent to perform the duties on which he is likely to be employed until he actually retires and if he satisfies the Commissioners' requirements as to health, character and nationality.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury at what average level of before-tax weekly income a representative family of a father, mother and two children of school age pays in taxation approximately the same, by value, as such a family receives by way of welfare and other State services.

My hon. Friend will probably have seen the article on this subject published in the February issue of Economic Trends. On the basis of some rough adjustments to the figures quoted in the article to allow for the additional benefits from State education etc., but without allowing for any other differences between the sample families in the Family Expenditure Survey and the generality of families with two adults and two children, it appears that the break-even level of income in 1962 for families containing two adults and two children between the ages of 5 and 16 may have been in the range of £1,000–£1,100 a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the number of Customs Officers engaged in examining imported literature, and thereby prevent the import of pornographic literature.

No. The figures show that Customs seizures have done a great deal to limit this traffic. Moreover matter which may have escaped the Customs net is still subject to police action under the Obscene Publications Act.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek powers to require importers to submit in advance to customs officers examples of all literature they intend to import.

:No.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what average salary is paid to shorthand typists employed in Government Departments in central London; how many unfilled vacancies for shorthand typists there are at present in his Department; what proportion of applicants for such vacancies subsequently withdraw their applications; and to what extent such withdrawals are due to financial considerations.

It would not be possible, without disproportionate effort, to find the average salary of Civil Service typists. The rate of pay for a shorthand typist grade I in central London, with full proficiency allowances, ranges from £8 1s. 6d. a week at age 15, to £13 19s. 6d. at age 25, and to £15 18s. at the maximum.There are at present 12 unfilled vacancies for shorthand typists in the Treasury. In the last six months there have been three applicants for posts as shorthand typists in the Treasury, one of whom subsequently withdrew.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons had incomes of less than £400 and between £1,000 and £1,500 in 1949 and 1963, respectively.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the National Income Blue Books for 1960 and 1963, which show the following figures. In 1949 there were about 20 million incomes between £50 and £400 and 400,000 between £1,000 and £1,500, compared with about 7¾ million and about 4¼ million respectively in 1962; figures for 1963 will not be available until next August.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on how much the cost of living rose in Great Britain in the last financial year compared with West Germany, France and Italy.

The latest information from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development relates to January, 1964. In the 12 months to January, 1964, the cost of living rose by 1·9 per cent. in the United Kingdom compared with 2·6 per cent. in West Germany, 4·6 per cent. in France and 6·5 per cent. in Italy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will refuse permission to the Technicolor Corporation of America to acquire 1,540,304 stock units in Technicolor Limited, held by British shareholders, in view of the undesirability of total control of this process passing into foreign hands.

No. Exchange control permission has in fact been given. This company has been United States controlled since 1938.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek an assurance from the Technicolor Corporation of America that, in the event of their becoming sole owners of Technicolor Limited, this profitable undertaking, which employs over 1,000 workers, will continue to operate in this country.

No. Such an undertaking is not necessary in a case such as this where the United States interests propose to invest some £l·million in a company which they already control.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a general progress statement on the dispersal of Government Departments throughout the United Kingdom.

Dispersal locations have already been announced for moves of the Post Office Savings Bank, the Paymaster-General's Office, the Accounts Division of the Ministry of Public Building and Works and part of the work of the Forestry Commission. I am now able to announce that the Civil Service Commission is to be moved to Basingstoke, with the exception of certain small but important sections. This move will take over 500 jobs out of London.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of persons waiting for domestic telephone lines in Northern Ireland; what is the approximate delay between application and installation; and how this delay compares with a year ago.

There are 54 applications for residential telephones on the waiting list in Northern Ireland and a further 1,213 are under inquiry or being met.Where plant and equipment are available, service is generally provided within 3 to 4 weeks. This is about a week better than it was a year ago and includes the time the Post Office has to wait before starting some jobs in order to meet the convenience of customers. Many orders are, however, completed within a week or two and, as stated in the White Paper "The Inland Telephone Service in an Expanding Economy" (Cmnd. 2211) it is our aim to see that the overwhelming majority of customers get this standard of service by March, 1966.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make available to hon. Members the 1959 Survey of Public Opinion of the Telephone Service and any more recent information relating to this subject.

No. These Surveys provide background information for the management of the telephone service and it would not be appropriate, nor in accordance with general custom, for these to be published.

asked the Postmaster-General what proportion of telephone calls dialled within the London Telecommunications Region failed to connect first time due to the fault of the Post Office in the months ended 30th September, 1963, and 31st March, 1964, respectively.

Taking the London Telecommunications Region as a whole, the figures were 3·3 per cent. on 30th September, 1963, and 3·9 per cent. on 31st March, 1964.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone kiosks there are in the Nottingham telephone area; how many of these kiosks earned less than £250 last year; how many earned between £251 and £350; how many earned between £351 and £500; and how many earned more than £500.

The number of kiosks in the Nottingham Telephone Area in the last calendar year were as follows:

Total	1,612
Receipts*:—
Less than £250	1,100
£250–£350	370
£350–£500	120
£500 or more	22
* Including approximate transferred charge calls.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the expenditure of the Post Office on research and development within the field covered by bulk supply agreements and for which he estimates that £2 million is spent by the other parties to the bulk supply agreements.

We estimate that Post Office expenditure on research and development within the fields covered by the bulk supply agreements for telephone apparatus and exchange equipment is running at the annual rate of about £1½ million.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will publish a list of the firms to which he allocated contracts in 1963–64 for cable, loading coils, telephone apparatus and exchange equipment, respectively; and what was the value of the respective contracts with the respective firms.

The list below shows the value of contracts exceeding £1,000 for items covered by the telephone apparatus and exchange equipment bulk supply agreements its and for the types of cable and loading coils formerly covered by bulk supply agreements. In order not to disclose the results of competitive tendering, the value of the contracts placed under the reservation clauses is shown in terms of the agreement prices rather than prices actually paid.

	£'000
Cable
Telephone Cables Ltd.	3,949
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.	2,532
British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd.	2,396
Pirelli-General Cable Works Ltd.	1,390
Connollys (Blackley) Ltd.	780
Hackbridge Cable Co. Ltd.	576
Loading Coils
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.	226
Salford Electric Instruments Ltd.	199
Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.	129
Telephone Apparatus
The General Electric Co. Ltd.	1,649
The Plessey Co. (U.K.) Ltd.	1,532
Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. Ltd.	1,478
Phoenix Telephone Ltd.	1,475
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.	1,460
Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.	1,435
Telephone Manufacturing Co. Ltd.	1,332
Ericsson Telephones Ltd.	1,070
Pye Telecommunications Ltd.	894
Associated Automation Ltd.	501
EMI Electronics Ltd.	394
Whiteley Electrical Radio Co. Ltd.	176
The Telephone Supplies Ltd.	161
S. Smith & Sons (England) Ltd.	112
Airdrie Electronics Ltd.	50
Astralux Ltd.	43
Speke Telephones Ltd.	12
Burgess Products Ltd.	10
Labgear Ltd.	4
Exchange Equipment
The General Electric Co. Ltd.	6,199
Ericsson Telephones Ltd.	5,940
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.	5,906
Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. Ltd.	5,236
Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.	4,274
Kolster-Brandes (N. Ireland) Ltd.	181
Telephone Manufacturing Co. Ltd.	114
Speke Telephones Ltd.	20
Fraser and Grass Ltd.	4
Litholite Insulators Ltd.	3

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in the light of the Public Accounts Committee's Report on Guided Weapons Contracts placed by the Ministry of Aviation with Ferranti Ltd., he is still satisfied that the method of fixing prices under the bulk purchase agreements is in the best interests of the Post Office; and whether he will make a statement.

The bulk supply agreements differ widely, as regards the method of fixing prices, from the purchasing arrangements which formed the subject of the Committee's Report. My right hon. Friend has no present plans for any change.

asked the Postmaster-General what consideration has been given to the laying of a South Atlantic telephone cable linking the United Kingdom directly with the major commercial centres in South America.

Preliminary traffic and cost studies have been made for various configuration of cable systems in the Souh Atlantic: projects of this size are very costly and have to be considered in the light of the possibility that similar facilities could be provided more cheaply by means of a satellite system. A decision how best to improve telephone communications between the United Kingdom and South America is not likely to be reached for some time.

asked the Postmaster-General what information he received, in deciding on the new location of the Post Office Savings Bank, on the relative housing facilities available in Stockton-on-Tees and Glasgow, respectively.

My right hon. Friend received a great deal of information, obtained from many authorities in the Glasgow and Tees-side areas. Both areas were able to provide adequately for the likely requirements in rented council houses, and houses for purchase would also be available at prices below those in London.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a statement on the conditions under which he will permit the showing of feature films on experimental pay-television.

My right hon. Friend is laying down conditions to afford adequate safeguards for the legitimate interests of cinema exhibitors while allowing a reasonable measure of elasticity to the pay-television experiments. The conditions are:

First, there must be a period of six months from the first local cinema showing of a registered film given a London general release before it can be shown or advertised for showing on pay-television, unless local cinema exhibitors have agreed to a pay-television showing within the period. This is the main safeguard and should ensure that the local cinemas have first access to films in the majority of cases, though it s the Government's hope that in a number of cases voluntary arrangements will be arrived at to permit earlier showing on pay-television,

Second, as the six-month period may not cover the full normal cinema release of every film, my right hon. Friend is stipulating that a limited compensation fund should be provided by the pay-television company in each area against the possibility that a cinema exhibitor can point to the prior showing of cinema films by pay-television and can demonstrate a loss of box-office takings reasonably attributable to that cause.

The special case of repertory cinemas is being separately provided for.The Kinematograph Renters' Society has assured my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development that the supply of films will continue on the pre-pay-television pattern and timings.These arrangements are solely related to the experimental period. I hope that they will continue throughout that period, but my right hon. Friends will review them if we consider it necessary.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he now intends to take to stop the permanent establishment of pirate radio stations around the coastline.

New legislation which would effectively deprive pirate broadcasters of material support is the most suitable action to take, and my right hon. Friend is considering it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) if he will indicate on a weekly basis the average expenditure to the Oldham housing revenue account for 1951–52 and 1963–64 for debt charges, repairs, administration and other charges;(2) if he will indicate on a weekly basis the average income to the Oldham housing revenue account for 1951–52 and 1963–64 of rents, Government subsidies, corporation contribution and other income.

As yet my right hon. Friend has no information relating to housing revenue accounts for the year 1963–64 and the information he has for 1951–52 is not in the degree of detail asked for in these Questions. Comprehensive details of Oldham's housing revenue account for 1951–52 and for 1962–63 appear in the Housing Statistics for those years published by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he has now taken to encourage the recruitment by local authorities of qualified planning engineers.

I am, of course, aware of the urgent need for more planners, including engineer planners, and of the recruitment difficulties that local planning authorities are facing. The Department has recently had further discussions with the Town Planning Institute about its proposals for the education and training of more planners. We will shortly be discussing these with the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state in tabular form the number of compulsory purchase orders submitted by local authorities in Middlesex during the past five years, indicating the number of annual confirmations and use made by each authority of orders under Circular 45/60.

The following tables show the number of orders submitted in these years by local authorities in Middlesex. Table 1 gives details of orders made

TABLE 1
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN MIDDLESEX—PART III AND PART V, HOUSING ACT 1957: COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDERS OTHER THAN THOSE RELATED TO CIRCULAR 45/60
——		1959				1960				1961					1962				1963
		S	C	R	W	S	C	R	W	S	C	R	W	N	S	C	R	W	S	C	R	W	N
Acton B.C.	…	5	5	—	—	7	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	3
Brentford and Chiswick B.C.		10	2	3	5	12	9	2	1	5	4	—	1	—	2	2	—	—	3	1	—	—	2
Ealing B.C.	…	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	—	1	—
Edmonton B.C.		4	4	—	—	7	7	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	3	3	—	—	4	—	—	—	4
Enfield B.C.	…	7	4	1	2	1	1	—	—	7	6	—	—	1	7	7	—	—	3	—	—	—	3
Feltham U.D.C.		3	3	—	—	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Finchley U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Friern Barnet U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Harrow B.C.	…	2	—	—	2	3	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1	—	—
Harrow B.C.	…	2	—	—	2	3	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1	—	—
Hayes and Harlington U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hendon B.C.	…	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	1	1	—	—	—
Heston and Isleworth B.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hornsey B.C.	…	1	1	—	—	2	2	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Potters Bar U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ruislip-Northwood U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Southall B.C.	…	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Southgate B.C	…	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	2	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
Staines U.D.C	…	1	1	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	5	5	—	—	1	—	1	—
Sunbury on Thames U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tottenham B.C.		2	2	—	—	4	4	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	3	2	—	1	5	—	—	2	3
Twickenham B.C.		—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Uxbridge B.C	…	2	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Wembley B.C.	…	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	1	—	—
Willesden B.C.	…	10	7	2	1	4	2	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	3	1	1	1	4	2	—	—	2
Wood Green B.C.		2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	1	1	—	—	—
Yiewsley and West Drayton U.D.C.		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
TOTALS	…	51	34	7	10	45	36	2	7	28	26	—	1	1	31	28	1	2	34	7	3	3	21
S= Submitted.		C=Confirmed.					R=Confirmation refused.							W=Withdrawn.					N=Not decided.
NOTE: Action on the order outstanding since 1961 has been suspended at the request of the local authority while they have been negotiating acquisition of properties by agreement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what proportion of the total freehold area of the City of Birmingham is owned by the local authority.

This information is not available in the Department.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many units of accommodation are situated within the boundaries of the City of Birmingham; and what proportion of these are owned by the local authority.

I estimate that there are about 327,000 separate dwellings in Birmingham of which some 130,000, or about 40 per cent. are owned by the Corporation. I am not in a position to give precise figures.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when the Report of the Committee on Rural Depopulation in Mid-Wales will be published.

Soon after Whitsun, I hope.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what communications have been received by Her Majesty's Government from the Government of Southern Rhodesia regarding proposed changes in the Southern Rhodesian Constitution; what reply has been sent; and whether he will give an assurance that no such changes will be agreed by Her Majesty's Government until the matter has first been debated in this House.

I understand that this Question refers to the motion of the Southern Rhodesia legislature seeking to petition the Queen to remove the British Government's powers under Section 111 of the Southern Rhodesia Constitution. I have nothing to add to what I told the House on 28th April.

asked the Secretary of Slate for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what reply he sent to the Government of India, following their formal appeal to Her Majesty's Government to ensure the release of Mr. Joshua Nkomo from the restrictions imposed on him by the Southern Rhodesian Government.

No reply has yet been sent.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what is the present stage of British diplomatic representation in the Maldive Islands; and what are the functions of the political adviser to the Royal Air Force commander.

In Male, the capital of the Maldive Islands, there is a British Representative who is a member of the staff of our High Commissioner in Ceylon. In August, 1963, a political adviser to the Officer Commanding the Royal Air Force Staging Post at Gan was appointed temporarily to assist in carrying out the British Government's undertaking to do all they could to bring about conditions which would enable the authority of the Maldivian Government to be restored peacefully in Addu Atoll. The political adviser has successfully completed his mission and has returned to Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will now make a statement about an extension to the million-acre scheme in Kenya and the degree of financial assistance to be made available to assist this scheme.

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 28th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies how it is proposed to ensure that the electorate of Malta is informed of the detailed provisions of the draft constitution on which they will be called upon to vote at the forthcoming referendum.

The draft constitution was published in the Malta Government Gazette on 9th April and copies were on sale to the general public.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will make a statement on the proceedings of the Basutoland Constitutional Conference.

The Conference is proceeding.I have nothing to add at present to my statement of 28th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he possesses concerning the supply of nuclear warheads by the Soviet Government to the Government of the United Arab Republic.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the attack by the Greek Cypriots on the Turkish Cypriots, he will consider withdrawing British troops from the United Nations force in Cyprus at the end of the three months tour, unless the Secretary-General of the United Nations alters his operational instructions so that the United Nations force can restore order.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will inform the United Nations Secretary-General that Her Majesty's Government welcome the new instructions to the United Nations force in Cyprus with a view to preventing violence and bloodshed, and that the British contingent will co-operate in any necessary action to implement them effectively.

We have made it clear to the Secretary-General that we are greatly disturbed at the continuance of intercommunal conflict in Cyprus. On April 29th, the Secretary-General issued a report to the Security Council on the operations of the United Nations force. In this he put forward a programme of action for the force designed to enable it to achieve the tasks laid down by the Security Council. We welcome this move towards making the United Nations force more effective, and remain ready to co-operate fully with the Secretary-General to this end.Our purpose is to help the United Nations achieve the task laid down in the Security Council resolution. I do not think it would be helpful for me to speculate about the possibility of withdrawing British troops from the United Nations force.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development why he will not legislate to ensure that companies do not spend money on political purposes until such expenditure has been authorised by their shareholders.

Because I would expect that already, under the Companies Act, any significant expenditure of this kind would have to be shown in the company's accounts, and it would be open to shareholders to question it, should they so wish.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken by the Metropolitan Police, in order to avoid the embarrassment of innocent citizens, to ensure that persons prosecuted by the Metropolitan Police in magistrates' courts do not give false names and addresses.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that he makes every effort to ensure that the correct name and address of all persons against whom proceedings are taken is known.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a statement about the result of his investigation regarding the extent to which the Warble Fly (Dressing of Cattle) Order, 1948, is carried out by farmers; and what steps he now proposes to take to deal with the infestation of cattle by the warble fly.

This Order requires all cattle visibly or palpably infested with maggots of the warble fly to be dressed with a derris preparation periodically between 15th March and 30th June. The Order has been ineffective because no one can prove whether an animal has been dressed or not, and all the information I have received indicates that it is poorly observed.Systemic insecticides offer the best chance there has yet been of controlling this pest, and as they kill the maggot before it develops, their use should result in much cleaner hides. But an Order which included systemics as an alternative treatment to derris would be no more enforceable than the present Order.The Secretary of State and I have therefore decided to revoke the Order at the conclusion of the current dressing season. We shall then pursue a vigorous advisory campaign through our field staff for the control of warbles as a matter of good husbandry. Derris dressing or systemics will be recommended as appropriate and we believe this approach will result in greatly improved control of the pest.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the probable shortage of beef cattle in the near future, what steps he is taking to increase production in this country.

As the hon. Member is aware, there has been an improvement, following the last Annual Review, in the guaranteed price of milk, and I am advised that there has been a check to the decline in the dairy herd. This, together with the increase of 3s. per live cwt. in the guaranteed price of fat cattle and the 10s. per head increase in the subsidy on steer calves, should give sufficient encouragement to home producers of beef from both the dairy herd and the beef breeding herd.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that, owing to the high price of beef, an increasing number of in-calf cattle is being slaughtered, many being dairy cattle, and that this will create a shortage of milk; and what steps he is taking to check this slaughter.

I am aware that some breeding stock have been slaughtered. On the other hand, there is evidence to show that the number of dairy herd replacements is increasing and this should counteract the effects of culling older animals.There is no question of a shortage of liquid milk for human consumption. Taking last year as a whole, output has been exceeding the requirements of the liquid milk market by over 40 per cent. and this provides an ample margin. Milk sold for manufacture fetches low prices in competition with imports and reduces the average price to the dairy farmer for his milk. We do not aim at large-scale production for manufacture; our aim is that, over the years, production should keep in line with the rising liquid consumption. The recent increase in the guaranteed price of milk will give confidence to the dairy industry for the future.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the amount given to agriculture in 1958–59 and in 1962–63 in grants and subsidies;(2) what was the cost of price guarantees support for 1958–59 and for 1962–63.

The amounts paid in 1958–59 and 1962–63 from the Votes of this Ministry and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland in implementation of the farm price guarantees, were £154·7 million and £190·1 million respectively and £80·9 million and £109·4 million respectively for farming grants and subsidies. Details are shown in Appendix V of the White Paper on the Annual Review and Determination of Guarantees, 1964 (Cmnd. 2315), published on 18th March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint a small committee to inquire into the means whereby the research and development work commissioned by Her Majesty's Government and by nationalised industries can be spread more evenly over the principal industrial areas of the country, as recommended by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry Report issued this week.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development is arranging, in consultation with the Secretary of State for Scotland and other Ministers concerned, for the recommendations contained in this report to be examined.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will take steps to secure the wider acceptance of the potential of air travel in Scotland, as recommended in the Scottish Council for Development and Industry Report issued this week; and whether he will make a statement.

The importance to Scotland of air transport facilities is already widely recognised and has, for instance, been emphasised in the Government's White Paper on Central Scotland (Cmnd. 2188). Scotland's air communications have been greatly developed during the last few years, and there appears to be no lack of publicity for the services.

asked the Prime Minister what decision has been taken about the recommendations of the Plowden Committee on the Diplomatic Service for the integration of the legal departments of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office; and whether he is satisfied that adequate arrangements will exist for the encouragement of contacts between legal officers in the various Commonwealth Governments.

In principle the Government have accepted the Plowden Committee's recommendation that the Diplomatic Service should have a unified Legal Section with a structure of its own and common recruitment; but how and when unification of the present legal staffs can best be carried out is still under consideration. Among the factors being considered is the need to maintain adequate arrangements for the encouragement of contacts between legal officers in various Commonwealth Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many free leave warrants for journeys between Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the past 12 months or other convenient period were unused by members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, respectively, owing to such members choosing to fly to or from Northern Ireland at their personal expense.

This information is not readily available. It could be produced only by asking all Service units to examine the documents of each Service man and then by asking each Service man who had not taken up the full entitlement of leave warrants why he had not done so.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that there are approximately 6,500 persons over the age of 65 years in the County Borough of Bootle; that, of these, 5,000 have been accounted for by the local authority welfare services and that approximately 1,600 of them live on their own; and what comparable national figures he has from the latest census of aged persons living on their own.

At the time of the 1961 Census there were 5,927 persons over 65 years of age in Bootle. 168 men over 65 and 978 women over 60 were living alone.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the system, known as the Haze Alarm, operating in the homes of elderly persons living on their own in Bootle, which obviates elderly persons being left on their own without assistance in times of illness or distress; if he will consult the Postmaster-General with a view to providing some telephonic system for elderly sick persons; and if he will take steps to enable local authorities to make financial provision for this system.

The hon. Member has been good enough to send me a description. These alarm systems are, however, still experimental.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the proposals made for the reorganisation of Pentonville Prison, details of which have been sent to him.

The proposal in question is that Pentonville should be divided into four self-contained units providing more individual treatment for the prisoners and mole open conditions for those not requiring full security. It is not practicable to undertake any major reconstruction of the prison until further progress has become possible in getting rid of the present overcrowding in the local prisons. Pentonville was designed for 850 prisoners. Two years ago there were 1,300 there. That has now been reduced to 1,000, through the building of new prisons, the transfer away of those who ought not to be in a local prison, and the greater use of open prisons. Conditions at Pentonville are steadily being improved, but its division into four self-contained units would involve an amount of physical reconstruction much greater than the author of the proposal realises, or than the limited future life of the present buildings would justify.