asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he allows the system whereby lawyers are taxed on different principles from other people, being entitled to claim their last year's earnings before retirement free of tax; and why he will not introduce the necessary legislation to make this privilege generally applicable or end the present position whereby one class of taxpayer receives benefits not shared by others.

I answered the first part of the Question in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 28th April. As regards the second part of the Question, the treatment of barristers is not a special privilege but is the legal consequence of the way their income arises and could not be extended to other taxpayers whose situation is different.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the number and value of foreign aid projects which now take the form of tied aid linked to goods which are produced in areas of local unemployment in the United Kingdom; and what plans are being drawn up to expand this type of aid for the mutual benefit of the underdeveloped countries and areas of unemployment in Great Britain.

It is not possible to measure the extent to which our aid programme benefits, directly or indirectly, the areas of above average unemployment. The possibility of matching the needs of developing countries with surplus industrial capacity in this country is, however, taken into account as far as possible in considering aid proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the building society interest rates at the end of 1950 and 1960, respectively, for house mortgages borrowed on 10- and 25-year agreements; and what were the monthly repayments in each instance.

The rates of interest on new mortgages recommended to their members by the Council of the Building Societies Association were 4 per cent. at the end of 1950 and 6 per cent. at the end of 1960 for both ten and twenty-five year agreements. In 1950 the monthly repayments for each £1,000 borrowed were £10 5s. 10d. for a ten-year term and £5 7s. 6d. for a twenty-five year term; in 1960 they were £11 6s. 8d. for a ten-year term and £6 10s. 10d. for a twenty-five year term.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in considering the decimalisation of British currency, in view of the ever-increasing cost which delay imposes; and if he will make a statement.

The cost and benefits of decimalisation must be weighed against those of the many other projects which we have for modernising Britain.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has now been made with regard to the opening of a retail sales branch of Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and whether he will make a statement.

The demand for Government publications in Newcastle at present is not sufficient to warrant the opening of a retail branch of the Stationery Office. But, as I informed the hon. Member in reply to previous Questions, the position will continue to be reviewed in relation to developments in the region.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount paid to the Public Works Loan Board by local authorities in interest charges each year between 1951 and 1963; and what was the rate of interest in each of these years.

The following are the figures:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons one of Her Majesty's ships approached the pirate radio ship "Caroline" on Wednesday 6th May; why a boarding did not take place; and if he will make a statement.

The revenue cruiser "Venturous" which is in the service of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise approached the motor vessel "Caroline" in the normal course of operations relating to the safety of the revenue and the observance of Customs requirements. The commander of the "Venturous" asked for, and was given, certain information about stores carried by the "Caroline"; there was never any question of boarding the vessel.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the principles at present applied to the valuation of caravans, which are used as temporary residences, for rating purposes and the extent to which the factors of inconvenience and lack of amenities are taken into account.

If a caravan park is substantially under the control of the site operator, he is regarded as the rateable occupier of the whole site. Where, however, an individual's occupation of a particular caravan and of the land on which it stands has a sufficient degree of permanence, the land and the caravan may be treated as a separate heredita- ment. In either case the annual value for rating purposes is related to the rent which a hypothetical tenant would pay and thus takes due account of inconvenience and lack of amenities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has in mind for the reduction in the burden of local rating.

While some changes may be needed, the Government cannot judge precisely what these should be until it has considered the report of Professor Allen's Committee on the impact of rates and has completed its general review of central and local government financial relationships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the subsidy that would be required to be paid to the coal industry in present market conditions to enable coal to compete with fuel oil if the present duty imposed by the Finance Act, 1961 was rescinded.

I have been asked to reply.As I am not contemplating a subsidy I have not made any estimates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he assesses will be the value to the iron and steel industry of the budgetary concessions in terms of savings per ton of finished steel produced.

I have been asked to reply.The iron and steel industry will benefit from the reduction in duty on certain light petroleum distillates which should make it economic to use them to enrich blast furnace gas used for furnace fuel; but the value of this concession cannot yet be estimated.

asked the Postmaster-General on what date the last of the covers bearing Shakespeare quatercentenary stamps, and described as first day covers, were posted; how many of the 80,000 covers ordered in response to his special offer were posted after 23rd April, though postmarked with that date; and, in connection with future commemorative issues, what steps he is taking to avoid the necessity of similar misrepresentation.

In the final outcome the number of Shakespeare first-day covers ordered approached 100,000. All but 8,000 have been despatched. These should go out within a day or so. 10,000 of them were postmarked on the 23rd April. As I have said before, the demand for this service exceeded all our expectations. I do not think that with this sort of service any question of misrepresentation arises, but certainly we do not want to keep out customers waiting for as long on future issues. This was the first occasion on which we have had this special first-day covet service and the experience gained will be applied in the future.

asked the Postmaster-General when the first-day covers of the Shakespeare stamps will be issued to subscribers.

Over ninety per cent. of the covers have already been despatched. The remainder should go out in the next day or so.

asked the Postmaster-General if, before incurring further expenditure in advertising the services of his Philatelic Bureau, he will make staffing arrangements sufficiently flexible and adequate to cope with exceptionally heavy occasional demands.

We underestimated the popularity of the new services we offered in connection with the Shakespeare issue. The lessons learned will enable us to ensure that we clear orders much more quickly in the future.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the great need for a telephone kiosk in Temple Mills Lane, Leyton, particularly for emer- gency calls, and of public and municipal requests, if he will install a kiosk there.

I have carefully reviewed the position, but am sorry that we could not justify the provision of a kiosk in Temple Mills Lane. I am writing in more detail to the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated number of foreign coins and metal discs annually used fraudulently in telephone coin boxes; and what is the estimated financial loss from this malpractice.

I cannot give exact numbers, but the estimated loss is about £3,000 a year or 6d. per £100 of coin box revenue.

asked the Postmaster-General what legislative steps he intends to take to end illegal broadcasts by pirate radio stations operating around the coastline.

I cannot yet add to the reply given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend on 5th May.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the British Broadcasting Corporation sound broadcasts have been subject to interference during the test transmission period of Radio Caroline and since its subsequent established broadcasting hours.

I understand that except for some slight interference when Radio Caroline began broadcasting, transmissions from this station have not caused interference to reception of B.B.C. services.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent during the test transmissions of Radio Atlanta British Broadcasting Corporation sound broadcasts have been subject to interference; and to what extent interference with British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasting is developing during joint transmissions of Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta.

I am not at present in a position to give any information about the activities of Radio Atlanta or their effects, if any, on other radio services.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent he has received a favourable response to his request to advertisers not to patronise pirate radio stations; and if he will give the names of the companies who assured him of their support.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 14th April to the hon. Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton). I have not sought assurances from individual companies.

asked the Postmaster-General under which national flags Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta are operating; and what communications he has had with the governments of the nations concerned.

"Caroline" was registered in Panama. The Panamanian Government cancelled the registration when they were informed that the ship had been used for broadcasting. I understand that the other ship is registered in Panama also: if so, and if she similarly contravenes international and Panamanian law, I have no doubt that her registration also will be cancelled.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement regarding his discussions with spokesmen of the Council of Europe in connection with legislation to ban transmissions of sound radio programmes from ships operating outside European nations' three-mile limits.

The Council of Europe's Legal Committee on Broadcasting and Television is meeting in Strasbourg this week. The text of the Council's draft Agreement for the prevention of broadcasts from unauthorised stations outside national territories is being further considered at this meeting.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the preparation of legislation to ban the development of television transmissions from ships at sea which are operating to compete and interfere with the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Authority.

In this context broadcasting would include both sound and television.

asked the Postmaster-General which countries of the International Telecommunication Union have proffered advice and assistance to him during his consideration of legislation concerning radio stations based at sea.

As a member country of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Kingdom has received information circulated by the Secretary-General of the Union about the action taken by members to prevent unauthorised broadcasts from ships at sea. We have also been in close touch on this subject for the last two years with the other member countries of the Council of Europe.

asked the Postmaster-General what representations he has received from artistes, performers, manufacturers of records and the unions concerned about the development of the radio stations operating at sea; whether they have sought advice and assistance from his department; and if he will make a statement.

The phonographic industry has been in close touch with my Department on this subject, and I have also had representations from the Songwriters Guild of Great Britain. They are anxious that the development of pirate broadcasting stations should be stopped as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will list the occasions when transmissions from pirate radio ships have interfered with signals sent from coastguards and shore-based stations to ships at sea; what representations he has received regarding this type of interference; and if he will make a statement.

Transmissions from Radio Caroline caused interference to British and Belgian maritime services during the first few days that she was broadcasting. Interference to maritime services since then has been negligible. Serious interference to maritime radio services could recur at any time if the powerful transmitting equipment on the ship is not properly maintained.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the violation of the International Frequency Registration Board's regulations by the radio ships "Caroline" and "Atlanta", what steps are being taken by the Board against this illegal intrusion; whether the frequencies on which these radio ship stations are operating are interfering with other European countries' legal transmissions; and what representations he has received from the countries involved.

The Regulations are those of the International Telecommunication Union. The member States of the Union are responsible for ensuring that the provisions of the International Radio Regulations are enforced. I have received complaints from the Belgian Government that Radio Caroline is causing interference to the reception in Belgium of the authorised broadcasting service from Brussels on 1984½ metres.

asked the Postmaster-General what consideration he has given to the introduction of legislation to make illegal radio broadcasting outside territorial waters by way of an amendment to the Continental Shelf Act, 1964, to stop pirate ship radio stations securing anchorage.

I considered this possibility before the Continental Shelf Bill was introduced, but concluded that the matters are not sufficiently analogous to justify attempting to combine legislation about them in one Act. I am still of that opinion.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there are parts of the county of Brecon unable to receive the new Welsh programme of the British Broadcasting Corporation; and whether he will take steps to enable Welsh-speaking people to have the advantage of the new service.

Yes. The B.B.C. is considering what can be done to improve coverage by its Welsh television service in this and other parts of Wales.

asked the Postmaster-General what representations have been received by the British Broadcasting Corporation, with reference to the new Welsh programme from the Llanyre transmitter, Mid-Wales; and whether an alternative service can be provided.

The B.B.C. tells me it has had representations from local authorities in the area. The hon. Member will recall that for many years Welsh interests have been pressing vigorously for a separate Welsh service. The Committee on Broadcasting reported Welsh opinion, as it represented itself, to be strongly and unanimously in favour of such a service. In response to these representations, the B.B.C.'s Welsh Service has been authorised by the Government. If, after all, it is now represented that, rather than the Welsh Service, B.B.C. 1 should be transmitted from the Corporation's Llandrindod Wells station, these representations would be for the National Broadcasting Council for Wales to consider in the first place. If the suggestion is that B.B.C. 1 should be transmitted in addition to the Welsh service, then I can hold out now no prospect of such a development.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give an assurance that commercial advertising will not be allowed on pay television during its experimental period.

As I stated on 11th December, 1963, no advertisements will be allowed.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the conditions he has laid down about the showing of feature films on pay television also apply to second-features, shorts and documentaries.

The conditions will apply to all registered cinematograph films.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many dwellings have become decontrolled since October 1959.

My right hon. Friend estimates the number at about one million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that a person can obtain loans from a council under the Housing Provision Act to purchase houses other than the one in which he resides and that he can rent these to tenants and make himself a landlord; and if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to grant loans only to people who intend to reside in houses so purchased, and not to people who purchase for the purpose of letting.

Local authorities have had similar powers for more than 40 years. I am sure they can be trusted to use them wisely.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the rise in average weekly interest charges for each council dwelling in Newcastle-under-Lyme from 7s. 8d. in 1950–51 to 21s. 9d. in 1962–63, if he will consult the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the local authority associations about ways and means of relieving the pressure on rents and the burden on the rates.

There have been big increases since 1951 both in average earnings and in the total amount paid out in housing subsidies. My right hon. Friend has no evidence as yet that any local authority need charge rents beyond the means of its tenants, so long as it follows a realistic rent policy. The Government have, however, promised a review of housing subsidies and as a first step my right hon. Friend has set up a Working Party, in conjunction with the local authority associations, to examine all aspects of local authority housing finance.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what were the average gross rent, the average loan charge and the average interest charge, all stated in weekly terms, for a council house in 1945, 1951, 1963 and on the latest possible date for the cities and boroughs of Stoke-on-Trent, Salford, Manchester and Eccles, respectively.

My right hon. Friend has no information about gross rents. The following table showing the weekly average figures for net rents and for loan and interest charges per house has been obtained from the totals under these heads for each year and from the number of houses held at the end of the year. Loan and interest charges cover shops, garages etc., as well as houses. He has no information more recent than for the financial year 1962–63.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action has been taken by the Alkali Inspectorate to stop the nuisance from smoke, fumes and smell emitted by factories at Harrow Manorway, Abbey Wood, S.E.2.

Over the last four years the Inspectorate have secured a considerable reduction in emissions from those processes at the factories that are registrable under the Alkali Act. Further improvements are due to be made in August.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on what grounds he declined to allow a compulsory purchase order for the London County Council for the site of Messrs. Elton Levy's factory, Harrow Manorway, Abbey Wood, S.E.2, when the Abbey Wood estate was being planned.

My right hon. Friend's predecessor declined to authorise the compulsory purchase of this factory in 1956 because he considered that there was no justification for using the powers of compulsory acquisition in the Housing Acts simply to obtain an adjustment of the boundary of the factory site. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the decision letter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what further representations he has received from the Cheshire County Council relating to alternative overspill sites to meet the housing needs of the city of Manchester, since the recent public inquiries into the acquisition of land by Manchester at Sale and Wilmslow for housing purposes.

My right hon. Friend has received a letter from the Cheshire County Council, dated 1st May and copied also to the Town Clerk of Manchester, offering to submit information as to seven possible sites.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when it is expected that all of the presently registered appeals in the Cheadle constituency in respect of rating valuations will have been heard by the local valuation panel.

I cannot say. The panel is holding several courts a week, and I am sure it will continue with its work as fast as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what form the departmental inquiry into the rating system is taking; and what stage it has now reached.

The inquiry is being undertaken by a Working Party representing the Departments with a major concern in central and local government finance. At the present stage the material is being assembled and critically examined. Only limited progress can be made with the constructive part of the work until the report of the Allen Committee is available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what films are available, or are being produced under the auspices of his Department, about modern methods of design and lay-out in new towns, or in the reconstruction of old towns, which might be shown and of interest to members of the public in towns where extensive reconstruction is now being contemplated.

Harlow development corporation have one film and are making another, and the Ministry will be collaborating with the development corporation in making a film record of the development of Dawley new town.In addition my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport has prepared a film on the Buchanan report on traffic in towns.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) when he received a request from the Northumberland County Council to receive a deputation to discuss the development of the new towns at Killingworth and Cramlington; and what reply he gave;(2) what action he proposes to take to assist the county of Northumberland in its new towns development; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has agreed to see a deputation from the Northumberland County Council to discuss, among other things, the County Council's views about the future of Killingworth and Cramlington. The initial request by the County Council was made at the end of last year but they have subsequently been seen by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what improvements his chief alkali inspector has to report in the control of air pollution from the works of Ideal-Standard Limited in Hull; and what progress has been made in finding solutions to this problem since the failure of the electrical precipitator installed in 1962.

Final agreement has just been reached on the design of fume arrestment plant to replace the experimental precipitator. A firm order for the plant should be placed very soon.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many square feet of office space have been involved in the cases where the Location of Offices Bureau has persuaded firms to move to the periphery of Greater London, and beyond the Green Belt, respectively.

Information in this form is not available. But since the Bureau began its publicity campaign seven months ago it has been approached by over 430 firms; and present evidence suggests that about half the firms moving out of London will move more than 20 miles away.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what proposals he has to reduce the area of office floor space in the congested centre of London for which planning permission has already been granted but which has not yet been constructed; what is that area; and how many additional office workers it is expected that it will accommodate.

Revocation of these planning permissions would require the payment of compensation on a scale which my right hon. Friend does not think would be justified. The floor area covered by outstanding permissions in July 1963 was 16 million square feet; he estimates that this might mean about 60,000 additional office jobs.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will give the number of local authorities who in 1962–63 spent a 6d. rate under the Local Government (Provisions of Entertainment) Act, 1948.

My right hon. Friend has no records of local authorities' rate borne expenditure under Section 132 of the Local Government Act, 1948, for which his consent is not required. A survey of municipal entertainment in England and Wales was recently published by the Institute of Municipal Entertainment. This survey compared expenditure in 1947–48 with that in 1961–62, but did not purport to be comprehensive.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what decision has been made on the future of Malta as a result of the referendum.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will make a statement on the result of the referendum in Malta, and on the attitude thereto of Her Majesty's Government.

My right hon. Friend has invited the Prime Minister of Malta to discuss the position with him as soon as possible. It will not be possible to make a statement before these talks have taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will publish the terms of the questions contained in the recent referendum to the Maltese people.

The question was: "Do you approve of the constitution for independence proposed by the Government of Malta, endorsed by the Legislative Assembly and published in the Malta Government Gazette of the 9th April?"

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies, in view of the fact that Mr. Sydney Kitching, holder of British passport D054897, was granted an extension of his temporary residence permit in Swaziland till 30th June to enable him to clear up his affairs and that he has since been detained by the South African Government under the so-called Ninety Day Act in solitary confinement, if he will consult the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs concerning an approach to the South African Government in favour of Mr. Kitching's release to enable him to comply with the Swaziland High Commissioner's request.

Any approach to the South African Government is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. As my hon. Friend the Minister of State informed the hon. Member on the 27th April, Mr. Kitching appears to be a South African national and Her Majesty's Government have no locus standi to intervene officially on his behalf in that country.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies to what extent the cease-fire announcement of President Makarios has become effective; and whether he will make a statement on the present situation in Cyprus.

The position around St. Hilarion Castle has become more stable, and the United Nations Force has set up posts in the area. Sporadic incidents have, however, continued to occur in the island.On 29th April, U Thant in a report to the Security Council redefined the aims and objectives of the United Nations Force and appealed strongly to President Makarios and Vice-President Kutchuk to announce publicly that there is no reason for further fighting. The President and Vice-President both subsequently made statements welcoming the Secretary-General's report as helpful and constructive.Meanwhile the United Nations Force has continued to take shape. The Swedish, Irish and Finnish contingents have now arrived, and the Danish Government have undertaken to provide 1,000 men. The arrival of the Danes will enable the British contingent to be reduced to about 2,000 in a force of about 7,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what action he has taken to implement undertakings given in February concerning mental hospital facilities in Aden and the removal of the mentally sick, both men and women, from Aden Jail.

It is expected that the construction of a mental hospital at Sheikh Othman and a new psychiatric ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital will begin in July and will take about 12 months to complete. In the mean time medical and nursing staff for the projects are being trained. The construction of a new prison in Aden was begun in March and will be completed in February 1965. The possibility of making interim arrangements to accommodate elsewhere the mental patients now housed in the prison has been fully considered, but at present neither suitable alternative accommodation nor sufficient trained staff are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how much is being, or was, spent by Her Majesty's Government on industrial development schemes in Scotland on the north-east coast and in Northern Ireland, respectively, in the current year and in each of the past five years.

The following are the amounts of assistance offered, excluding offers which have been declined, under the Distribution of Industry Acts, the Local Employment Acts, and the Fort William Pulp and Paper Mills Act for projects in Scotland and the north east of England during each of the past five financial years. Assistance to projects in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Government.

asked the Secretary for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what is the relationship, expressed in terms of each additional person employed or estimated to be so, between Government assistance and additional employment in the growth and development areas, in each year since the inception of the Local Employment Act.

The average amounts of assistance in all forms offered in respect of each additional person expected to be employed in projects assisted under the Local Employment Acts, 1960 and 1963, were approximately:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consult the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland with a view to amending the Government of Ireland Act 1920, so as to restore jurisdiction on all matters concerning elections and electors to the United Kingdom Parliament.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the percentage of the gross national product spent on roads in the United Kingdom for the years 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, respectively, and the estimated percentage for 1964.

About 1·11 per cent., 1·18 per cent. and 1·27 per cent. for the years 1960, 1961 and 1962 respectively. The figures for later years are not yet available, but I will write to the hon. Member giving the percentage for 1963 as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport what area of surplus land owned by the British Railways Board has been sold in the last five years; and what is the total sum of money obtained from such sales to date.

The British Railways Board tell me that in the four years preceding the reorganisation of the nationalised transport undertakings, that is, in 1959–62, the British Transport Commission realised £4,932,579 from the sale of surplus railway estate property, including both developed and undeveloped land. The total amount realised in this way by the Board in 1963 was £2,001,977. The Commission did not, and the Board do not, aggregate in their records the site areas of property sold.

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food when action will be taken on the application of Douglas Frederick Clay, New Barn Farm, Hooe, for a slaughterhouse licence, lodged on 4th September, 1963.

The application, and the representations which have been made for and against it, are being considered in accordance with the procedure laid down in the 1st Schedule to and Section 4 of the Slaughterhouses Act, 1958. As soon as this can be properly completed, my right hon. Friend will take a decision.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients have been involuntarily detained under Section 26 of the Mental Health Act in each year since the passing of the Act in 1959.

Information is not available about the number of patients, but Section 26 was used on 3,195 occasions from 1st May to 31st December, 1961, and on 5,150 occasions in 1962.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many households are without a bath, without an inside lavatory, and without a hot water system in the 1961 census in each county in England and Wales; and what are the figures after correcting the understatements in the 1961 census revealed in the post-enumeration survey;(2) how many households are without a bath, without an inside lavatory, and without a hot water system, after correcting the understatements in the 1961 census revealed in the post-enumeration survey, in London, Salford, Manchester, Leeds, Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Birmingham, Sheffield, Oldham and Bournemouth, respectively.

The following table shows the numbers of households in each county in England and Wales which were stated in the 1961 census to be lacking a fixed bath, hot water tap or watercloset in the building or attached to it. My reply to the hon. Member on 4th May indicated the degree of inaccuracy in the replies to these questions revealed by the postemuneration survey. But since it has not yet been possible to analyse the survey to see whether there are significant differences in the extent of the misstatements in different parts of England and Wales, it is not yet possible to say what corrections might be needed for local areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the figures for households without a bath, without an inside lavatory, and without a hot water system after correcting the understatements in the 1961 census revealed in the post-enumeration survey.

The numbers of households lacking these facilities at the 1961 census were:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many householders are without a bath, without an inside lavatory, and without a hot water system in each county in Scotland; and what are the figures after correcting the understatements in the 1961 census revealed in the post-enumeration survey.

The numbers of dwellings lacking these facilities at the 1961 census were:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek the views of local authorities on the possibility of introducing legislation to ban smoking in places of public entertainment.

I am in touch with local authorities about many aspects of health education, but I think that this is a field in which persuasion may be better than prohibition.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of paragraph 101, Command Paper No. 2206, on the North-East, what measure of priority has been used in connection with school building projects which were put forward by the Gateshead Education Authority since the issue of the White Paper in November, 1963.

Paragraph 101 of the White Paper on the North-East gave information about school building programmes already approved at the time of the White Paper's publication. The proposals put forward by Gateshead since that date are those for the two-and-a-half years 1965–68 and they have been considered on the basis of the priorities set out in Circular 12/63, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many maintained and voluntary aided primary and secondary schools that are now in use were built before the year 1880; when he expects to replace these schools completely by modern premises; and whether he will give this matter the fullest priority in his building programme.

Information in this form is not available, but some light will be thrown on the age of school buildings as at June, 1962, by the report on school premises I propose to publish. The improvement of unsatisfactory school buildings and modern additions to old buildings are regular features of the school building programme and the process will continue.