asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what reply he has sent to the letter he has received from the Biological Council about the use of parts of Burlington House, to be vacated by the Royal Society, as a centre for scientists visiting London.

The Biological Council has been told that existing requirements for accommodation in Burlington House exceed the area to be vacated by the Royal Society and space cannot be made available for the purpose it proposes.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what progress his Department has made with draft legislation to produce a comprehensive code of standards relating to the construction of buildings throughout Britain as recommended by the Banwell Committee; and when he expects to introduce such a measure.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee that legislation should be introduced to rationalise building control in England and Wales.

I will shortly be circulating to the interested organisations proposals for new legislation to rationalise building regulation in England and Wales. The Government intend to introduce the necessary Bill as soon as possible after these consultations have been completed.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he is taking to end the acute shortage of copper tubes for building purposes in the Lincoln area, which is retarding the entire building works output, as indicated by the correspondence sent to him by the hon. Member for Louth; and if he will make a statement.

Although delivery periods at present being quoted for some copper products are longer than usual, I have no evidence that shortages are significantly holding up building work, either in Lincolnshire or elsewhere. From recent discussions with producers we know that their capacity is increasing and that further increases are planned. The producers consider that provided there is no over-ordering they should be able to cope with the demand, but we are continuing to watch the situation closely.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether a report is now available from the small technical working party which his Department set up in conjunction with the British Constructional Steelwork Association in June, 1963, to consider how designs in constructional steel can be modified to make steel work more competitive; and what new information has been produced to show how, under present conditions, the cost of constructional steelwork compares with the cost of using other constructional methods and materials.

The working party has completed a number of studies into the use of structural steel framework for multi-storey buildings. It has indicated that with modern design techniques the cost of a structural steel frame can approach that of other forms of construction. Further studies are in hand.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what types of exports of building materials have increased since 1959; what types have decreased; and to what extent in each case.

As I explained on 11th June in reply to an earlier Question by the hon. Member, the headings under which some exports were recorded have been changed since 1959. It is therefore impossible to show accurately in all cases the extent of the increase or decrease.

EXPORTS OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS
Items for which exports have increased since 1959	Amount of increase
	(£ thousand)
Aluminium windows and doors and other non-ferrous structures	100
Bars, rods, angles, shapes sections and girders	3,200
Cement, other than portland ground, excluding gypseous	200
Clay pipes, angles, bends etc.	100
Clay tiles, glazed, wall and hearth	1,200
Clay tiles, other	100
Cocks and valves of brass and copper alloys	1,100
Electric heaters and parts	700
Electric lighting appliances, wiring accessories	4,800
Glass, float	3,000
Hinges, hinge blanks and parts	100
Plywood, building board and veneers	1,600
Putty and paste fillers	300
Radiators and boilers for central heating systems	600
Wallpaper	300

Items for which exports have decreased since 1959	Amount of decrease
Asbestos cement products	300
Beams, joists, pillars (rolled)	1,500
Bituminous asphalts and emulsions	300
Cast iron pipes and gutters	600
Cement, calcareous, portland ground	4,300
Electric cooking equipment and parts	400
Electric house service meters and parts	200
Flushing cisterns of iron and steel	100

Items for which exports have decreased since 1959	Amount of decrease
	(£ thousand)
Gas cookers, stoves, radiators, space heaters and water heaters of iron and steel	100
Gas meters	100
Glass, polished plate not further worked	4,000
Glass, rolled plate not further worked	300
Glass, sheet window unworked	200
Prefabricated buildings including garages, huts, greenhouses etc. (or iron and steel)	300
Roofing felt	100
Sanitary ware, earthenware including vitreous ware	400
Sanitary and plumbing fixtures not elsewhere specified	1,000
Stoves, grates, ranges, liquid fuel	300
Stoves, grates, ranges, solid fuel	500
Structural steelwork	3,100
Thermoplastic floor tiles	1,000
Windows and doors of iron and steel including parts	1,300

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works (1) if he will give the number of unused rooms in office buildings purchased or rented on behalf of the Government during the past four years;(2) if he will state the number and names of office buildings, and the number of rooms and floor space in each building, in London, purchased or rented on behalf of the Government over the past four years.

The following 35 premises, each with a net usable office area of 10,000 sq. ft. or more, have been purchased or rented in London by the Ministry of Public Building and Works over the past four years, in most cases to replace other premises. There have in addition been a number of smaller hirings. Premises acquired by the Post Office are not included. Information about the number of rooms in these buildings, or in buildings outside London, is not readily available.

Premises	Net Usable Office Area (Approx.) sq. ft.
St Christopher House, Southwark Street, S.E.1	400,000
Empress State Building, Lillie Road, Fulham, S.W.6	275,000
1–19, Victoria Street, S.W.1	175,000
State House, High Holborn, W.C.1	170,000
Alexander Fleming House, Elephant and Castle, S.E.1	170,000
Century House, Westminster Bridge Road. S.E.1	160,000

Premises	Net Usable Office Area (Approx.) sq. ft.
Eland House, Stag Place, S.W.1	110,000
Clements House (Part), Gresham Street, E.C.2	50,000
Keyworth House, Keyworth Street, S.E.1	35,000
Wellington House, Buckingham Gate, S.W.1	30,000
Millbank Tower (Part), Millbank, S.W.1	30,000
26, Park Crescent	30,000
Olympic House, Olympic Way, Wembley	30,000
1, Bridge Street, S.W.1	25,000
Lyon House, The Broadway, Wimbledon, S.W.19	25,000
283–287, High Holborn, W.C.2	20,000
Kemp House, 91–105, Berwick Street, W.1	20,000
6, Church Hill, Walthamstow, E.17	20,000
42–46, Weston Street, S.E.1	20,000
Irene House Annex, 218, Balham High Road, S.W.12	20,000
Scotland Green House, 624, High Street, Tottenham	15,000
Colindale Station House, 155–161, Colindale Avenue, Hendon	15,000
Prince Consort House (Part), 27–29, Albert Embankment, S.E.1	15,000
2–5, Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park, N.W.1	15,000
Waterford House, 1–7, Waterford Road, S.W.6	15,000
3–9, Acre Lane, Brixton	15,000
Laford House, Leathermarket Street, S.E.1	10,000
Block E, Croydon Central Development, Rear of Park Street, Croydon	10,000
348–352, High Street, Sutton	10,000
Willen House, Bath Street, Fins-bury, E.C.1	10,000
St. Dunstan's House, 133–137, Fetter Lane, E.C.4	10,000
Fielden House, 10, Great College Street, S.W.1	10,000
4–9, St. Dunstan's Hill, E.C.3	10,000
Gracemead House, Woods Avenue, Hatfield	10,000
Ruislip Crown Building, 41–55, Windmill Hill, Ruislip Manor	10,000
Of this total of approximately 2·2 million sq. ft., about 80,000 sq. ft. are still being prepared for initial occupation, and about a further 5,000 sq. ft. is at the moment unallocated; the remainder is occupied or in process of being occupied.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make a statement on the effect which the present typhoid epidemic in Aberdeen has had on the number and nature of pensions there.

On the latest information, the Department's Aberdeen office is paying sickness benefit in respect of 100 people who are suffering from typhoid fever and 155 others who are contacts or carriers and are staying away from work on the instructions of the medical officer of health. There are also about 120 people receiving unemployment benefit who have lost employment because of the epidemic.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the present true value of the death grant based on its value when fixed on 5th July, 1949.

On the basis of the Retail Prices Index, the standard £25 rate of death grant is equivalent to £14 10s. 8d. in July, 1949, when this benefit first came into payment.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what recent approaches he has had, especially since 9th June, 1964, for the abolition of the rule which limits the earnings of pensioners; what was the nature of his reply; and whether he will make a statement.

I receive various representations from time to time asking for the total abolition of the earnings rules. My replies explain that benefit adjustments if there are earnings are an essential part of an insurance scheme designed to pay benefit in the absence of earnings, and that most of the very large cost of abolishing the rules would be spent on providing benefit to people in full-time work. I have no further statement to make.

asked the Minister of Health what are the weekly charges for amenity beds and for private patient beds in the London teaching hospitals.

8 guineas and 4 guineas for amenity beds according to whether they are in single rooms or rooms with two or more beds; the charge for private beds varies according to the hospital and type of accommodation and in London teaching hospitals the average is £40 to £45.

asked the Minister of Health what is the maximum waiting period for patients at the hospitals associated with the Gateshead and District Hospital Management Committee requiring ear, nose, and throat surgery; and how this compares with the waiting period for patients requiring similar surgery at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Under four months; about the same.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients were on the waiting list for admission to hospitals in the Gateshead Group at the end of February, 1964; and how this compares with figures for the same month in the previous year.

720. The comparable 1963 figure was 541.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will list the days, excluding Sundays, on which the Limb Fitting Centre at Roehampton was closed in 1963.

The Limb Fitting Centre at Roehampton was closed on the following days in 1963:

• 12th April—Good Friday.
• 13th April—Easter Saturday.
• 15th April—Easter Monday.
• 1st June—Whit Saturday.
• 3rd June—Whit Monday.
• 3rd August—Saturday before Bank Holiday.
• 5th August—Bank Holiday.
• 25th December—Christmas Day.
• 26th December—Boxing Day.

asked the Minister of Health why the waiting period for gynæcological surgery at hospitals in the Gateshead group of hospitals is four months; and what steps are being taken to reduce this period of waiting.

Urgent cases are dealt with at once. 75 per cent. of the patients have been on the waiting list for less than two months, and only 3 per cent. for four months or more. For the time being priority is being given to relieving the more difficult situation in other hospital groups in the region.

asked the Minister of Health for how many days patients requiring an orthopædic out-patient consultation have to wait for an appointment at the Gateshead group of hospitals; what are the numbers of orthopædic patients awaiting surgery; and, of these, how many have been waiting more than four months and more than 12 months, respectively.

Between 49 and 57 according to consultant; 57; 7; 3.

asked the Minister of Health if he will indicate the time and place of those outbreaks of typhoid in 1963 which have been attributed to contaminated corned beef; how much corned beef in weight and value was withdrawn from distribution in consequence; over what period withdrawal took place; how such stocks were disposed of; what compensation was paid; and to whom it was paid.

May in Harlow, June in South Shields, October in Bedford. Over a period of a fortnight about 121 tons, value about £51,000, were withdrawn from the market by the distributors. The question of compensation did not arise.

asked the Minister of Health how many outbreaks of typhoid fever in the United Kingdom in the last live years have been proved to be caused by corned beef; and how many individual tins of corned beef were involved altogether.

Cumulative circumstantial evidence points to corned beef as the source of infection in three outbreaks: three cans appear to have been involved.

asked the Minister of Health what is the value of X-ray equipment held in stock by his Department; over what period it was acquired; and how much has been disposed of to authorities in the National Health Service and to other buyers in each of the last three years.

The stocks of X-ray equipment held centrally have been acquired from a variety of sources over the past 18 years, and are primarily for use in emergency. Their present-day value is of the order of £150,000.During each of the last three years, the approximate value of disposals from these stocks has amounted to:

—		National Health Service Authorities	Other Buyers
		£	£
1961	…	12,500	40
1962	…	4,500	30
1963	…	Nil	200

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number, nature, place, and duration, of the epidemics which have occurred in Great Britain during the last 10 years: and what amounts of compensation were awarded to persons and businesses who were injured or damaged thereby.

Detailed records of all major outbreaks of disease are not available but there is much information in the Annual Reports of my Chief Medical Officer and those of the Scottish Home and Health Department.Information is not available centrally of any amounts which may have been paid by way of compensation by local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health if he will raise the issue of printed private prescription forms for oral contraceptives, which are sent to general practitioners with instruction cards and booklets to give to patients by a pharmaceutical firm, in the discussions with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to consider the ethics of the provision of drugs for the National Health Service.

This practice does not seem to be directly relevant to the supply of drugs under the National Health Service, but there are a number of points which I hope can be discussed with the Association.

asked the Minister of Health what action will be taken by local executive councils against general practitioners who charge a fee to patients on their list when providing them with the service of a prescription for oral contraceptives.

An executive Council would refer a complaint that such a fee had been charged to the Medical Service Committee under the statutory procedure for investigating allegations that general practitioners have failed to comply with their terms of service.

asked the Minister of Health what is his present policy with regard to the compulsory labelling of all drugs, unless otherwise ordered by the prescriber; and whether he is aware that such action would in no way restrict doctors' freedom of prescribing.

The present practice is for pharmacists to put on the label only what the prescriber instructs. The legal provisions regarding labelling of drugs are now being reviewed in connection with new comprehensive legislation concerning medicines.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will introduce legislation to ban dogs from food shops.

I agree that dogs should be kept out of food shops and my right hon. Friend is considering what further action may be practicable.

asked the Minister of Health if he will establish an emergency reserve of medical and other staff drawn from, amongst other sources, the Armed Forces to help to cope with, and if necessary to take charge in, emergencies such as the present epidemic of typhoid in Aberdeen and to prevent them from developing into national disasters.

Staff from my Department and from other local authorities give help when this is needed.

asked the Minister of Health what extra or additional powers and practices he has sought, or plans to take, as a result of the recent typhoid epidemic in Aberdeen and the recent outbreaks of typhoid in various parts of Great Britain, such as at Bradford, to prevent outbreaks of typhoid and other infectious diseases.

Existing powers are extensive, but if further study of recent experience establishes the need for additional powers, these will be taken.

asked the Minister of Health what measures he has taken, and plans to take, to examine the system of import of food for human consumption in order to prevent disease and epidemics being introduced into Great Britain.

A review of the system is well advanced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the prices of bread, butter, sugar, tea, home-killed beef, mutton, pork, bacon, fish, milk, cheese, and potatoes in October 1951 and in April, 1964.

This information is available in detail only for October of each year, and I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) on 29th April, which contains the latest available information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish up-to-date figures comparable to those provided in Table V of the Report by the National Resources Technical Committee entitled Scale of Enterprise in Farming.

The figures in this table of the Report were derived from the two-year identical samples of the Farm Management Survey. The figures from the Farm Management Survey for the 1961–62 and 1962–63 identical sample are as follows:

NET FARM INCOMES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
RESULTS FOR IDENTICAL SAMPLES OF FARMS IN EACH YEAR
				£'s per farm
Size-groups (acres of crops, grass and rough grazing)			1961–62	1962–63
Dairying
0–50	…	…	617	654
51–100	…	…	903	901
101–150	…	…	1,190	1,129
151–300	…	…	1,801	1,959
301–500	…	…	2,239	2,754
Livestock
0–50	…	…	594	521
51–100	…	…	809	740
101–150	…	…	1,046	999
151–300	…	…	1,467	1,383
301–500	…	…	2,425	2,110
501+	…	…	2,009	1,719
Mixed
0–50	…	…	547	621
51–100	…	…	991	1,102
101–150	…	…	1,254	1,356
151–300	…	…	1,947	2,238
301–500	…	…	3,485	4,252
501+	…	…	6,308	7,072
Arable
0–50	…	…	967	795
51–100	…	…	1,425	1,604
101–150	…	…	1,741	2,243
151–300	…	…	2,900	3,293
301–500	…	…	4,541	5,410
501+	…	…	7,458	7,908
Source: Farm Management Survey.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what further plans he has for preventing the poisoning of animals by sodium fluoroacetate 1080 as occurred recently at Merthyr Tydfil;(2) what consideration he has given to the representation from the British Veterinary Association urging a total ban on fluoroacetates; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

These representations were addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who informed the Association that my right hon. Friend had asked the Advisory Committee on Poisonous Substances used in Agriculture to advise whether any further restriction should be placed on the use of fluoroacetamide as a rodenticide. The Committee, after considering all the available evidence and taking into account the views of the Association, has advised my right hon. Friend that the use of fluoroacetamide and sodium fluoroacetate as rodenticides should be restricted to ships and sewers. This recommendation has been accepted, and a circular is being issued to local authorities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what precautions he takes to ensure that canned meat sold from Government stocks for manufacture is not retailed to the general public instead of being used for manufacture.

Canned meat from Government stocks which is not regarded as suitable for the retail trade is sold to a firm of cooked meat manufacturers who have given an assurance that the meat would go only for manufacture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why canned meat seriously affected by black staining or metalic taste is sold from Government stocks for manufacture; and for what purposes it is manufactured.

Canned meat from Government stocks is sold for manufacture only on the advice of an independent surveyor that it is suitable for that purpose. I understand that it is used by the trade in the preparation of meat pastes and similar goods.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the difference in price per lb. obtained by the Government on the sale of canned meat from Government stocks for manufacture and retail, respectively.

This varies according to market conditions. Recently, the difference in price obtained on the sale of canned meat for retail or manufacture has averaged about 1s. 2d. a 1b.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of the 1,000 tons of canned meat released monthly from Government stocks is sold for retail to the general public and for manufacture, respectively.

About 30 tons a month on the average goes for manufacture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date he was first aware that the chlorinaation plant at an Argentine factory, from which imported cans of corned beef had originated, had been out of order for a considerable time; and why he did not

WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED MEN
Category	Employment Exchanges			Date
	Dorchester	Bridport	Sherborne
Men	59	116	31	11th May, 1964
Men aged 55 and over	33	80	25	13th January, 1964
Men registered for clerical employment.	14	46	6	16th March, 1964

asked the Minister of Labour if he will now state the date of publication of the report of the committee

The report about the breakdown in chlorination at the establishment to which the hon. Member refers reached my Department on 7th March, 1964. The answer to the second part of the Question was fully explained to the House on 11th June by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Health.

asked the Minister of Labour what percentage of the increase in the Index of Retail Prices in the services group is in industries in public ownership.

Since January 1962, nearly 5 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed men are registered at Dorchester, Bridport, and Sherborne; and how many of them are either clerical workers or over fifty-five years of age, respectively.

The following table gives the information for the latest available dates:which has been studying the working conditions in the Sheffield cutlery and silverware industries.

The text of the report is now available for printing. About a fortnight will be needed to complete technical illustrations and printing will thereafter take some time, but it will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of employees in the coal mining, shipbuilding and iron and steel industries in Scotland in each year since 1951.

Following is the information. The figures for mid-1964 are not yet available.

SCOTLAND
Mid		Employees (Employed and Unemployed)
		Coal mining	Iron and Steel	Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing
1951	…	92,490	56,420	53,550
1952	…	94,220	55,570	53,270
1953	…	93,920	56,770	53,220
1954	…	94,050	54,560	53,180
1955	…	93,020	54,480	53,310
1956	…	94,350	55,700	55,890
1957	…	96,200	55,670	54,240
1958	…	97,550	54,300	52,530
1959	…	94,690	48,520	49,510
1960	…	85,800	49,260	46,390
1961	…	83,100	49,420	45,540
1962	…	77,930	46,300	42,540
1963	…	69,760	44,070	38,010

asked the Minister of Labour what was the increase or decrease in the number of females in employment in Scotland and in Great Britain, respectively, for 1951 to the latest available date.

Between mid-1951 and mid-1963 the estimated number of female employees in employment increased by 48,000 in Scotland and by 1,037,000 in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed boys and girls are registered at the Mexborough and Wombwell employment exchange areas.

On 11th May 17 boys and 31 girls were registered as unemployed at Mexborough and 6 boys and 4 girls at Wombwell.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women were unemployed at the latest available date in the Mexborough and Wombwell employment exchange areas.

463 men and 294 women at Mexborough and 125 men and 52 women at Wombwell.

asked the Minister of Labour how many youths have been accepted for apprenticeship training in the Mexborough and Wombwell employment exchange areas for each of the years 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964; and what percentage these figures represent of the total number of youths registered in these areas.

The figures for the Mexborough Youth Employment Office area are as follows:

—	Number of Boys entering Apprenticeships	Percentage of Boys entering Employment
July—December, 1961*	155	36·4
1962	271	34·3
1963	181	29·6
January—May, 1964	89	34·4
* Local figures are not available prior to July, 1961.

Separate figures for Wombwell are not available, but for the Staincross Youth Employment Office area which includes Wombwell the figures are:

—	Number of Boys entering Apprenticeships	Percentage of Boys entering Employment
July—December, 1961*	179	40·3
1962	380	37·8
1963	320	39·2
January—May, 1964	110	41·0
* Local figures are not available prior to July, 1961.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the increase or decrease in the number of males in employment in Scotland and in Great Britain, respectively, from 1951 to the latest available date.

Between mid-1951 and mid-1963 the estimated number of male employees in employment decreased by 33,000 in Scotland and increased by 929,000 in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now make a statement about the proposed new Agricultural College for Wales.

No, I do not expect to make any statement before the Welsh Joint Education Committee has completed its review of all full-time agricultural education below degree level in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many school buildings have been started using the system of preferred dimensions recommended in the pamphlet Dimensional Co-ordination for Industrialised Building; and what proportion by value these schools represent of the total number of starts this year.

The first schools based on the recommended dimensions are now being designed and will be started early in 1965. The industrialised systems used for educational building are being adapted to these dimensions, and my Department will shortly be issuing a Building Bulletin of detailed advice for general use.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has now concluded his discussions with the Post- master-General regarding the illegal transmissions of sound broadcasting from a fort in the Thames estuary which is Crown property; if he is aware of the encouragement which is meanwhile being given to other interests who may occupy other forts for similar purposes; and if he will make a statement.

No, but I hope this will not serve as an encouragement to others to emulate the trespassers on the Shivering Sands fort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in view of the fact that a number of employees at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Birtley, County Durham, have been notified that their services are to be terminated, if, in view of the lack of employment opportunities in the Chester-le-Street area, he will direct further work to this factory in order to retain in employment the workers now threatened with redundancy.

Over the past few months efforts have been made to place more work with Royal Ordnance Factory, Birtley, and a further large order will be placed shortly which will enable the factory to avoid any further discharges for the time being.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the encouragement he is giving to illegal broadcasters in this country by not taking action against the illegal broadcasting station operating on Crown property in the Thames estuary, what action he will now take to halt these illegal transmissions.

I have nothing to add to the reply of my hon. Friend to the hon. Member on 9th June.

asked the Postmaster-General when B.B.C.2 will start in the Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

The U.H.F. station at Sutton Coldfield to serve the Midlands, the first station planned to open after London, is one of the eight stations scheduled to open next year. The B.B.C. now tells me, however, that it can, without putting back the start of B.B.C.2 elsewhere, make an earlier start in the Midlands by providing a temporary U.H.F. service from Sutton Coldfield towards the end of this year. This would bring B.B.C.2 to Birmingham some nine months sooner; and I have authorised it to do so. The temporary service will not have as wide a coverage as the final service; but it will bring B.B.C.2 to a large number of people much earlier.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has for providing industry and commerce with efficient facilities for the transmission of data to and from computers.

Data can already be transmitted over Post Office telex and private telegraph circuits at about 7 characters per second. I am now introducing an additional private circuit service in which twice this speed can be attained at a circuit rental of about only one-third more. All of these services are being grouped and will be known as Datel 100 Services.Next year facilities for data transmission over telephone circuits at up to 150 characters per second will be supplemented by the provision of a new Data Set No. 1A for the modulation of signals. This service will then be known as the Datel 600 Service. Additional Datel services are also being planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what representations have been made by the Cyprus Government for the removal of British forces from the island; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in this matter.

The Cyprus Government have made no such representations. As to our policy, I have nothing to add to the statement I made on 2nd June.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies if he will make a statement on the present situation in Radfan.

The capture of the Jebel Huriyah range by British and Federal Forces completes the present phase of the military operations.As at all times, the Federal Government will be very willing to give consideration to any sincere approaches by the leaders of the dissident tribes and to help to alleviate, as they are already doing, the hardships which have inevitably been caused to the civilian population as a result of the disorders.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies how much money has been loaned or granted as a free gift by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of Kenya in the last five years; and what conditions are attached to the latest £50 millions aid just announced.

During the five years up to the 31st March, 1964, the British Government made loans and grants totalling £57 million to the Government of Kenya. Gifts amounted to £31 million and loans to £26 million.Except for the budgetary aid of £1¼ million which will be a free gift, all the further aid announced on 3rd June is to be used for specific purposes agreed with the Kenya Government. The only condition to be attached is that imports required for agreed development purposes shall be purchased in Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies to what extent he made it a condition of the recent grant of aid to the Government of Kenya that none of the arms or aircraft to be supplied, or already supplied, by the United Kingdom may be used against other African countries, notably Southern Rhodesia.

No such condition was made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the building of the Tay Road Bridge; and when it is likely to be completed.

Progress has been most satisfactory and there is every reason to expect that the bridge will be ready for traffic by the target date of June, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate when the trunk road schemes by-passing Denny and Bonnybridge will be completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects work will be completed on the trunk road scheme at Cumbernauld.

In about three of four weeks one carriageway should be open to traffic on the continuous length of the Cumbernauld and Denny by-passes. Both carriageways should be open by October.The spur road by-passing Bonnybridge and Larbert, on the road to Kincardine Bridge, was started last September. The work is making good progress and will, I hope, be finished within the 2-year contract period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for extending the motorway section of the A.8 when the Harthill by-pass has been completed.

A special road scheme for the section from west of Harthill to New-house has been made; proposals for the connecting and side roads will be advertised shortly; and it is hoped that work will start on the scheme next spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the value of school building now under construction and the years during which approval was given for this investment, together with the amount in each such year; and if he will give the years when construction was started and the amount in each such year.

The total value of school building under construction at 30th April, 1964—the latest date for which information is available—was £44·5 million. Following table shows, for each year, the total value of the projects which were started and are still under construction:

	£ million
1964 (January-April only)	11·7
1963	16·0
1962	11·8
1961	2·8
1960 and earlier (comprising alterations and phased projects on which some work still continues)	2·2

Approval for investment has hitherto been given normally in the year before or early in the year in which the project started: no details are readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that it is the practice of the Electricity Boards in Scotland to hold the consumer responsible for any loss sustained by the Boards through the robbing of their prepayment meters by a third party, whereas the Gas Board does not do so; and if he will give them a general direction, in the public interest, to discontinue the practice.

I am confident that the Scottish Electricity Boards deal reasonably and sympathetically with these cases and that this is a matter which is best left to their discretion. Any consumer who feels he has been harshly treated by the Board can place his complaint before the Consultative Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will state the number and nature of business firms and their workers who have suffered loss from the present outbreak of typhoid in Aberdeen.

I am aware that trade has unfortunately, suffered as a result of the epidemic, but it is not possible to isolate the effect or to quantify it exactly.

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans he has for the development of the Tigercat missile designed by Short Brothers and Harland.

It is for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, to decide whether a new weapon is required for any of the Forces.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has been made in the discussions with the Federal Republic of Germany about a joint experimental project in the field of multi-jet vertical take-off for transport aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

An agreement was signed between the Federal German Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Aviation on 13th April for a joint feasibility study to be made by Dornier and Hawker Siddeley of the technical and financial implications of a research project on the application of vertical take-off and landing to transport aircraft. The study is now proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of teachers on the staffs of approved schools of England and Wales who are college-trained or have comparable college or university qualifications, who are qualified by years of service, and who are unqualified, respectively.

422 teachers are college-trained or have comparable college or university qualifications, three are qualified by years of service and 20 are unqualified. Of these, 30, one and 13 respectively are part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry. Trade and Regional Development if he will set out in tabular form for each region the total amount spent on the construction of factories, the number of factories constructed, and the number for whom employment was found, between 1952 and the latest convenient date, respectively, and the corresponding information, including the figures between 1945 and 1952, for the Cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Cardiff, Manchester, Salford, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Liverpool.

The available information is as follows:

BUILDING SCHEMES FOR WHICH INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES WERE ISSUED
SCHEMES COMPLETED 1ST JANUARY, 1952 TO 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1963
Standard Region	Number of Schemes	Estimated Additional Employment*
Northern	1,133	65,482
East and West Ridings	2,229	47,653
North Midland	1,946	55,279
Eastern	1,899	91,306
London and South Eastern	3,585	94,221
Southern	1,289	48,193
South western	1,212	47,858
Wales	938	63,281
Midland	3,283	67,915
North Western	3,044	126,063
Scotland	1,568	91,808
* Estimates made by the firms at dates of application for industrial development certificates.

No information is readily available for individual cities. Information on the amount spent on factory building as such is not collected but manufacturers' capital expenditure on building work is available annually as a total for the country as a whole and, in some years, for Scotland and Wales.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents involving motor cyclists occurred between 1st May, 1964 and the latest convenient date; and whether he will express in figures the comparison between the degree of safety enjoyed by those motor cyclists who used crash helmets and those who did not, during this period.

National road casualty statistics are published for each month, and I will send my hon. Friend the figures for May as soon as they are available. These monthly figures do not show the effect of wearing safety helmets but our studies confirm that the risk of head injuries is reduced.

asked the Minister of Transport how many road accidents occurred on the A.38 between Gloucester and Bristol between 1st May, 1964, and the latest convenient date; how many people were killed or injured; how many of these accidents occurred on three-lane sections of A.38; and how these figures compare with corresponding figures of a year ago.

The figures are given in the following table. They relate to the calendar month of May in each case.

	1963	1964
Total number of accidents	21	25
Number on 3-lane carriageway	12	15
Total number of fatal accidents	2	—
Number on 3-lane carriageway	2	—
Total number of persons seriously injured	5	15
Number on 3-lane carriageway	3	13
Total number of persons slightly injured	11	14
Number on 3-lane carriageway	7	12

These figures are not strictly comparable, because: