asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of recent traffic accidents in the Parliament Square area, he will arrange for the police on duty in this area to be strengthened.

It is the Commissioner of Police who is responsible for the disposition of members of his force. I am informed by him that, in his judgment, the Parliament Square area is already policed adequately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to returning officers to consult local police authorities concerning special traffic control police to be on duty at polling stations at the forthcoming General Election.

Chief constables arrange with returning officers for police to attend at polling stations for the purpose of maintaining order. It may be assumed that at the same time they bear in mind the question of traffic control. I have no evidence of a need for the issue of any special guidance on traffic control arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions dealing with illegal abortions took place in the years 1962, 1963, and 1964 to the latest convenient date.

In 1962 90 persons, of whom 82 were convicted, were tried for offences under Sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861. Later figures are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the representation, a copy of which has been forwarded to him, of the Warwick, Leicester and Stafford quarterly meeting of the Society of Friends about provision of work for prisoners; and what action he is planning to implement the main recommendations of the recent Report of the Advisory Council for the Employment of Prisoners.

I have read the letter with interest, I entirely agree about the importance of providing prisoners with productive work for a full working day, and indeed the average working week in local prisons is now 50 per cent. longer than the figure given in the letter, which contains other misunderstandings that I find it difficult to account for. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 5th March to the hon. Member for Leeds, South-East (Miss Bacon).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the prosecution of motorists whose cars have had minor collisions with stationary or moving objects, if he will instruct the Metropolitan Police to avoid prosecution where there has been no injury to persons and agreement is reached between the motorist and the owner of the slightly damaged property in respect of compensation or repair of the damage; and if he will make a statement.

No. The enforcement of the traffic law in the Metropolitan Police District is a matter for the Commissioner of Police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present shortage of probation officers in the Metropolitan Police District; what is the average number of cases per week for which individual probation officers are responsible compared with the previous five years; and whether recruitment for this service is now meeting requirements.

There are about 30 vacancies. Figures of average case loads are not available for the Metropolitan Police District, but below is a table showing the annual average case loads of men and women probation officers in England and Wales in each of the years 1958–1962. The figures for 1963 will be available in a few weeks' time and I will then send them to the hon. Member. Recruitment to the service has considerably improved but its increasing responsibilities will make continued expansion essential for some years to come.The following is the table:

—		1958	1959	1960	1961	1962
Men	…	64	65	61	61	59
Women	…	41	40	41	42	42

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of lorries with freight stolen in the Metropolitan Police district during the three years 1960 to 1963, and the number of consequent prosecutions.

The number of lorries with freight stolen was 1,360 in 1961, 1,675 in 1962 and 1,607 in 1963. Figures for 1960 are not available, and records of prosecutions are not kept separately for this type of offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to take a decision regarding the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Treatment of Offenders in January, 1963, that preventive detention should be abolished; and why an earlier decision has not been taken.

I hope to be in a position to make a statement on this before the House rises for the summer Recess. The abolition of preventive detention would, of course, require legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the scope of the Challenor Inquiry to include a report made by Mr. Lionel King in regard to Detective-Sergeant Challenor in August, 1962.

I cannot identify the report to which the hon. Member refers. If she will let me have particulars of it I will certainly consider how far it is relevant to the inquiries being carried out by Mr. Norman Goodchild or to the statutory inquiry which I propose to set up under Section 32 of the Police Act, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now arrange for the inquiry relating to Detective-Sergeant Challenor to be held in public.

As I said on 2nd July, I should like as much of the inquiry to be held in public as possible, but I cannot reach a final decision until its terms of reference are settled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the amount spent on public houses and hotels in the State Management Districts since they became publicly owned.

I regret that information in the form requested by the hon. Member is not available. I would however refer him to the reply given on 13th May to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Dr. D. Johnson) giving information about expenditure incurred in re-equipping and improving licensed premises in the Carlisle District since 1930. Questions regarding the Scottish Districts should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the total net profits since the inception of the State Management Districts.

Accounts of the Carlisle District were presented in the form of a statement of assets and liabilities until 31st March, 1928. As at that date there was an accumulated surplus of assets over liabilities of £891,263, representing the results of trading since the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic) had begun operations in 1916. Accounts have been kept on a profit and loss basis, including the calculation of annual profit, from 1st April, 1928. Between that date and 31st March, 1963, the total net profits amounted to £4,302,862, of which £641,829 were retained and invested in the undertaking.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated market value of the State Management enterprise today.

The only relevant information available is that as at 31st March, 1964, the book value, less depreciation, of the fixed assets of the Carlisle State Management Scheme was £1,101,237.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the concern in regard to the needs of the unsupported family, namely, widows, deserted wives and their children, and mothers of illegitimate children, if he will set up a committee to examine this problem.

My right hon. Friend is not at present persuaded of the need to set up a Committee for this purpose, but he will be very ready to consider in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, any arguments in support of my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider making provision for a child born as the result of a criminal sexual assault for which the mother receives compensation for her personal injuries.

I am afraid I do not think that this would be an appropriate extension of the scheme for compensating victims of crimes of violence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the scheme for compensation for victims of crimes of violence, he will ensure that the provision to publish information will include reference to broadcasting, local newspapers and Citizens Advice Bureaux.

It will be for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to decide how to ensure that information about the scheme is made available to the public. I know that the Chairman of the Board is already considering how this should be done. I am bringing the hon. Member's Question to his notice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to extend attendance centres.

There are now 55 attendance centres for boys under the age of 17, four of which have been opened in the last year. I am hoping to establish centres soon in six further places.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspectors are employed in the United Kingdom in connection with the inspection of establishments concerned in the experiments on animals; and what was the average number of inspections they carried out during the 12 months ended 1st April, 1964.

Six inspectors are now employed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876. In the 12 months ended 30th March, 1964, they made a total of 2,023 visits to 555 places registered under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the escape from custody of Kenneth de Courcy; what is the yearly average number of prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs who are granted leave to appeal against conviction and are allowed to attend the hearing of their appeals; how many of these are given permission to consult their solicitors at the solicitors' offices instead of in prison; and why de Courcy was given this special privilege.

Special facilities for the preparation by this prisoner of his appeal were granted at the request of his solicitors because the matters at issue involved reference to a large number of documents. These were so numerous that it would scarcely have been possible for the necessary consultations between the prisoner and his legal advisers to take place within the prison, as is the normal practice. It was solely for this reason that I authorised visits by the prisoner to his solicitors' offices while the appeal was pending.Owing to a failure in the transmission of instructions within my Department which I greatly regret, these special facilities were wrongly allowed to continue during the hearing of the appeal. I have expressed my apologies to the Court of Criminal Appeal for this serious mistake. Steps have been taken to safeguard against any recurrence.The yearly average number of prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs who have been produced in court in connection with an appeal against conviction has in recent years been about 20. No other case has arisen in which the grant of special facilities to visit their solicitors' office while preparing their appeal has been necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in order to facilitate the preparatory work of all returning officers and their staffs, he will introduce legislation to provide that at least eight weeks' notice should be required of the date of General Elections.

No. My right hon. Friend has received no representations from returning officers that insufficient time is available under the existing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Order under Section 11 of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958, to extend the Act to the Bailiwick of Guernsey has now been submitted to the Privy Council; and when the terms of the Act will apply to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

The Order in Council extending, with necessary modifications, the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958, to the Bailiwick of Guernsey was made on 23rd June and laid before Parliament on 30th June. It comes into operation on 1st August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have now received permission to study the alleged Casement Diaries in the Record Office.

Thirty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increase in the numbers of people who spend holidays away from their homes, he will take steps to enable registered electors, if on holiday during future Parliamentary and local government elections, to vote by post, subject to all necessary safeguards.

A Bill on this subject, limited to Parliamentary elections, introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for the Isle of Thanet (Mr. Rees-Davies) received a Second Reading on 17th April and was referred to a Standing Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how much space there is in Scotland, with particular reference to Aberdeen, in Government financed factories available but at pre sent unused.

321,500 sq. ft. in 10 Board of Trade factories, of which six were previously occupied and four are advance factories. This compares with a total of some 20 million sq. ft. of factory space in Scotland owned by the Board of Trade. The Board of Trade owns no factory space in Aberdeen.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what replies he has sent to the representations he received suggesting that the recent British trade fair at Barcelona should have been cancelled on account of the domestic policies of the Spanish Government.

No such representations were received by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what steps he is taking to obtain a tenant for the unoccupied advance factory in Sunderland.

We are continuing to bring the factory to the attention of suitable firms. Several of those who have already seen it are interested.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how many new industrial undertakings have been set up in Middlesbrough as a result of measures taken by Her Majesty's Government since the passing of the Local Employment Act, 1960; and how many people have obtained employment therein.

Since the Middlesbrough employment exchange area became a development district in February, 1963, financial assistance amounting to over £500,000 has been offered in respect of 14 projects expected to provide employment for over 700 people. One of these was an industrial undertaking new to the area. In addition applications for assistance by 23 other firms are now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will make a statement on the move of F. Perkins' factory to Spennymoor.

F. Perkins Ltd. has leased from the Board of Trade a factory of 98,000 sq. ft. at Spennymoor, but it has not yet gone into production because it has not succeeded in reaching agreement with the trade unions over the wage rates to be paid at this factory.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development to which countries the United Kingdom is at present supplying armaments; to which countries it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to refuse to supply armaments; and if he will give an estimate of the loss of trade incurred by this discrimination.

Arms are not supplied to the Sovietbloc and Far Eastern Communist countries. Applications in respect of other countries are considered in the light of their political, strategic and economic implications. I regret that it is not possible to estimate the effects of our present policies in terms of trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the weighted average of the tariffs charged on imports of steel products into the United Kingdom during 1963 from the European Coal and Steel Community and into the European Coal and Steel Community from the United Kingdom.

The basic data from which the weighted averages might be calculated are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will publish in HANSARD details of all contracts, orders, or inquiries from overseas customers for supply of goods and merchandise which were either stopped by Her Majesty's Government for strategic or political reasons, for lack of credits or permission being granted for credits, because of refusal of an export licence, or for any other stated reasons, in each of the calendar years from January 1952, and the total worth of these contracts in £ sterling.

I regret that this information either is not available or is confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was Britain's percentage share by value of the world export trade in woven wool fabrics in 1961 and the first quarter of 1961; and how these figures compare with 1963 and the first quarter of 1964, respectively.

The United Kingdom's share of the value of woven wool fabrics exported by the main exporting countries—O.E.C.D. member countries which now include Japan—in 1961 was 34 per cent. In the first quarter of 1961 it was 39 per cent. Figures are not yet available for all these countries for the year 1963 or the first quarter of 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will give the number of private companies which went into liquidation for the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

The numbers of private companies in the United Kingdom which went into liquidation in the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963 are 4,380, 4,879, 5,157 and 5,390.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will give the number of private companies registered in the United Kingdom for the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

The number of private companies registered in the United Kingdom in the course of each of the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963 was 34,284, 33,620, 34,771 and 42,115 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the amount of trade with Spain for each calendar year from January, 1952; what were the major items of trade each way; what types of goods have been ordered since the "Leander" frigate incident; and to what extent the building of the "Leander" frigates from plans supplied by Great Britain was dependent upon these being constructed in shipyards in Great Britain.

I am sending the hon. Member the figures for which he asks and am making a copy available in the Library.As regards the last part of the Question, I have nothing to add to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Stone-house) on the 7th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Technical Co-operation what grants or loans have been made by Her Majesty's Government to ex-dependencies which have defaulted on their payment of pensions; what ex-dependencies are concerned; and what is the total amount of grants and loans involved.

The countries concerned are the Somali Republic and Zanzibar.I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary that, just after the rupture of diplomatic relations with the Somali Republic in March, 1963, about £15,000 was paid under Her Majesty's Government's programme of financial aid to the Somali Republic to pensioners of the former Somaliland Protectorate Government. No subsequent payments have been made to the Somali Government, but my Department has spent about £6,000 on providing training courses in Britain for Somali nationals, in addition to some very limited British Council assistance for this purpose.Since the revolution in Zanzibar small sums have been paid by my Department to Zanzibar nationals being trained in this country under technical assistance arrangements. No grant or loan has since been made to the Zanzibar Government by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation with which ex- dependencies public officers' agreements were made by Her Majesty's Government; with which agreements are pending; with which no agreements were made; and which have defaulted partially or wholly.

Public officers' agreements have been concluded by Her Majesty's Government with the Governments of Ceylon, Cyprus, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, the Federation of Malaya, Malawi, the Eastern, Western and Northern Regions of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somaliland, Tanganyika, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Zanzibar. Agreements are pending with the Government of the Federation of Malaysia to cover the states of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. No agreement has been signed with the Federal Government of Nigeria. Two countries—Somalia and Zanzibar—have defaulted on their agreements.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what relief is available to Ghana pensioners living in the United Kingdom who, owing to the smallness of their incomes, are not chargeable with the United Kingdom Income Tax and who consequently do not fall within the scope of the provisions of the United Kingdom-Ghana Double Taxation Agreement, but who find themselves financially poorer by reason of the increased Ghana tax.

Under the agreement which I announced on 11th February the Ghana Government will apply only their resident rates of tax—as opposed to the higher non-resident rates—to the pension of a pensioner who produces a certificate showing a "nil" effective rate of British Income Tax on his total income. The discriminatory effect of the Ghana non-resident rates has thereby been removed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reply he has sent to the letter of 29th June from Edinburgh Corporation supporting the establishment of an International Health Centre in or near Edinburgh.

I have advised the Corporation that until the World Health Assembly has decided to proceed with the establishment of such a centre it is premature to talk of particular sites for it.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what official machinery exists to co-ordinate the actions of Her Majesty's Ministers with regard to the export of arms and strategic goods, including naval frigates.

It is not the practice to disclose details of Governmental machinery but the Departments concerned are in close and constant touch.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the cost figures quoted by Her Majesty's Government to the Spanish Government in respect of plans of "Leander" class frigates, and the supply of missiles and other equipment.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 7th and 8th July to questions by hon. Members on this subject.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will provide plans, similar to those in the possession of the civil defence authorities, of the whole Palace of Westminster, for inspection by Members in the Library of the House of Commons.

I am not acquainted with any plans in the possession of the civil defence authorities but I am arranging for a copy of the current plans of the Palace of Westminster to be available in the Library from today until after the forthcoming debate on accommodation.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the amounts spent on Rhoose Airport in Wales, and the estimated future expenditure on this airport.

Information is not readily available on the expenditure incurred in developing Rhoose Airport before 1957. Expenditure since then has been approximately £265,000; and there will be a further expenditure of about £125,000 on Ministry account in the current financial year. Further capital development will be the responsibility of the Glamorgan County Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children sat the 11-plus examination for 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963 in each of the junior schools in the parishes of Alrewas and Fradley, respectively; and how many in each case secured entry to a grammar school.

The following information has been supplied by the local education authority with regard to the Church of England Junior School in Alrewas:

CANDIDATES IN THE 11-PLUS EXAMINATION
—		All	Selected for grammar school
1960	…	39	7
1961	…	34	2
1962	…	34	4
1963	…	36	3
1964	…	40	4

Fradley has only an infants school from which pupils are transferred to the junior school in Alrewas.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT an analysis of his survey into unsatisfactory dining conditions in new schools, together with the actions taken to remedy these unsatisfactory conditions.

For reasons of space it is not practicable to publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT an analysis of my survey of unsatisfactory dining conditions in new schools. I am, however, placing in the Library of the House a copy of the summary of the findings of the survey, together with a copy of a circular letter of 20th May, 1964, which brought these findings to the attention of local education authorities. This letter also contains practical suggestions, relating mainly to the planning of dining accommodation, which I hope will help to prevent unsatisfactory dining conditions from occurring in new schools in future.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which of the recommendations he accepts in the National Union of Students' recent Report on Student Housing, a copy of which has been sent to him; and what action he is taking to ensure that these recommendations are carried out.

I understand that the final version of this Report is still under consideration by the National Union of Students.I have received a copy of a draft from the hon. Member but cannot take account of any recommendations before the Report is finalised.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what are the terms of reference he has given to his inspector at present hearing objections in Shrewsbury to the Shropshire County Review under the terms of the Local Government Act, 1958; and whether these require him to take evidence, to make recommendations, or both.

I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the opening statement and of a further statement made by the inspector, together with a report of what he said about the making of recommendations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what information is available to him on the average net rent, the average loan charges and the average interest charge, stated in weekly terms, for a council house in the years 1945, 1951, and 1963 in the boroughs of Southampton, Eastleigh, Hampshire, and Portsmouth, respectively.

The following table gives the average weekly net rent, average loan charges and average interest charge—in weekly terms—for the financial years 1945–46, 1951–52 and 1962–63 in each of the boroughs concerned. Similar information for 1963–64 is not yet available.

—	Net Rent		Loan Charges		Interest Charge
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
Southampton:
1945–46	7	9	10	3	7	5
1951–52	13	8	12	11	9	0
1962–63	35	3	32	11	27	3
Eastleigh:
1945–46	8	6	13	1	10	1
1951–52	12	11	14	6	11	0
1962–63	24	9	24	5	18	11
Portsmouth:
1945–46	7	8	8	10	6	5
1951–52	15	5	16	4	11	4
1962–63	34	5	32	2	26	0

asked the Minister of Transport what measures he now proposes to take to reduce the number of accidents to unprotected children when crossing roads to make purchases at mobile ice cream vans.

Propaganda addressed to the parents of young children and training in kerb drill given to the children are both directed at preventing children from crossing roads carelessly. Special investigations are now going on into the sequence of events in which accidents happen to children visiting mobile shops. If these studios enable new measures to be devised for the protection of these children I shall seek to introduce them.

asked the Minister of Power what was the average c.i.f. price of imported iron ore in each year from 1951 to 19(53 and in the first quarter of 1964; and what was the percentage increase in 1964 over 1955 and 1958.

The information is as follows:

Imports of Iron Ore
Year			Average c.i.f. value per ton
			s.	d.
1951	…	…	85	4
1952	…	…	117	9
1953	…	…	114	7
1954	…	…	102	8
1955	…	…	106	2
1956	…	…	116	11
1957	…	…	123	1
1958	…	…	113	0
1959	…	…	104	8
1960	…	…	97	11
1961	…	…	98	4
1962	…	…	96	7
1963	…	…	91	2
1964 1st Qtr.	…	…	87	5

In the first quarter of 1964 the average value per ton of imports was 17·7 per cent. less than in 1955 and 22·6 per cent. less than in 1958.

asked the Minister of Power what general directions he has given to the coal and electricity boards for ensuring that they make the maximum use of industrial building methods in their construction work.

None, but the boards aim to use the most economical methods of building.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give general directions, in the public interest, to the nationalised power industries not to contribute towards party political funds and organisations.

No. It is not necessary.