asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from his veterinary officers on the practice of fitting contact lenses for chickens; and whether he is satisfied that this practice does not cause cruelty.

I do not know of any instances of this practice here, and I have no evidence from which I could judge whether cruelty would be involved if it were introduced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the arrangements reached with foreign suppliers for the import quotas of bacon also covered imports of pork; what information is available on the future level of pig supplies on the Continent; and what steps are being taken to see that additional supplies are not unloaded on the British market in the form of pork.

The Bacon Understanding does not cover pork not intended for curing or preserving.I expect pig supplies on the Continent to increase in response to demand. Imports from the Continent are not a significant part of our supplies, and I do not foresee any likelihood of a change in this respect.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many persons now exercise the right of free grazing in the Forest of Dean; and how many such persons are not residents of, or native to, the Forest of Dean;(2) how many sheep were killed in the Forest of Dean in the year 1963, and what consideration he has given to introducing legislation to deal with the ancient rights of free grazing.

About 200 owners run sheep outside the inclosures. Most of them are residents of the Forest of Dean, but it is not possible to give precise details.About 120 sheep were killed last year, most of them in road accidents.Time has so far not permitted the introduction of legislation to deal with grazing rights, which, as the hon. Members knows, is a matter of some complexity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average consumption per head in 1951 of the following foodstuffs, namely, bread, butter, sugar, tea, home-killed beef, mutton, pork, bacon, fish, milk, cheese, and potatoes; and what is the average consumption per head in 1964.

Food consumption levels are calculated on a calendar year basis. Our estimates for 1951 and 1963 are given in the table below.

	(per head per annum)
	1951	1963 (provisional)
	lb.	lb.
Flour (a)	203·6	162·7
Butter	14·6	19·3
Sugar, refined	95·0	112·5
Tea	8·1	9·5
Home-Killed beef	27·3	38·1
Mutton and lamb	15·4	23·4
Pork	4·5	21·9
Bacon and Ham	19·4	25·2
Fish (fresh, frozen and cured)(b)	22·0	16·8
Cheese	10·5	10·3
Potatoes	234·7	227·6
	Pints	Pints
Milk (liquid)(c)	268	253
(a) Includes flour for bread-making. Overall figures of bread consumption are not available but average household consumption is estimated at 3½ lbs. per head per week in 1951 and 2¾ lbs. in 1963.
(b) Wet fillet equivalent.
(c) Consumption per head reached a postwar peak in 1951, declined to approximately 248 pints in 1957 but has since increased by about 5 pints per head. Over the 12 year period the consumption of cream has increased from 1 to about 20 equivalent pints per head per annum.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest forecast of the home production of eggs in relation to consumer demand; and what prospects he sees for the export of surplus eggs from this country.

Experience so far in 1964–65 has confirmed the Government's forecast, given in the Annual Review White Paper, that production would expand more rapidly than demand, which is inelastic, and that this would lead to lower market prices. The international trade in eggs represents only a minute proportion of world production, and this proportion is shrinking. For this reason alone, I could not foresee much opportunity for commercial exports of eggs from this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much land in the London and Greater London area is now reserved for allotments compared with 10 years ago.

In the area now covered by the Greater London Council there were in September, 1963, 2,810 acres of statutory allotments land compared with 3,105 in September, 1953. A further 1,847 acres of non-statutory allotment land were in use as allotments last year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy towards the proposals made to him that whole boars should be accepted for pork.

The Pig Industry Development Authority is now completing a series of trials on the carcase quality of entire boars. The Government have helped by making special arrangements to enable the animals involved to be presented under the guarantee arrangements. I understand that the report on these trials is likely to be made later in the summer. We shall then consider with those concerned whether any change should be made in the guarantee arrangements to enable entire boars up to a certain weight to qualify for subsidy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his recent official visit to Moscow.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Newbury (Sir A. Hurd) on 8th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give both the percentage rise and the rise in the retail price in pence of beef and lamb since October, 1951, for each quarter to date, taking October, 1951, as equalling 100.

Information in this form is not available. However, the following is a table comparing changes in the consumer price index for the meat and bacon group with the indices for all food and for all consumers' goods and services.

PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN CONSUMER PRICE INDICES
—	Meat and Bacon	All Food	All Consumers' Goods and Services
1952–56 (transition to free market)	+20	+20	+12
1956–63 (post-control)	+8	+11	+16
1952–63 (entire period)	+30	+34	+30

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the average weekly earnings of adult male farm workers in England.

In the year ended 31st March, 1964, the average weekly earnings of adult male hired regular whole-time agricultural workers in England and Wales were £12 6s. 7d.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of men registered as disabled at the employment exchanges in Lanarkshire in May, 1963, and May, 1964.

Registered disabled persons are counted only in April of each year. On 20th April, 1964, there were 4,907 men registered as disabled at the Employment Exchanges in Lanarkshire compared with 4,940 on 8th April, 1963.

asked the Minister of Labour why he is unable to state how many unemployed workers in Scotland obtained employment in London and South-East England in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to have this kind of information available in the future.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will improve the statistics kept by his Department relating to the movement of insured workers from one region to another so as to obtain periodical figures of unemployed workers in Scotland moving outwith Scotland to obtain employment.

asked the Minister of Labour why he has refused to make a forecast of the number of unemployed workers in Scotland who will move outwith Scotland in 1964 to obtain employment.

asked the Minister of Labour why he has not estimated interregional movements of unemployed workers, particularly the number of unemployed workers in Scotland who will have moved to the South-East in the course of 1964.

The information about inter-regional migration that is kept by my Department relates to the movement of employees, employed and unemployed together, and is available for the year ending June only. To provide separate information about the movement of the unemployed would require special returns which would be costly in staff time and money. There has previously been little demand for such information and I am reluctant to add to the already heavy work load of statistical information which my Department provides.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the increase in the Index of Retail Prices in the services group since October, 1951, and the increase for manufactured goods during the same period.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. A. Lewis) on 22nd June.

asked the Minister of Labour how many industrial accidents have so far this year been reported to Her Majesty's Inspector of Factories; and how these figures compare with last year.

The latest available figures are those for the three months ended 31st March, 1964, in which 61,972 accidents were reported compared with 48,558 in the same period last year. Part of the increase is due to better accident reporting and part of it is because there were more people at work for longer hours in the first quarter of this year than in the same period last year. Until I have completed my further examination of these figures I cannot estimate the extent to which they show a real increase in the accident rate.

asked the Minister of Labour when he expects the first levies under the Industrial Training Act will be collected.

Before levies can be collected, boards have to submit their proposals for my approval and levy Orders have to be made and laid before the House. It is too early yet to say how long this will take.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he has taken as a result of, and since the publication of, the Henniker Heaton Report.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the hon. Member's similar Question on 29th June.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of outstanding work vouchers issued under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act in each category and the total number of applications outstanding at the latest available date.

It is estimated that between 7,000 and 8,000 vouchers are current but unused. I regret that this figure cannot be given by categories. At 26th June, 1964, about 315,000 applications for vouchers were outstanding.

NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN THE COUNTIES OF WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE
County			Number of unemployed on 15th June, 1964	Percentage unemployed on 15th June, 1964	Number of unemployed on 10th June, 1963	Percentage unemployed on 10th June, 1963
Anglesey	…	…	735	5·9	936	7·6
Brecknockshire	…	…	257	2·7	297	3·2
Caernarvonshire	…	…	1,033	2·7	1,259	3·3
Cardiganshire	…	…	338	2·2	384	2·5
Carmarthenshire	…	…	1,421	2·8	2,037	4·0
Denbighshire	…	…	1,263	2·2	1,693	2·9
Flintshire	…	…	681	1·3	1,018	2·0
Glamorganshire	…	…	10,725	2·2	15,387	3·2
Merionethshire	…	…	246	2·2	231	2·1
Monmouthshire	…	…	2,655	1·6	4,264	2·5
Montgomeryshire	…	…	194	1·7	293	2·5
Pembrokeshire	…	…	671	2·7	1,113	4·5
Radnorshire	…	…	79	1·7	99	2·1
TOTAL	…	…	20,298	2·1	29,011	3·0

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the limitations placed upon the employment of British girls as secretaries in New York City, he will state the present comparable position with regard to permission to British employers to employ secretaries from the United States of America or other overseas countries.

Permits are issued to employers for the engagement of foreign workers as secretaries provided certain basic conditions are satisfied. These are that there is a genuine vacancy, that no suitable British labour is available, and that the wages and conditions

asked the Minister of Labour how many work vouchers were issued under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act in each category during the month of June, 1964.

During the four weeks from 30th May to 26th June, 1964, 863 vouchers were issued in category A, 525 in category B, and 212 in category C.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were unemployed in each of the Welsh counties at the latest convenient date; what percentage was unemployed in each county; and what were the comparable figures for a year previously.

Following is the information:offered are not less favourable than those commonly accorded to British workers. These conditions apply to all nationalities.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will set up a training council for the nursing profession.

The training of nurses is the statutory responsibility of the General Nursing Councils for England and Wales and for Scotland. My powers under the Industrial Training Act 1964, can be exercised only in relation to activities of industry or commerce.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent local employment exchanges have increased their service in the issuing or replacement of passports during the past five years.

441,543 applications for ordinary passports—including renewals were dealt with by employment exchanges in 1959 and in 1963 the number was 428,656. In addition, the exchanges have since March, 1961, been issuing a simplified British Visitors Passport. Of these 290,864 were issued in 1961 and 445,339 in 1963.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the average weekly earnings of railway porters.

In April, 1962, the latest date for which figures are available, average weekly earnings of adult male railway porters (traffic) were £13 4s., and of adult male railway porters (goods handling) £11 14s. Average rates of wages for the two grades at the same date were £9 and £8 17s., respectively.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, in view of the pressure for materials on the building industry, if he will take steps to ensure an adequate supply of bricks to meet the expanding local authority housing projects in the North-West area.

Production of bricks is already running at a record level, and brick producers have plans in hand for increasing their output. Further expansion of building programmes will, however, require greater use of non-traditional methods and materials.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what action he has taken in respect of the shortage of bricks, particularly in the west Midlands area, in order to ensure continuity of brick supplies and thus prevent local shortages.

We are in regular contact both with brickmakers and with brick users. The production of bricks is running at record levels this year, and productive capacity is being increased. Although we have had isolated reports of shortages of bricks, in general the record volume of building now being carried out is not being held up.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the current weekly demand for bricks; and what quantity is being supplied to consumers.

During March, April and May—the last month for which figures are available—approximately 2,063 million bricks were delivered, which represents an average of 158 million per week. No figures of weekly demand are available.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will state, region by region, the places where there is a shortage of bricks.

Long delivery dates have been reported from many parts of the country, but our information is that little work in hand has been seriously affected by shortages of bricks.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what types of bricks are in short supply.

Longer delivery dates are being quoted for the cheapest types of common brick, and also for some special types.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the value of brick imports so far this year; and how this figure compares with the same period last year and in 1960.

Separate figures are not available for imports of bricks, but the value of imports of building bricks and some other analogous products was £4,658 in the first five months of 1964, and £6,415 in the corresponding period of 1963. Comparable figures are not available for 1960 because the classification under which imports of bricks are recorded has been altered substantially since that year.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how the current price of the chief variety of bricks ex-works compares with this time last year, in 1962, and in 1960.

The average delivered price of bricks in May, 1964—the last month for which figures are available—was 7 per cent. higher than the corresponding figure for May, 1963; 7 per cent. higher than the figure for May, 1962; and 18 per cent. higher than the figure for May, 1960.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will make a statement on the adequacy of the supply of bricks in Scotland to meet an expanding building programme.

The Scottish brick-makers are producing more bricks than ever before and their capacity is increasing. Although there are some difficulties in the supply of bricks, building work is not in general being held up.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will remove the tank installed on land belonging to the National Trust at Tor Woods, Malborough, Devon, without the Trust's permission.

Yes. I would like to take this opportunity to repeat the apology already tendered by my Department to the National Trust for the trespass, which occurred because of misunderstanding and in all good faith.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what action he is taking with regard to ensuring the continuity of building supplies in Scotland, so as to prevent delays in building.

We are in regular contact with representatives of the producers of building materials and I have no evidence that any building work is being seriously held up.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will state, region by region, the places where there is a shortage of cement.

I have no evidence that there is a shortage of cement in any region of the country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to extend the 1963 Test Ban Treaty to those categories of underground nuclear explosions which can now be detected and verified by national means.

No. Our objective must be a comprehensive ban. I am advised that it would be very difficult to define a threshold above which scientists would be prepared to assert that all underground tests could be conclusively identified, unless it were so high as to permit the great majority of tests to continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the official statement of General Khanh, that he intends to extend the war in Vietnam, he will now withdraw from Saigon the British Advisory Mission and all forms of aid which could be used for military purposes.

No.I am not aware of any statement in the terms mentioned, and Her Majesty's Government are giving no military aid to the Republic of Vietnam.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of recent official declarations by General Khanh head of the Revolutionary Military Council in Saigon, and of his lack of control over the major part of Vietnam, if Her Majesty's Government will now withdraw British recognition from his Government.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the total cost of the United Nations operations in the Congo; and how much of it was borne by the United Kingdom.

According to a report by the United Nations Secretary-General, dated 29th June, the total cost of the United Nations military operation and civilian operations in the Congo up to 30th June, 1964, was estimated to be about £155 million. A copy of this report is available in the Library. As I told the House on 6th July, the total financial assistance given by the United Kingdom to United Nations operations in the Congo amounts to about £9·6 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in view of the fact that at the last meeting of the Trade Union Advisory Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris on 24th June, the whole trade union delegation, representing the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, withdrew from the meeting in protest against the presence of two delegates of the Spanish State Controlled Trade Unions, what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the future of the Organisation's Trade Union Advisory Committee.

We should greatly regret any impairment of the hitherto close liaison between the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Trade Union Advisory Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has received on claims to the Japanese Government for war damage caused to property in Hong Kong belonging to British nationals; what replies he has sent; and whether he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government have from time to time received representations from individuals and organisations in Hong Kong about claims against the Japanese Government arising from the war. The replies sent have explained that, under the terms of the Treaty of Peace with Japan of 1951, Her Majesty's Government, like other signatories, waived all rights to claim reparations from Japan except in three carefully defined cases: compensation for property in Japan at the outbreak of war, under Article 15; seizure of Japanese assets in the jurisdiction of Allied Powers at the coming into force of the Treaty, under Article 14(a)2; and assistance in compensation for war damage through the "services of the Japanese people" for those Governments wishing to enter promptly into negotiations with the Japanese Government, under Article 14(a)1. British nationals, both in Hong Kong and elsewhere, with the right to do so have, of course, benefited from the first of these provisions, whilst both Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of dependent territories benefited from the Japanese assets under their jurisdiction in accordance with the second. In the case of Hong Kong, I understand these assets were devoted to general rehabilitation. Her Majesty's Government, with the agreement of the Governments of the dependent territories concerned, including the Government of Hong Kong, decided not to seek reparation through services in accordance with the third provision mentioned. It has therefore been made clear to those making the representations to which I have referred that there are no grounds for Her Majesty's Government making any further claims against Japan in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what approaches he has received from the Spanish Government with regard to Gibraltar; and what negotiations or discussions he has had with the Spanish Government concerning Gibraltar.

There have been no negotiations with the Spanish Government about the status of Gibraltar. We have naturally been in contact from time to time with the Spanish Government with a view to promoting good working relations with regard to Gibraltar.

asked the Minister of Health how many general practitioners practise in the London Executive Council area; how many have sought approval for deputising arrangements; and how many have obtained approval.

2,337: 1,305 have sought approval for deputising arrangements and it has been given in every case.

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to ensure adequate medical staffing of the National Health Service, in view of the recent report on doctors' emigration by Dr. B. Abel Smith and Miss K. Gales, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will now revise the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the matter.

The conclusions of this report are being taken into account in the current review of medical staffing needs.

asked the Minister of Health when work will commence on the new Macclesfield General Hospital; and when it will be completed.

In the second quinquennium of the original Hospital Plan. I regret that I cannot yet say when work will be completed.

asked the Minister of Health what evidence he has that disease can be spread by synthetic detergent foam windborne into residential areas from the surface of rivers into which sewage is discharged.

None.

asked the Minister of Health on what evidence he based his statement in July, 1963, that no recent typhoid outbreaks were attributed to contaminated corned beef, in view of the fact that the Harlow and South Shields outbreaks were so attributed in May and June, 1963, respectively.

No such statement was made. The hon. Member's Question of 9th July, 1963, was directed to the tracing of outbreaks to a particular consignment of imported corned beef. At that date the available evidence did not justify the attribution of the outbreaks at Harlow and South Shields to a particular consignment.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is his intention to release accommodation in former public assistance institutions in the West Riding of Yorkshire, at present in use for housing elderly people.

Some 1,740 elderly people, rather over half of those in care, are now accommodated by the West Riding County Council in former Public Assistance institutions. By 1972, the council plans to replace all these institutions by small homes, each of 35 places.

asked the Minister of Health how much money has been spent from public funds on research into the causes of cancer, the treatment of patients suffering from cancer, and the development of new curative treatments for persons suffering from cancer, respectively, over the most recent convenient period of 12 months.

I regret that this information is not available. On expenditure on cancer research I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science on 17th December, 1963.

asked the Minister of Health what tests have now been carried out by officers of his department into the effectiveness of the serum devised by Dr. Naessens for the treatment of persons suffering from leukaemia; what was the result of such tests; and if he will make a statement.

None. The conclusions of the French report which found the serum to be ineffective were given publicity early this year, notably in the "British Medical Journal" of 7th March.

asked the Minister of Health what increases have taken place in the last 10 years in the number of doctors in general practice, both principals and assistants, in the hospital service and the public health service, in relation to the population; and what estimate he has made of the number of doctors who will be available in five years' time.

Between 1954 and 1963 the number of principals in general practice in England and Wales increased by 1,641 and the number of assistants diminished by 557, an overall increase of 1,084 or 5·2 per cent. The number of doctors of all grades in the hospital service rose over the same period by 3,366 or 23·1 per cent. During the same period the population increased by 6·2 per cent. For the local authority service comparable figures are not available but the number of doctors in 1962 was 2,280. The total number of doctors who may be available in 5 years' time will depend on such factors as future retiring age, future rates of emigration and immigration and the output from the medical schools, which will increase as the result of the increases in recent years in the intake of medical students.

asked the Minister of Health what discussions he has had with Dr. Lovell on the outcome of the latter's visit to the Congleton War Memorial Hospital on 8th May, 1964; and if he will make a statement on the future of the hospital.

I have considered information from a number of sources, but there is nothing that I can usefully add to the full explanation of the position which I gave to my hon. Friend during the debate on the Adjournment on 20th February, 1963. The time to consider the future of the hospital is when the new hospital at Macclesfield is taking shape. This is still many years hence.

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

Except for urgent cases up to 130 days; 172, 71 from two to four months, none longer.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the total financial content of the hospital building programme as approved in the revision published in April, 1963, the content now proposed in this year's review, and the amount of the decrease for each of the hospital regions and for each of the teaching hospitals.

The hon. Member's assumption that there has been any reduction in the programme is quite wrong. The financial content has increased by £150 million compared with what was proposed in 1963, and within this the allocation to each regional hospital board has increased. Precise allocations for teaching hospitals are made only when planning is advanced, but the amount assumed for teaching hospitals as a whole has also increased.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that dispensing for out-patients at the Middlesex Hospital has ceased owing to shortage of staff; and whether he will give an estimate of the extra annual cost which will be borne by the hospital as a result of the prescribing by outside chemists.

The dispensary closed last week and will re-open as soon as possible; if it were closed for a year the extra cost of prescribing would be about £16,000.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he is aware of the shortage of hospital pharmacists and the disparity in the remuneration offered, for posts in central London in particular, between pharmacists employed in chemist shops and those in the Hospital Service; and what steps he will take to increase the remuneration of hospital pharmacists to a level commensurate with their training and responsibility;(2) how many vacancies in the basic grade of hospital pharmacist exist in the London teaching hospitals; what is the total establishment for this grade; and what action he proposes to prevent a total breakdown of the service.

I am aware that there are some shortages of pharmacists especially in Central London. The London teaching hospitals have no recognised establishment figures but are seeking to recruit 58 pharmacists in the basic grade. The temporary difficulties which have previously occurred in summer months appear to be more serious this year. Recruitment of pharmacists is a matter for the hospital authorities and their salaries are those which were awarded recently by the industrial Court after consideration of the rates payable in retail pharmacy.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the total amount of difference in the financial content of the hospital building programme 1963 to 1974 shown by the latest revision as compared with the programme previously agreed for the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board; what schemes have now been excluded until the period 1970 to 1974; and what schemes originally included in the period 1972–73 have now been deferred beyond 1974.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Whitlock) on 6th July.

asked the Minister of Health which hospitals in the London area provide in-patient treatment under the National Health Service for migraine; which provide out-patient services only; and if he will give the corresponding information for Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle, respectively.

Any hospital with appropriate consultant medical staff is able to provide both in-patient and out-patient treatment for migraine.

asked the Minister of Health what is the aggregate estimated cost of the teaching hospitals' building programmes for the period covered by the latest revision; how this compares with the estimated cost of the programmes at the previous revision; what schemes were suggested as likely to start within the original programmes but are now beyond it and likely to start within the present 10-year programme; and which schemes in the programmes following the first revision have now been deferred beyond 1974.

£169 million; this exceeds the estimated cost at the previous revision by £27 million; none; none; some schemes now differ in scope from what was earlier envisaged, and are likely to change further.

asked the Minister of Health if the fact that only four hospital building schemes in the North West Metropolitan Region have been now deferred until the period 1970 to 1974 means that the schemes for the psychotic unit at Highfield Hall and the Ashford Maternity Department Stage II have been reincluded.

They were never excluded.

asked the Minister of Health if, pending the publication of his consideration of the Hospital Study dealing with delay in obtaining appointments and waiting time in hospital departments, he will make a copy of this study available in the Library of the House of Commons.

No. This is a report by officers of my Department which is still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if all hospital capital works above a certain sum are automatically added to and made part of the Hospital Development Plan; and what amount is fixed for that sum at present.

The plan embraces schemes of all sizes. Command Paper 1604 and the revisions of the plan have specified those schemes which at the time of publication had been admitted to the programme and were estimated to cost more than £100,000 each.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken to warn foreign tourists visiting this country of the new legislation which will make it an offence for them to bring into this country various amphetamine drugs whether or not they are brought for their personal use of have been prescribed by their medical practitioner in their own country of origin.

There are practical difficulties, but my right hon. Friend is considering whether something could be done to give an effective warning.

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 Jersey has now been submitted to the Privy Council; and when the terms of the Act will apply to Jersey.

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 Jersey 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 whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names and sentences of persons convicted of supplying secret information to foreign Powers, since the date of the Hitler-Stalin pact.

I assume that the hon. Member has primarily in mind offences under Section 1(1) (c) of the Official Secrets Act, 1911, of communicating to another person information which is calculated to be, or might be, or is intended to be, directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, or of conspiracy to commit such an offence.Complete information for the period before 1945 is not readily available. Since 1st January, 1945, the following 13 persons have been convicted of such offences by the civil courts:

Name		Total sentence of imprisonment
Alan Nunn May	…	10 years
Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs	…	14 years
William Marshall	…	5 years
John Clarence	…	5 years
Bryan Frederick Linney	…	14 years
Anthony Maynard Wraight	…	3 years
Gordon Arnold Lonsdale	…	25 years
Peter John Kroger	…	20 years
Helen Joyce Kroger	…	20 years
Henry Frederick Houghton	…	15 years
Ethel Elizabeth Gee	…	15 years
George Blake	…	42 years
William John Christopher Vassall	…	18 years

I am informed that during the same period the following five members of Her Majesty's Forces were convicted by court martial of offences involving the communication or attempted communication of secret information to a foreign power:

Name	Sentence
Private T. J. W. Schurch	Death
Flt. Sgt. J. Alcock	2 years' imprisonment
Sergeant J. Dempsey	10 years' imprisonment
Corporal J. Edwards	8 years' imprisonment
Corporal J. M. Wood	12 years' imprisonment

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations of the Morison Committee on the Probation Service that the strength of the service should be raised to 2,000 as soon as possible and that thereafter a target strength of 2,750 should be aimed at.

At the time when the Morison Committee reported in December 1961, the strength of the Probation Service—in England and Wales—was 1,762. The first target of 2,000 was reached before the end of 1963. The present strength is over 2,100. My Probation Advisory and Training Board has recommended that the target of 2,750 should be reached in 1966, and training facilities are being expanded as quickly as possible so as to achieve this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place to date for the infringement of the new provisons obliging persons with defective vision to drive motor vehicles only when wearing suitable corrective glasses; whether he is satisfied with the present directives given to the Metropolitan Police on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Separate figures for this offence are not yet available, but they are being collected for the current year.Metropolitan Police instructions are that a driver should be required to submit to an eyesight test if the police have reason to believe that he is driving a motor vehicle on a road while his eyesight is such that he is unable to read a motor car number plate at a distance of 25 yards in good daylight. This is in accordance with the appropriate provision of the Road Traffic Act 1962.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will hold consultations with interested bodies with a view to providing facilities for the safe conduct of cattle across roads; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is already in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the National Farmers' Union about the problem of the movement of cattle across busy roads. The union has supplied details of cases where farmers are experiencing difficulty and my divisional road engineers have investigated a number of them. We are now considering what the possibilities are for improving conditions before further discussions are held with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and with the union.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will consult the Minister of Aviation about the possible use of Hawkinge Aerodrome or some of its installations in connection with the construction of the Channel Tunnel.

In view of the recent decision to go ahead with the Channel Tunnel project I think it would be desirable to review the possible uses of Hawkinge Aerodrome in this connection. I have therefore arranged with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence for the projected sale of the aerodrome installations to be deferred until the review has been carried out and the results considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the negotiations with the Spanish Government for the sale of warships were finally broken off.

I understand that the Spanish Minister of Marine announced on 1st July that his Government had suspended negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what further representations he has received, following his study of the pamphlet, published by the Dartmoor Preservation Association, entitled "Misuse of a National Park", about the use made by his Department of Dartmoor; and if he will make a statement.

A small number of representations have been received. Principally I have been challenged by the Dartmoor Preservation Association to justify my statement that its pamphlet is not an accurate statement of the case. I have also been asked if I will reaffirm my statement of 5th March, and I, therefore, welcome this opportunity to do so.The pamphlet contains a few factual errors and misleading half truths. For example, the missiles in the photographs described as unexploded are spent and

harmless. It is incorrectly reported that the stones of a prehistoric kistvaen at Gutter Tor were dug up. The pamphlet states there are frequent inconsistencies between advertised and actual firing times. While it is true that sometimes for adequate military reasons firing does not take place on some days for which firing has been advertised, it has for safety reasons for some years been the practice never to fire on days which have not been advertised. The pamphlet also incorrectly says that

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action has been taken on the progress report of 1963 of the Standing Technical Committee set up to study synthetic detergents and foam caused by them.

Progressive improvement has been effected by the substitution of "soft" base materials which break down more easily in sewage purification, for the "hard" materials used formerly. The commercial feasibility of using the still softer materials referred to in the sixth Report of the Standing Technical Committee is currently under investigation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what reports have been received from river boards where effluent from sewage works is discharged into a river; and to what extent windborne foam from such a river can carry germs.

My right hon. Friend receives annual reports from all river boards. But no recent reports suggest that there is anxiety about windborne foam. For the answer to the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to that given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall).

asked the Minister of Aviation what precautions he has taken to ensure the safety of nearby residents in Marston Green, since deciding to extend the main runway at Birmingham Airport.

The proposed extension was approved after a careful study by the Ministry of Aviation to ensure that it conformed with our safety requirements. Residents near the runway are protected by the aircraft weight and performance requirements of the Air Navigation (General) Regulations, 1960, which deal with the safe performance limits of aircraft in regard to runway lengths, aircraft weight, wind conditions, etc.; and by the provisions of the aerodrome licence which my right hon. Friend has granted to the Birmingham Corporation and which has to be renewed annually.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many passengers have fallen and sustained injury while being transported from the departure lounge to aircraft in airside buses at London Airport since the introduction of buses so arranged that the majority of passengers have; to stand up instead of sitting on the journey.

The airlines are responsible at Heathrow for the provision and operation of the buses carrying passengers between the terminal buildings and the aircraft. I have no information about the number of injuries sustained by passengers travelling in these buses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the evidence which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Orpington regarding the 59/60 Tanker Study, if he is satisfied that it presented an accurate statement of the performance and costs of the marine nuclear reactor concerned; to what extent the study related to a scaled-down copy of a United States reactor known as TID 8501; and if he is satisfied that full attention was given to a memorandum drawing attention to errors in the report, before the Tanker Study was forwarded to the Committee on the Application of Nuclear Power to Marine Purposes.

I understand from the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority that the author of the memorandum referred to in the Question, who is an Authority employee, has drawn his attention to the inference underlying this Question and that the Chairman has asked him for evidence in support of his contentions about the 59/60 Tanker Study so that these can be examined. The Chairman has so far received no reply. When he does receive full evidence the matter will be examined by the Authority and I shall be happy to tell the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) the result. The examination will take some time after the evidence has been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the number of male and female applicants for university places to study medicine for the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively;(2) what was the number of male and female applicants who were successful in obtaining university places to study medicine for the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

The numbers of male and female medical students at universities in the years in question were as follows:

—		Men	Women	Total
1960–61	…	9,315	2,961	12,276
1961–62	…	9,327	2,927	12,254
1962–63	…	9,526	3,021	12,547
1963–64	…	9,848	3,044	12,892

I regret that figures for applicants during the years in Question cannot be ascertained.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of children in Rochester and Chatham is now accommodated in school accommodation built since the war.

The Kent Local Education Authority's figures show that post-war school places in Rochester and Chatham provided for about 65 per cent. of the maintained primary, and 77 per cent. of the maintained secondary school population in January, 1963. Since this date over 800 further new places have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have been built, and how many school places provided, annually in Rochester and Chatham between the years 1951–52 and 1963–64, inclusive.

The Kent local education authority has supplied the following information:

ROCHESTER AND CHATHAM
Year		New Schools Completed*		New places taken into use (major and minor projects)
		Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
1951–52	…	—	—	410	—
1952–53	…	1	—	600	60
1953–54	…	1	—	830	120
1954–55	…	1	—	560	180
1955–56	…	—	—	200	310
1956–57	…	1	2	590	870
1957–58	…	3	1	1,200	745
1958–59	…	—	2	—	1,170
1959–60	…	—	—	240	90
1960–61	…	1	—	320	240
1961–62	…	2	1	800	645
1962–63	…	—	—	320	60
1963–64	…	2	1	520	480
Total	…	12	7	6,590	4,970
	* Including first instalments.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the education expenditure in Kent for the years 1951–52 and 1963–64.

Expenditure for the financial year 1951–52 was £9·6 million. The estimate for 1963–64 is £31·2 mililon.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many technical colleges and colleges of further education built since 1954 have a seating area in the library to accommodate 20 per cent. of the students to the standards recommended by the Library Association; and what proportion of such colleges this figure represents.

Under the standards at present recommended, which are being reviewed, provision would normally be made for about 10 per cent. of the day student population; but this may be exceeded where the type and level of work justify it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many regional technical colleges, area colleges, local colleges and colleges of further education, respectively, have the standard of library staffing, namely one qualified librarian, excluding technical assistants, to every 20 lecturers, as recommended by the Library Association as a minimum; and what proportion of such colleges this figure represents;(2) how many regional technical colleges, area colleges, local colleges and colleges of further education, respectively, have a maximum library bookstock as recommended by the Library Association, namely, 10,000 titles for a college without degree work and 15,000 for a college with degree or other specialised advance courses; and what proportion of such colleges this figure represents;(3) how many regional technical colleges established in the last 10 years received an initial grant for books and periodicals of £45,000 as recommended by the Library Association as the standard size of grant; and what proportion of such colleges this figure represents.

These are matters within the discretion of individual local education authorities, and I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the total commitment of Treasury funds, at 8th July, 1964, in respect of the reorganisation and re-equipment phases of the Cotton Industry Act, 1959.

By 8th July, 1964, payments by the Board of Trade under the reorganisation and re-equipment provisions of the Cotton Industry Act, 1959, amounted to £11·2 million and £8·4 million respectively—a total of £19·6 million. The final cost of this assistance to the industry will not be known for a considerable time but, on the basis of indications given by an enquiry made by the Cotton Board last autumn, may reach about £26 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has studied the resolution from the Sanitary Inspectors' Association of Scotland concerning a shortage of sanitary inspectors; what reply he has made; and what steps he now intends to take to remedy the shortage.

The Association represented that there was a shortage of sanitary inspectors in Scotland owing mainly to the difference in salary scales between Scotland and England and Wales. I told the Association in reply that the determination of salary scales for sanitary inspectors was a responsibility of the National Joint Industrial Councils for Local Authority Services (Scotland) in which it would not be proper for me to intervene. I understand that revised scales were introduced in March with the object of recruiting and retaining staff of adequate quality.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which hospitals in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen provide in-patient treatment under the National Health Service for migraine, and which provide out-patient services only.

The general hospitals in the four cities offer the full range of their facilities to patients suffering from migraine.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether a decision has been reached on the scope of the accident services which will continue to be provided at Dunfermline; and if he will make a statement.

The South-Eastern Regional Hospital Board is having further consultations and I am not yet able to say when a decision will be reached.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will compare in terms of current prices the value of the benefits paid to a widowed mother with three children in 1951, 1957 and 1964.

The following table gives the information:

—	National Insurance benefit and family allowances for a widowed mother with three children				Increase in real terms represented by 180s. rate now in payment
	Rate at date shown		Equivalent value at May, 1964 prices*		Amount		Per cent.
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
October, 1951	55	0	82	4	97	8	119
January, 1957	89	6	107	9	72	3	67
May, 1964	180	0	180	0	—		—
* On the basis of the Retail Prices Index.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state, in respect of a very severely disabled ex-private under 65 years of age with a wife and two children, and of a widow of an ex-private with three children, the total amount of war pension and allowances payable in 1951 and at the latest convenient date, showing the increase in real terms and the corresponding average earnings for men and women, respectively.

The following table gives the information:

—	Amount received in October, 1951*			Equivalent value in May, 1964†			Amount received in May, 1964*			Increase in real value†
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	Per cent.
1. Pension and allowances to
(a) very severely disabled ex-private aged under 65 with wife and two children	8	6	7	12	9	4	19	7	3	55
(b) widow of private with three children	4	3	0	6	4	3	12	8	6	100
							Amount received in October, 1963*
2. Average earnings‡—
Men	8	6	0	12	8	6	16	14	11	35
Women	4	10	1	6	14	10	8	8	3	25
* Family allowances are payable in addition.
† On the basis of the Retail Prices Index.
‡ As shown by the Ministry of Labour's half-yearly inquiries into the earnings of manual workers in manufacturing, and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries in October, 1951, and October 1963 (latest available figure).

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many hearings of local tribunals for which he is responsible or which he arranges, covering the area of the Brecon Employment Exchange, have taken place in the last three years; where they have taken place outside the area; how many cases of appeal have been heard in the absence of the appellant, with or without his consent; and how many appeals have been successful.

Eighteen appeals arising from claims for unemployment benefit made at the Brecon employment exchange have been heard by the local tribunal since 1st January, 1962, which is the earliest date for which figures are available; all the cases were heard at Merthyr Tydfil or Aberdare; 12 appeals were heard in the absence of the appellant; one appeal was successful.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the most recent figure used in computing wages by the National Assistance Board when applying the wages stop in Glasgow and in London, respectively, for workmen in the following categories, namely, light labourers, heavy labourers, and general clerks.

The Board is required, by the National Assistance Regulations, to relate assistance to what the person concerned might expect to earn if he went back to work, and the figures its officers use are accordingly based on the individual circumstances of the case.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the reason for the recent unsatisfactory reception of British Broadcasting Corporation programmes in some parts of East Sussex, including Bexhill and Robertsbridge, and what steps are being taken to remedy the matter.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Bar (Mr. Charles A. Howell) on 23rd June; and also explain that the B.B.C. is building a satellite station to serve the Bexhill area. It hopes to have the station in service by next summer.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now grant a licence for the transmission of commercial medium wave television programmes in the Isle of Man on similar power to that obtaining in other commercial transmitter stations in the United Kingdom.

The I.T.A. is building in the island a satellite television station which will broadcast Border Television programmes on Channel 8 (VHF Band III). The Authority hopes to have the station in service in the first half of next year.

asked the Postmaster-General when the public telephone box will be put up at the junction of Old Church Road and Mill Road at Whitehouse in County Antrim; and if he will make a statement, giving the reasons for delay in erecting it.

There has been difficulty in finding a suitable site but one is now in prospect. The kiosk will be provided as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General when he expects subscriber trunk dialling to be operated in the Bangor, Newtownards, Donaghadee, Greyabbey, Portaferry and Comber areas of Down, North.

Subscriber trunk dialling is available to Bangor subscribers. I expect that Newtownards, Donaghadee, Greyabbey and Comber will have the service before the end of 1966. I am sorry I cannot yet say when the service will be provided at Portaferry.