asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage of the gross national product invested as capital in 1951 and 1963, respectively.

Gross fixed capital formation at home in 1951 was equivalent to 14·6 per cent. of the gross national product at factor cost. The corresponding figure for 1963 was 18·3 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the revenue of allowing the cost of all season tickets by road and rail to be offset against tax.

Assuming that the cost of season tickets were to be allowed as a deduction against earned income, the loss of Income Tax would be of the order of £10 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the grants or subsidies to distribution of industry, aircraft industry, research and development, development, proving and production of transport aircraft, and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for each year since 1961, and up to the latest convenient date.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the following tables in the Financial Secretary's Memorandum on the Estimates:

(a) Assistance to private industry, etc., in the United Kingdom (Table X of the 1964–65 Memorandum);

(b) Research and Development (Table III of the 1961–62 Memorandum; Table VI of the 1962–63 Memorandum; and Table VII of the 1963–64 and 1964–65 Memoranda).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the negotiations with the Federal German Government in respect of the foreign exchange costs of the stationing of British Forces in Germany.

Yes. Following on the talks which I had in Bonn in May with Dr. Dahlgrün, the Federal German Minister of Finance, an Agreement in respect of these costs has now been reached. The full text of the Agreement will be published as a Command Paper as soon as possible.The main features of it are that the Federal German Government state that it is their intention, insofar as possible, to offset these foreign exchange costs and thereby relieve the balance of payments of the United Kingdom in the period 1st April, 1964, to 31st March, 1966. This will be done by military and civil purchases in the United Kingdom, and by purchases on behalf of third countries which result from action taken by the Federal Government and bring benefit to our balance of payments.All possible steps will also be taken over the next two years in order to improve in the future the British balance of payments through German military purchases in the United Kingdom.The two Governments will appoint a Joint Committee to deal with all questions which arise out of the carrying out of the Agreement. The Joint Committee will make periodic reports to the two Governments. If at any time during the currency of the Agreement it appears to either Government that the position as regards the implementation of the Agreement is developing in an unsatisfactory manner, there will be joint consultation between the two Governments with a view to remedial action.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy ratings serving in the multilateral force destroyer U.S.S. "Biddle" are allowed an issue of rum.

No. Since United States Navy ships are "dry", Royal Navy ratings serving in U.S.S. "Biddle" are being paid the normal compensatory allowance in lieu.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what grants and loans have been made from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds to the island of Rodrigues.

Rodrigues is a dependency of Mauritius and has therefore no separate allocation of Colonial Development and Welfare Funds. But Mauritius development plans cover substantial capital expenditure on Rodrigues, including £433,800 on agricultural rehabilitation and development, of which over half has already been spent with good results.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what steps he proposes to take to extend responsible, democratic government to the citizens of the island of Rodrigues.

Rodrigues is administered under the authority of the Mauritius Government by a magistrate and civil commissioner who co-ordinates locally the work of Mauritius Government Departments. An Advisory Council has recently been established with a majority of its membership drawn from five Parish Councils.I am arranging for a copy of the Annual Report for Rodrigues for 1963 to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies whether he has reached a decision on the request from Mauritius to be accorded comparable facilities to Gibraltar and Malta with regard to the treatment of inoperable cases.

The extension to other territories of long-standing arrangements for Gibraltar and Malta which were allowed to continue after the National Health Service began would present difficulties. It is possible, however, for patients from overseas to obtain treatment here under private arrangements for which they can be admitted to beds designated under Section 5 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, and the Governor of Mauritius is being consulted about the possibility of a small number of patients from that Colony being sent here under such arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools and colleges of all types have been built in the Shrewsbury borough and Atcham rural district council areas since October, 1951.

15 new primary schools, 5 new secondary schools and one further education college have been completed since October, 1951.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when a reply may be expected to the personal letter, sent to the Minister of State for Education and Science some weeks ago by the honourable Member for Arundel and Shoreham, concerning the delays in rebuilding St. Nicholas' School, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex.

My noble Friend the Minister of State has written three times to the hon. Member in recent weeks and there is nothing I can add to his letter of 10th July, which I hope the hon. Member has now received.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) in how many of the 197 new schools opened between 1955 and 1960 and stated by Her Majesty's Inspectors in their 1962 survey to have overcrowded dining conditions the overcrowding has been remedied;(2) in how many of the 195 new schools opened between 1955 and 1960 and stated by Her Majesty's Inspectors in their 1962 survey as having inadequate storage facilities this fault has been remedied;(3) in how many of the 81 new schools opened between 1955 and 1960 and stated by Her Majesty's Inspectors in their 1962 survey to have dining arrangements which caused disturbance to the school the defect has been remedied;(4) in how many of the 63 new schools opened between 1955 and 1960 and mentioned by Her Majesty's Inspectors in their 1962 survey because meals had to be taken in classrooms, improved dining accommodation has now been provided;(5) in how many of the 76 new schools opened between 1955 and 1960 where meals were taken on school stages alternative dining accommodation has now been provided.

The purpose of the survey into unsatisfactory dining conditions was to determine the main causes for complaint and where practicable, to issue advice designed to prevent their recurrence in future new schools. It would not be possible without extensive inquiries to say at which schools covered by the survey authorities have since made alternative arrangements or improvements. I am, however, writing to the hon. Member in greater detail about the various points he has raised.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in how many new schools, opened in each year between 1955 and 1963, there is currently 10 per cent. or more overcrowding.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the average size of classes for junior secondary modern and grammar schools in the area covered by the Nottinghamshire education authority, to the nearest convenient date.

In January, 1963, the average size of classes in primary schools, secondary modern schools and in grammar schools maintained by Nottinghamshire local education authority was 32·3, 30·1 and 27·6 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much public money has been spent on education in Dorset in the five years to the latest convenient date; and how many new school places have been provided thereby.

The information is as follows:

DORSET
Year	Total expenditure on education by local education authority (£000)	Places taken into use (Major and Minor Projects)
		Primary	Secondary
1959–1960	3,814	320	540
1960–1961	4,213	240	710
1961–1962	4,574	830	885
1962–1963	5,048	240	435
1963–1964	5,741*	120	720
Total	23,390	1,750	3,290
* Estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will now inform the House of the Government's proposals on the principal issues raised by the Jenkins Committee on Company Law.

I hope to do so shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to prevent the sale of plastic toys with an excessive lead content.

It has been reported that certain imported plastic toys contain amounts of lead which may be a danger to children. Tests are being made to determine to what extent this is so. In the meantime the distributors have stopped deliveries to retailers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a review of the law relating to charities.

Comprehensive changes in the law relating to charities were made in the Charities Act, 1960. I do not consider there is any present need for a farther review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the principal subjects of research now being worked on by the Police Research and Planning Branch that he has established at the Home Office.

The principal subjects of research at present being undertaken by the Home Office Police Research and Planning Branch include (i) research into methods of dealing with serious and unsolved crimes, including an investigation into the possible extension throughout the country of regional crime squads and criminal intelligence bureaux and a study of criminal investigation techniques and improved scientific aids: (ii) an inquiry into the possible application of computers to fingerprints and other police records: (iii) a study of the policing of motorways and other through routes, including experiments with the use of a helicopter: (iv) an investigation into the question of the security of cash in transit; and (v) investigation of the problem of devising a formula for accurately assessing police establishments. I believe that the work of this new branch will, as it comes to fruition, markedly increase police efficiency.

asked the Minister of Health which regional hospital boards and epileptic colonies have entered into contractual arrangements for rehabilitation services; and how many patients are involved in each case.

Following is the information:

Regional Hospital Board	Colony	Number of contractual beds
North East Metropolitan	St. Elizabeth Home for Epileptics, Much Hadham, Essex.	58
Oxford	Chalfont Colony, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks.	1 (unoccupied at present)

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will seek to obtain from the County Borough of West Ham the cost of repayment of the moneys borrowed by them for housing purposes; and if he will publish these details in HANSARD.

I do not think this would serve any purpose sufficiently useful to justify the labour entailed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many slums remain to be cleared, and what proportion of the permanent houses are recognised slums, in each of the following, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Nottingham, Coventry, Kingston-upon-Hull, Bradford, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stoke-on-Trent, Cardiff, Croydon, Portsmouth, Harrow, Southampton, and Plymouth.

I estimate that for the Greater London area about 40,000 unfit houses remain, representing 1·5 per cent. of the total permanent dwellings.The following table is based on the most recent returns made to me by local authorities for the other towns, after taking account of unfit houses since reported as demolished or closed. No allowance has been made for those houses which may since have become unfit or those which have been made fit.

Area	Unfit houses remaining at 31st March, 1964
	Number	Percentage of permanent dwellings in the area
Birmingham	36,100	11
Liverpool	78,000	38
Manchester	53,200	26
Leeds	16,900	10
Sheffield	24,900	15
Bristol	5,500	4
Nottingham	7,500	7
Coventry	400	0·5
Kingston-upon-Hull	11,200	12
Bradford	1,900	2
Leicester	4,300	5
Newcastle upon Tyne	1,100	1
Stoke-on-Trent	7,000	8
Cardiff	1,700	2
Croydon	150	0·2
Portsmouth	1,000	1·5
Harrow	400	0·5
Southampton	800	1
Plymouth	negligible	negligible

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is satisfied with the facilities for pedestrians to cross the roadway of St. James's Park when there is no traffic control by the police or a park keeper, especially at the foot of Waterloo steps, and at Queen Anne's Gate; and why pedestrian crossings have not been installed in the Royal Parks.

I appreciate that pedestrians are finding increasing difficulty in crossing roads at some points in St. James's Park. Discussions are taking place between this Ministry and the Ministry of Transport in order to find a solution which will, if possible, avoid the installation of pedestrian crossings with flashing beacons and zebra stripes.

asked what steps are being taken in the programme for applying new technical methods to housing construction in this country to ensure that so far as possible indigenous materials are used, so that strain on the economy by an increase of imported building materials will be avoided.

Many indigenous materials are already being used and it is not considered that any special steps are necessary.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will make a statement on the shortages of building materials which are holding up Plymouth's building programme.

I have no evidence that any building work in Plymouth has been stopped, although I understand that delays in the delivery of some materials, particularly bricks, are causing some difficulties.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a further statement about the continuation of the work of the Training Advisory Service.

In the past the Training Advisory Service has been run by a nonprofit making limited company, the Industrial Training Council Service, whose directors were appointed by the Industrial Training Council. As I foreshadowed in March last, the Industrial Training Council will shortly cease to operate and the former directors of the Industrial Training Council Service have resigned. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking them for the valuable work they have done.In order to provide for the continuation of the work of the Training Advisory Service I have, after consultation with the Central Training Council, appointed a new Board of Directors of the limited company, whose name has been changed to the Industrial Training Service. The members of the new Board are drawn from the Central Training Council.

asked the Minister of Labour how many males and females

NUMBERS OF WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED ON THE REGISTERS OF THE BEXHILL, HAILSHAM AND RYE EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AT 13TH JULY, 1964
				Men			Women
—				Aged 18 to 54	Aged 55 and over	Total	Aged 18 to 54	Aged 55 and over	Total
Bexhill	…	…	…	41	187	228	36	12	48
Hailsham	…	…	…	16	59	75	3	1	4
Rye	…	…	…	6	9	15	2	1	3

In addition to the above there were 8 boys and 2 girls under 18 years of age registered as unemployed at the Bexhill Youth Employment Office, which also covers the Rye, Hailsham and Battle areas. There were no school leavers registered for first employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls were signing the register at the St. Helens Employment Exchange in each month since January, 1964; what arrangements he has made to cope with the 1964 school leavers; and how many applications his department has received from firms and individuals for Ministry of Labour training school places in the St. Helens area.

The numbers of boys and girls registered as unemployed at the St. Helens Youth Employment Office at each monthly count since January, 1964, were as follows:

Date		Boys	Girls	Total
January	…	49	63	112
February	…	33	37	70
March	…	24	27	51
April	…	68	57	125
May	…	47	34	81
June	…	41	31	72
July	…	47	50	97

The July total included 18 boys and girls who had only recently registered for employment on leaving the technical college. The Youth Employment Ser-

The following table gives the information:vice has been energetically canvassing for vacancies for this year's school leavers, and will do all it can to place these young people in suitable jobs. No applications have been received this year from firms or young persons in St. Helens for places at Government Training Centres, but one disabled girl has been accepted for training as a telephonist at the Queen Elizabeth College, Leatherhead, under the auspices of the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the number of unemployed women in the St. Helens employment area for each year since 1960, and up to the latest convenient date; and if he will give the same information as a percentage of the total adult unemployed workers in the town.

The following is the information:

Year	Monthly average number of women unemployed in the St. Helens Employment Exchange area	Monthly average number of women unemployed expressed as a percentage of the monthly average total unemployed in the St. Helens Employment Exchange area
1960	899	48·7
1961	860	50·1
1962	1,000	46·9
1963	1,049	43·9
January July, 1964	791	49·8

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give details in figures and as a percentage of unemployed women in the St. Helens employment area for each month since January, 1964, and up to the latest convenient date; and what special steps he is taking to provide employment opportunities for the constituents of the hon. Member for St. Helens.

The following is the information:

WOMEN UNEMPLOYED IN THE ST. HELENS EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREA
—	Number of women unemployed	Number of girls unemployed	Percentage rate of* female unemployment
July, 1964	729	50	4·2
June, 1964	747	31	4·2
May, 1964	824	34	4·6
April, 1964	730	57	4·2
March, 1964	751	27	4·2
February, 1964	869	37	4·9
January 1964	890	63	5·1
* An unemployment rate is only available for women and girls together.

Our local officers are making every effort to find suitable work for those unemployed.

asked the Minister of Transport, consequent on the closing of the Stranraer-Dumfries line, what provision will be made for the collection and conveyance of urgent passenger-rated freight for London from Newton Stewart, Dalbeattie and Castle Douglas.

It will be for the British Railways Board to decide what freight facilities it will provide when the line is closed to passenger traffic. I understand from it that its plans may depend to some extent on the decision yet to be taken on the proposal to close the Kirkcudbright-Dumfries passenger services.

asked the Minister of Transport, consequent on the closing of the Stranraer-Dumfries line, what provision will be made for improved bus services in rural areas not served by the railway, such as Drum-more, Whithorn, Dairy and Colvend.

Since these areas were not directly served by the railway I could not require improvements to the local bus services in my conditions of consent to the closure. I must be notified, however, of alterations or proposed alterations in certain services which serve, particularly, Dairy and Whithorn as well as certain places on the line. Otherwise any question of improvement is primarily one for the operators and the Traffic Commissioners.

asked the Minister of Transport what reply he has sent to the letter sent to him several weeks ago by the hon. Member for Nelson and Colne, concerning the proposed further limitation and delay in railway communication between Manchester and his constituency.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary wrote to the hon. Member on 14th July. As the hon. Member has apparently not received the letter, I have sent him another copy.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Railways Board to continue concessionary fares to organised parties.

No. Concessionary fares are a matter for the Board.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects the proposed Camborne by-pass scheme to start; how long it will take to complete; and what is the anticipated total cost.

I cannot say when a place can be found for this scheme in the road programme. The estimated cost is £2 million.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the expenditure on new roads and major improvements in the County of Gloucestershire in 1951–52; and what is the estimate for 1963–64.

Records of expenditure in 1951–52 are no longer available, but the figures for the years 1953–54 and 1963–64 are as follows:

1953–54	…	…	£92,951
1963–64	…	…	£1,342,421

These figures are for expenditure from Central Government funds on trunk roads, including motorways, and classfied roads for which the county council is the highway authority.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that traffic congestion occurs even during off-peak hours at the Marble Arch roundabout system where Bayswater Road and Edgware Road converge; and if he will consider installing traffic signals at that junction.

I am aware of the congestion which occurs intermittently here. But the installation of traffic signals at the junction of Bayswater Road and Edgware Road would not give the answer. We are continuing to study the problem.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will investigate the possibility of constructing an underpass in conjunction with the erection of an extension or addition to the House of Commons to separate some of the streams of traffic which cross at the north-east corner of Parliament Square.

Until Sir Leslie Martin's study is complete, I can add nothing to what my hon. Friend was told in reply to his Question on 13th May.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in view of the Report on South-East England with its recognition of the rapid rise of population and industry in southern Hampshire, he will now allocate a larger share of funds for major trunk roads to Hampshire than hitherto.

Funds are not allocated specifically to counties but to schemes in the order of their priority on a national basis. Changes in location of population and of industry, such as are referred to in the South-East Study, are among the many factors taken into account in deciding priorities for trunk road schemes.

asked the Minister of Transport what percentage growth of traffic he expects by 1970 on the A.62 between Huddersfield and Oldham; and what plans he has for the improvement of this road.

By 1970 traffic on this section of trunk road A.62 is expected to increase by about 48 per cent. As the Lancashire-Yorkshire motorway will draw off approximately 60 per cent. of traffic from the road, any improvements carried out will be limited to minor widening works to improve visibility on bends.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects work on the proposed Redruth by-pass extension to start; how long it will take to complete; and what is the anticipated cost.

I cannot say when work will start on this scheme. It has not yet found a place in my forward programme. It would take about two years to construct and the current estimate of the cost is £750,000.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has now been made towards the prevention of the discharge of oily sludge into the sea since the announcement of leading British oil companies that they would now co-operate in this matter; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements recently announced by leading British oil companies are clearly of great importance and I hope that they will bring about a considerable reduction in pollution of the sea by oil. I am keeping in close touch with the oil companies and with the shipping industry about the proposals and I shall do whatever I can to help. Any international implications of the proposals will be for the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization to consider.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a figure for claims on British Road Services for loss and damage in respect of the years 1963 and 1958, respectively.

The Transport Holding Company tells me that these claims amounted to £504,367 in 1963 and £394,651 in 1958.

asked the Minister of Power by what percentage wayleave payments for electricity poles have been increased since 1945; and by what percentages the rents of farm land and the cost of electricity to the consumer have increased in the same period.

The different rates paid by the large number of electricity supply undertakings in 1945 are not readily available. After negotiations with the National Farmers' Union and the Country Landowners' Association the following agreed annual rates were introduced by the electricity supply industry in 1954, and remain in operation:

	s.	d.
Rental payments:
single pole	1	0
each additional pole		6
Compensation payments:
arable land—single pole	5	0
—"A" or "H" pole	7	6
cultivated grassland—single pole	2	6
—"A" or
"H" pole	3	9

Average farm rents in England and Wales have increased by about 150 per cent. since 1946 (a comparison with 1945 is not available); and the average price of electricity to all consumers in Great Britain increased by 43 per cent. between 1946 and 1963.