asked the Minister of Pensions and National Inusrance whether her proposals to increase retirement pensions will be on the basis of an award to all retirement pensioners.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the Bill.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what estimate she has made of the extent to which the increase, from 14s. 2d. per week in 1956 to 27s. 1d. per week in 1964, in the average estimated amount of rent paid by households receiving assistance was due to the effect of the Rent Act 1957.

The figure quoted are overall averages covering local authority tenants and owner-occupiers as well as tenants of private landlords; moreover they include rates. However, there is no doubt that a substantial part of the increase must be due to the effects of the Rent Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she is aware that between December, 1957, and December, 1963, the estimated number of householders receiving assistance grants whose grants took account of rent or similar outgoings rose from 1,302,000 persons to 1,563,000; and to what extent she attributes this increase to the Rent Act 1957.

The figures quoted include local authority tenants and owner occupiers as well as tenants of private landlords. I cannot say explicitly what effect the Rent Act has had on these figures but there is every likelihood that it has been a factor.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will reconsider the present methods of appointments to, and the composition of, regional hospital boards with a view to making them more fully representative of the area and of opinions in the area.

While I am always ready to consider any specific suggestions for change, the present methods are already designed to secure a suitable range of knowledge and interests including local interests, among members of Boards; my object will be to appoint members on this basis.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take action to reduce the period between the ending of the first phase and the commencement of the second phase in the construction of the new Gwent Hospital.

Work on the second phase will be put in hand as soon as the necessary planning is completed and funds are available.

asked the Minister of Health when the new Limb Research Centre at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, is likely to be ready for occupation.

Early 1966.

asked the Minister of Health whether any appointments to the new grade of senior enrolled nurse had been made by hospitals administered under the National Health Service by 31st October.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 9th November.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects the new hospital buildings now under construction at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, to be ready for use; and what other major projects to improve hospital facilities on Merseyside are envisaged or are now under construction.

Early in 1966.A new labour ward and out-patients department at the Liverpool Maternity Hospital are under construction. Major hospital developments at present planned for this area areNew Teaching Hospital.Further development of the Walton Hospital as a District General Hospital.Extension of the dental hospital.New operating theatres at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.New District General Hospital at Fazakerley.New headquarters for the Regional Blood Transfusion Service.Complete redevelopment of Broadgreen Hospital.

asked the Minister of Health how many hospital casualty centres have been closed temporarily or permanently during the last six months because of a shortage of doctors.

I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Health when it is proposed to build a new hospital in Clacton-on-Sea.

No date can yet be given. Work on expanding the existing hospital will begin shortly.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish in HANSARD details showing at what rate new hospitals were commenced during the past 13 years.

It is not always easy to say when a building scheme represents the start of a new hospital. From 1951 onwards the starts of building schemes which were envisaged as the first phase of a new hospital or of the virtually complete reconstruction of a hospital were as follows:1951–Nil; 1952–1; 1953–Nil; 1954–1; 1955–2; 1956–5; 1957–7; 1958–5; 1959–11; 1960–12; 1961–11; 1962–15; 1963–23.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that there is no prescribing chemist in Llanhilleth; and if he will take steps to remedy this.

Yes, but I understand that the chemist in the village has just applied to the Monmouthshire and Newport Executive Council for readmission to the pharmaceutical list and will be resuming the dispensing of National Health Service prescriptions today.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the desirability of arranging training courses for the wardens and staffs of hostels for the mentally ill.

This is one of the subjects now being considered by the Committee set up by the National Council of Social Service to make recommendations about the staffing of residential homes. As soon as I have its advice I will consider what Government action is necessary. Meanwhile I welcome the short courses organised by the National Association for Mental Health.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will amend the regulations so as to enable a widowed mother, suffering from severe paraplegia, to be issued with a two-seater power-propelled tricycle so that she can be accompanied by her child, when in the opinion of her medical adviser it is vital for the normal mental development of the child.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in the development of two-seater tricycles for civilian disabled persons; and whether he will make a statement.

I am advised that the provision of passenger carrying vehicles under the National Health Service would need legislation and my right hon. Friend is sure that he ought to examine this matter generally rather than in relation to particular kinds of vehicle or to the claims of particular classes or persons.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to improve conditions of medical practice so as to keep young doctors in Great Britain after they have completed their training.

Discussion with the profession of certain measures, which include a better method of reimbursement of certain expenses and grants for improvement of premises, is well advanced. Other matters are also under discussion and I look to the Working Party on General Practice to help to identify what else can and should most usefully be done.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has to collect cervical smears in connection with the prevention of cancer when he has secured adequate numbers of cytologists.

Cervical smears will be taken by general practitioners and at hospital, local health authority and family planning clinics. The exact arrangements will be decided locally when the hospital service has the trained staff to examine the smears.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is continuing to discuss with the British Medical Association improvements in the method of paying the expenses of general practitioners; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes, but I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he is aware of the special health problems arising out of Commonwealth immigration; and if he will take steps to obtain and coordinate factual information on these health problems;

asked the Minister of Health what advice is given to immigrants from tropical and subtropical countries as to the hazards of tuberculosis in the climatic and other conditions of this country; and what steps are being taken to encourage them to undergo periodic examination.

Most of the problems, including those on health education, are best dealt with locally and this is being done. I am consulting the medical profession and the local authority associations about new arrangements that would inform authorities of the arrival of immigrants in their areas and would draw special attention to the measures needed to avoid the spread of tuberculosis.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of immigrants is medically examined on entry; what form this examination takes; and what arrangements are made to place the information so obtained in the hands of the medical officers of health in the areas to which they are proceeding.

Medical examination is limited to those immigrants referred by the immigration officer to the medical inspector at the port of entry for advice whether there are medical grounds for refusing admission. Normally those examined are coming to this country to work or to settle. The scope of the examination depends on the discretion of the medical inspector, but its results in the case of immigrants admitted would not justify sending a report to medical officers of health as a matter of routine.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will see that personnel in Her Majesty's Dockyards receive the recent awards made to unskilled labour by the Shipbuilding Federation.

Under an agreement reached with the trades unions concerned in September, 1963, the wage rates of workpeople in Her Majesty's Dockyards are no longer based on the engineering, shipbuilding and ship repairing industries but are aligned with the rates in force in 34 large and representative industries. The award to which the hon. and gallant Member refers has therefore no application to the Dockyard wage structure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the replacement of the Shackleton aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reach a decision on the replacement for the Shackleton aircraft of Coastal Command.

The question of a replacement for the Shackleton aircraft is under detailed examination, but no final decision has yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Greenham Common air base.

The future of this airfield is still under consideration. In particular, we are studying the possibility of using it to meet another Service requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now take steps to ensure that Service pensions are paid at one uniform scale of rates dependent on rank and length of service, regardless of the date of retirement of the individual pensioner.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will bring pre-1950 Service pensions into line with post-1950 pensions;(2) if he will take steps to bring the pensions of those officers and other ranks who retired before September 1950 into line with present day Service pensions.

In reply to Questions on 10th November by the hon. Members for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward) and Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale) my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary said that the Government are considering the position of public service pensioners.The review, which will, of course, include Armed Forces pensioners, will take account of the various suggestions made from time to time about pensions increase measures.I cannot anticipate the outcome of the review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making to allow Christmas leave in England to a proportion of the officers and men serving in Cyprus.

No special arrangements are being made. The normal arrangements for personnel to take leave in the United Kingdom will apply over the Christmas period.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure is now being incurred abroad which is a direct burden on the balance of payments; and in what countries the expenditure is being incurred.

Gross total current overseas military expenditure borne on the Defence Budget is estimated at £320 million. This is offset by estimated receipts of £50 million. The following is a list of the countries in which expenditure is incurred:

• Republic of Ireland.
• Gibraltar, Malta, Libya, Cyprus.
• East Africa (Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda).
• Aden and the South Arabian Federation.
• Bahrain, Mauritius, Gan (Maldives).
• Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong.
• United States, Canada, France, Netherlands.
• West Germany, Norway, Portugal, Italy.
• Belgium, Greece, Iran, Turkey, South Africa.
• Thailand, Australia, Japan.
• West Indies (including British Guiana and British Honduras), India, Pakistan, Nepal.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is now the average weekly payment per person for the defence services and for civil defence, respectively.

14s. 4d. and 2d. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the first Polaris submarine will be launched.

I shall be making a full statement about this and related questions when the Government's review of defence policy has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the introduction of the multilateral force in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

We are considering the proposal in the course of our review of defence policy to secure the aims set out in the Gracious Speech.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what new conventional units he proposes to form.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he hopes to recruit the necessary personnel to form the new conventional forces he is planning.

The question does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what official committees, other than that now being set up under Professor Bond, have in the last few years considered British defence interests in space; under whose chairmanship they sat; and what general recommendations about future research and development were made.

A number of committees under official chairmanship have considered this subject in the last few years. It is not the practice to announce the composition of such committees, or their findings.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of unemployed in Hull in October, 1951, February, 1963, and October, 1964, respectively.

3,129; 6,040 and 3,049.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the classes and number of places available in the Government Training Centre, Hull, and the number of trainees at present and their subjects; to what extent further numbers could be trained and in which subjects; and what steps are being taken to train disabled persons

At the Hull Government Training Centre there are 80 training places and 68 persons training in bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, capstan setting operating, milling setting operating and instrument bench and machine work; a class of 16 trainees in sheet metal work is being added and there is room for one further class, the trade for which is under consideration; suitable disabled persons are accepted for all the training courses provided.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will initiate discussions with the Clyde shipbuilding employers and the appropriate trade unions to ascertain the desirable levels of apprenticeship recruitment for the industry in future years.

No. My right hon. Friend has made an Order under the Industrial Training Act, 1964, to establish a Shipbuilding Industry Training Board. This will be laid before the House this week. One of the first tasks of the Board will be to prepare estimates of the industry's skilled labour requirements.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress he has made in setting up the Shipbuilding Training Board.

I am laying on 18th November an Order establishing this Board to take effect from 19th November. The following have accepted invitations to become members:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT showing the numbers registering for employment in each employment exchange in Lanarkshire, detailing males and females and those over and under 18 years of age, at the most recent convenient date; and what percentage these figures represent of the insured population.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the numbers of workpeople employed on naval vessels ordered by Her Mejesty's Government in the Clyde shipyards in 1954, 1959 and at the most recent available date.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the Egyptian Government has failed to pay the promised compensation to British firms and individuals for the nationalisation of their assets; what action he will take; and if he will make a statement.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the acts of nationalisation carried out by the United Arab Republic in a series of laws issued in and after 1961. Repeated representations have been made to the United Arab Republic authorities on the subject but no official reply has been received.Her Majesty's Government are seeking an improvement in relations between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Republic. The possibility of negotiating a settlement of these matters between the two Governments, as has been reported in the case of Swiss property, is certainly not to be excluded.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs what has been the effect on Anglo-French relations of the decision to cancel the Concord project; and what representations he has received from the French Government on this matter.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation said in the debate on the Address on 5th November, the only decision taken by Her Majesty's Government has been to ask the French Government for an urgent review of the project. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has now received from Monsieur Pompidou a reply to his message on the subject. Her Majesty's Government are now considering this reply.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the re-imposition of delays and restrictions at the Gibraltar frontier; and whether he will protest to the Spanish Government at this revival of anti-British discrimination.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he is taking to safeguard the interests of the people of Gibraltar in the light of the action of the Spanish Government to create siege conditions affecting the population of Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the concern arising from the recent action of the Spanish customs authorities near Gibraltar in holding up travellers, in some cases for several hours, instead of the normal few minutes; and if he will make a statement on the action he is taking in this matter.

Her Majesty's Government are fully aware of the concern occasioned by the restrictions recently imposed by the Spanish authorities at the La Linea frontier, and have been in close touch about this matter with the Governor of Gibraltar. Her Majesty's Ambassador at Madrid, acting on instructions, has raised the question of these restrictions with the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Ambassador here has also been made fully aware of our concern. Her Majesty's Government hope that, as a result of these representations, conditions at the frontier will soon return to normal.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have yet ratified the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

No. As the hon. Member the then Under-Secretary of State explained to the hon. Gentleman on 30th July, it is necessary first to amend by Order in Council the British Protectorates, Protected States, and Protected Persons Order, 1949. This must be done in order to give stateless children of British protected persons privileges corresponding to those already given to stateless children of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies by the British Nationality (No. 2) Act which the hon. Gentleman himself introduced. The drafting of this Order in Council, which has proved to be a complex task, is in hand. Her Majesty's Government intend to ratify the Convention as soon as possible after the Order in Council has been made.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the cease fire in the Yemen, what steps he is taking to afford official recognition to the Republican Government of That country; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the new political situation in the Yemen in so far as it affects British interests there.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply which I gave the hon. Gentleman the Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 9th November, in which I drew attention to recent reports of a cease fire and of a proposed meeting between representatives of both sides in the Yemen. As I said in that reply, Her Majesty's Government hope that these developments may lead to a permanent settlement, but it would be premature to make any statement of policy before we know the outcome of the proposed meeting.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will grant relief from the 15 per cent. surcharge to those importers who were committed prior to the imposition, to contracts not yet fulfilled for the purchase and sale of foreign goods.

No. It is the policy of the Government that the charge should have immediate effect, and it is the normal practice in the United Kingdom to levy Customs duties in this way.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to abolish the taxes on sweets and ice cream.

No. My right hon. Friend's Budget Speech made it clear why there can be no immediate prospect of tax reductions. The scope and incidence of the Purchase Tax will be fully reviewed in due time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make provision of the contracting out of small-farmer milk producers from the milk marketing boards in remote areas of Scotland.

No. Under the statutory milk marketing schemes the question of contracting out is entirely a matter for the boards themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he will take to see that the trunk road crossing the River Forth is kept open during icy road conditions, particularly by taking frost precautions in good time.

Blockage of the trunk road on Kincardine Bridge on 10th November was due to an accident following sudden icing after an early inspection had found satisfactory conditions. This is a risk that cannot always be eliminated, because sand laid prematurely is liable to be brushed aside before icing takes place; and salt should not be used on metal bridges. The existing arrangements for frequent inspections of the road surface when icing is possible will be maintained and sanding will be carried out when it will be effective.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the construction of a new road bridge over the River Spey at Craigellachie, in view of the present weight limit of 14 tons.

The replacement of Craigellachie Bridge is a matter for Banff County Council and the Joint County Council for Moray and Nairn who are the responsible highway authorities. If they put forward a scheme for a new bridge, I will consider it along with the competing claims of other classified road schemes on the funds available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the future safe life of the bridge over the River Spey at Fochabers, on the Inverness-Aberdeen trunk road.

I am advised that no specific estimate can be made. Temporary resurfacing is at present being carried out, and more extensive renovation will be undertaken in the spring when weather conditions permit.

asked the Minister of Aviation what reply he has received from the French Government to his representations on the Concord aircraft.

Discussions with the French Government continue and I am not prepared to anticipate their outcome.

asked the Attorney-General how many prosecutions there have been, under the Auctions (Bidding Agreements) Act, 1927, of antique dealers and antiquarian booksellers, respectively.

This information is no longer available. The records of the only prosecution brought under this Act have been destroyed.

asked the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science, as representing the Minister of Technology, whether he proposes, when dealing with staff employed by the Atomic Energy Authority, to consult the representatives of the staff in any rearrangements which may take place.

Yes. Shortly after his appointment, my right hon. Friend addressed a message to the staff of the Atomic Energy Authority in which, after referring to speculation which had occurred about changes affecting the Authority, he assured them that if any changes were to take place, staff associations and trade union representatives would be given full information and opportunity for comment through the Authority's established machinery.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give an assurance that the Allen Committee on hardship due to rates and the Departmental Committee on local government finance will continue to function and that their reports will be published as soon as conveniently possible.

The Allen Committee has now presented its Report. It will be published as soon as possible, but it is a complex document and I understand that printing will take some time.The Government is continuing the examination of the whole system of local government finance, including the rating system, initiated by our predecessors. They will publish their conclusions in a suitable form when it is complete.

asked the Minister of Power how much coal was produced by opencast mining in 1962, 1963, and to the latest convenient date in 1964; and what plans exist for an increase in the extent of opencast mining.

8·1 million tons in 1962, 6·1 million tons in 1963 and 5·7 million tons in the first 44 weeks of this year, which is equivalent to an annual output of about 6¾ million tons. The National Coal Board has not yet finalised its plans for opencast mining in 1965. New sites for opencast require my right hon. Friend's authorisation under the Opencast Coal Act, 1958, before they can be worked.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is aware of the dissatisfaction with the redecoration of the Harcourt Room and, in particular, the harshness of the lighting; and whether he will take steps to render this more agreeable to hon. Members.

The scheme was evolved by the Advisory Committee on Works of Art in the House of Commons, but the position can be further considered by the Advisory Committee when it is reconstituted under the present Parliament. Meanwhile, I am trying out ways of softening the lighting.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the balance in the account of the Clothing Industry Development Council; and if he will take steps to re-establish this organisation as an instrument for organising and stimulating the export drive in the clothing industry.

I am aware of the balance in the account of the Clothing Industry Development Council.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he intends to take to assist in maintaining adequate rural bus services in areas where these are being discontinued or seriously reduced because of financial loss or inadequate returns to the operators.

I am continuing the local enquiries which the previous Administration arranged. These were to examine the actual problems in a few selected areas, and to conduct practical experiments to try out remedies for them. I hope they will give pointers to useful future courses of action. Parliament will be asked in due course to vote the necessary funds for some of these experiments in a Supplementary Estimate.Highland Transport needs are being specifically considered by the Highland Transport Board.The broad question of rural travel needs will also be taken into account as part of the national and regional transport planning studies which the Government intend to undertake.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general directive to British Railways to require them to give adequate notice before proposing fare increases; and to give such notice in such a way that the general public may easily and in adequate time be aware of any such proposals.

No. A general direction would not be appropriate. Section 48(1) of the Transport Act, 1962, lays down the manner in which increases in London fares under the special procedure prescribed in that Section must be notified. As regards applications under Section 46 of the Act, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 9th November to the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock). Changes in fares outside the London area are entirely a matter for the British Railways Board.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the proposed diversion at Five Lanes on the Bodmin-Launceston trunk road A.30 is still included in the 1964–65 road programme.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will commence on the Morpeth by-pass in the County of Northumberland.

If all continues to go well, work should start in about 18 months' time.

asked the Minister of Transport what new roads he is planning in Ilford and surrounding districts; when the proposed plans will be published in detail; and what opportunity will be given to local residents to object to them.

As I announced on 4th November, I am proposing that the Bishop's Stortford Motorway should be built down the Roding Valley at least as far as the North Circular Road. A draft scheme under Section 11 of the Highways Act, 1959, will be published as soon as my investigations and consultations are complete. There will then be three months during which objections can be made. The "C" Ring Road is planned to continue down the Roding Valley to A.13. The line is already shown in the County Development Plan and a Draft Order under Section 7 of the Highways Act, 1959, will be published in due course. It is also envisaged that a new east-west route will ultimately be needed to relieve A.12, and the local planning authority have been asked to propose an amendment to the development plan at the next opportunity. This will permit any objections to be made.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom Parliament delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

pursuant to his Written Reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 6th November, 1964, c. 5), circulated the following addendum:Under