asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the estimated number of passengers who will have travelled between the two civil airports of London and Belfast in 1964 and the actual number of similar passengers in 1963, 1962, 1961 and 1960, respectively.

It is estimated that 420,000 passengers will have travelled between London and Belfast civil airports in 1964. Figures for the previous four years were as follows:

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the estimated number of passengers who will have passed through Belfast Civil Airport in 1964 and the actual number of similar passengers in 1963, 1962, 1961 and 1960, respectively.

It is estimated that 780,000 passengers will have passed through Belfast Airport in 1964. Figures for the previous four years were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what criteria he uses to determine the extent to which Messrs. Nkomo and Sithole are representative of the Africans of Rhodesia in determining the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Southern Rhodesia.

In approaching the problem of Southern Rhodesia's future, it has to be recognised that Mr. Nkomo and Mr. Sithole are acknowledged, both inside and outside Rhodesia, as the leaders of African nationalist opinion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is aware that the last review of the use of land for defence purposes was published in 1947; and whether he will undertake a new review.

The principles set out in the 1947 White Paper "Needs of the Armed Forces for Land for Training and Other Purposes" (Cmd. 7278) are still valid and I do not think that a review of them is required. The amount of land required for defence purposes is and will remain under continual review, with due regard for the interests of amenity and agriculture, as changes occur in the size and the equipment of the Forces. Thus while the 1947 White Paper forecast a total requirement in the United Kingdom of over one million acres, present holdings amount to only three-quarters of a million acres.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to provide that allowances should be paid in cases of hardship for dependants of students.

I propose to make regulations shortly amending the University and Other Awards Regulations 1962. Under the amended regulations, local education authorities will have discretion to make allowances in hardship cases to dependant; of award-holders who are at present not entitled to such allowances. I propose also to relax the standard required for a duty award by a holder of an Ordinary National Certificate or Diploma; and to eliminate certain anomalies which have been revealed by experience of working these regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that it takes on average half as long to cross from Parliament Street to New Palace Yard when the traffic signals are working as when the crossing is controlled by police; how many police are employed on these duties; and why the signals are kept switched off on many occasions both before and after the sittings of the House.

I agree that when police officers are employed on traffic duty traffic may be allowed to run for longer periods than would be possible with traffic signals. The Commissioner of Police informs me that the use of lights when the House is sitting would enable him to employ on other duties four of the six officers who at peak periods of the day now regulate traffic in the vicinity of the House.On sitting days the traffic lights are switched off at 10 a.m. and remain off until midnight or half an hour after the House rises, whichever is the later, to facilitate hon. Members' attendance at committees and their departure after the House has risen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the use of inflammable materials as lampshades; and what action he proposes to take in the interests of safety in the home.

My right hon. Friend has no evidence that lampshades, which are made of many different materials, present a serious risk of fire in the home. Danger may arise if lampshades are used with electric light bulbs of a higher wattage than that for which they are designed. The Home Office has, therefore, asked the trade to warn the public of this danger by means of a suitable notice attached to any lampshades offered for sale. If a particular kind of lampshade is thought to offer a serious risk of fire, my right hon. Friend will be glad to arrange for an investigation to be made if details are sent to him.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now state the date for the proposed inquiry into the Boundary Commission's proposals for the county and the city of Nottingham; and how many objections he has received from Beeston and Stapleford on the one hand, and the rest of the county on the other.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now state the date for the proposed inquiry into the Boundary Commission's proposals for the county and the city of Nottingham; and how many objections he has received from West Bridgford and the rest of the county, respectively.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now state the date for the proposed inquiry into the Boundary Commission's proposals for the county and the city of Nottingham; and how many objections he has received from Carlton, Arnold, and the rest of the county, respectively.

The date has not yet been fixed. Over 11,000 separate objections have been received to these proposals but it is not practicable to divide them according to the local authority area in which each objector lives.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the increase in price of the average local authority house as the result of the 15 per cent. surcharge on imported timber.

I would refer the honourable Member to the reply I gave to the honourable Member for Holland with Boston (Sir H. Butcher) on 24th November.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will now make a statement on the result of the discussions which she has been holding with the Kenya Ministers of Finance and Agriculture.

My right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary and I have held discussions this week with the Kenya Ministers for Finance and Agriculture. We agreed upon the allocation to certain projects of the bulk of the development aid of £3 million which is part of the Independence settlement that the British Government offered to Kenya for 1964–65. We agreed to meet early next year to consider the question of development aid to Kenya in later years.We also discussed the difficult problem of the mixed farms in the Ol Kalou salient of the Central Region of Kenya, for the purchase and re-settlement of which the British Government offered Keneya £1·5 million last August, and we agreed upon the procedure to be followed in the special circumstances of this area.The future of the British mixed farmer in Kenya generally was also discussed and we undertook to consider Kenya's proposals for financial aid in this field. I will make a further statement on this aspect as soon as possible. Meanwhile we agreed to provide an appropriate sum to facilitate the purchase of farms belonging to British persons in Kenya who, for compassionate reasons, such as age or infirmity, are no longer able to continue farming there.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone kiosks are at present in use in Mid-Ulster; and how this figure compares with other areas of a similar population.

There are 171 telephone kiosks in Mid-Ulster. The provision of kiosks does not depend solely on the extent of an area or the number of population, but also on local factors, and the use made of the kiosks. It is not possible therefore to make meaningful comparisons.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) why a letter, whose cover has been sent to him, postmarked London, W.1, 6.15 p.m. 20th November last was not delivered to the hon. Member for Gosport and Fareham at his address in Fareham until the morning of 23rd November;(2) why a postcard, which has been forwarded to him, postmarked London, W.1, 16th November last and stamped 2½d. was not delivered at Le Breton Farm, Manor Way, Lee on the Solent until the morning of 19th November;(3) why a letter, whose cover has been sent to him, postmarked at Ascot on 5th November last was not delivered at 8 Green Crescent, Bridgemary, Gosport, until the morning of 19th November;(4) why a letter, whose cover with other notes have been sent to him, postmarked in London, N.5 at 3 p.m. on 15th October last was not delivered at Rowlands Castle, Hants, until the morning of 19th October.

I am sorry that these delays should have occurred. I am looking into the matter and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set up an investigation into the increasing costs of house-building.

I am aware of the substantial increase in house building costs during recent years. Between 1959 and 1963 average tender prices for typical three apartment local authority houses rose from £1,374 to £2,008, an increase of some 46 per cent. There was a further increase in average tender prices during the early months of 1964. This rise in prices partly reflects improved standards of design and the provision of better amenities and account must be taken also of wage and price increases generally.The Government are keeping house building costs under close scrutiny and will not hesitate to commission a further investigation of they should feel it necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what extra cost was caused to the Glenrothes Development Corporation by constructing the extra drainage facilities for the proposed Cadco project piggeries.

The cost of drainage works included in the provision of the piggeries is estimated at £15,000; the recovery of this and other expenditure on the project will depend on the subsequent disposal of the premises.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what total of financial assistance to industry in Scotland was made available under the Local Employment Acts, 1960 and 1963, up to 31st October, 1964.

Total assistance, including factories, offered under the Local Employment Acts from 1st April, 1960, to 31st October, 1964, for industrial and non-industrial projects in Scotland amounted to £70,956,970 of which £7.813,055 was subsequently declined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for financial assistance to industry in Scotland under the Local Employment Acts 1960, and 1963, were received by 31st October, 1964, since the free depreciation allowance under the Finance Act, 1963, came into force; and how many of these applications were approved.

2,288 applications were received between 1st April, 1963, and 31st October, 1964, for financial assistance under the Local Employment Acts for projects in Scotland. 727 of these applications have so far resulted in offers of assistance amounting to £18,400,000, and 758 others have been approved in principle. 397 applications are still under consideration. In addition approval was given to 55 factories to be built by the Board of Trade at a cost of £3,800,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many steers, heifers, bulls and milch cows entered the United Kingdom from Eire during the past 12 months up to the last convenient date; and how this compares with the year 1954.

Figures in the form requested are not available. Imports of all cattle from the Irish Republic were:

asked the Minister of Transport whether clubs catering solely for historical vehicles will be exempt from controls proposed in the Report of the Motor Rallies Committee.

If the events promoted by these clubs are competitions or trials involving the use of motor vehicles on the public highway, they fall to be regulated under Section 36 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962. I do not consider that there is any difference in principle between competitions or trials involving historic vehicles and those involving others. Both could be a hazard and a nuisance to other road users and local residents. For this reason I do not think it would be right to exempt competitions or trials promoted by clubs catering solely for historic vehicles from the proposed system of control.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give an assurance that the criteria by which proposed rail closures are judged will be exactly the same in the case of closures already proposed before 4th November as those proposed afterwards.

Yes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the percentages of petrol and light hydrocarbon oils estimated to be used by industry and private persons, respectively, in England and Northern Ireland.

Separate figures for Northern Ireland and England are not available. An estimate of the proportions in the United Kingdom as a whole was given in a reply to the right hon. Member for Argyle (Mr. Noble) on 25th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Commonwealth countries in Africa currently have favourable trade balances with the United Kingdom; and what is the amount of sterling balances of such countries held in London.

It is not feasible to give precisely the information asked for. The Trade and Navigation Accounts show that, in the first ten months of 1964, the value of United Kingdom imports (c.i.f.) exceeded that of U.K. exports and re-exports (f.o.b.) in trade with the following countries: Gambia, Federation of Nigeria; Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland; Rhodesia and Nyasaland; Tanganyika; Uganda; and Mauritius.According to the September, 1964 issue of the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the annual percentage rise and fall in national production, the retail price index, the purchasing power of the £ sterling, the terms of trade, the value of imports, the value of exports and the receipts from Surtax since 1945, taking that year as equal to 100.

Such figures as are available can be found in official publications in the Library but for several of the items mentioned the earliest comparable figures relate to dates later than 1945.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage of net profits before tax which would have to be levied in the form of corporation tax so that the total revenue of corporation tax and income tax on distributed profits should be the same as the total revenue of Income Tax and Profits Tax for the year 1963–64, assuming that profit before tax and net dividends remain the same as from 1963–64; and what would be the additional revenue from a one per cent. increase in the corporation tax over and above this level, on the same assumptions.

A corporation tax at the rate of 35 per cent. would bring in revenue equivalent to the combined yield of income tax at 8s. 3d. in the £ on undistributed profits and profits tax at 15 per cent. on total profits. A charge of 1 per cent. in the rate of corporation tax would then affect the revenue by approximately £30 million. As I said in my Budget statement, the main objects of the scheme will be to modernise the tax system, remove anomalies, and provide an incentive to plough back profits. It follows that the introduction of this new scheme is not intended to impose penal burdens upon the company sector. The precise rate of tax will be determined by the revenue requirements at the appropriate time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent officers of the Inland Revenue, in making tax assessments, include income obtained by antique dealers as a result of private auctions held among themselves.

This income is a receipt of an antique dealer's trade and should be included like any other receipt in computing the profits of the trade for tax purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the nation's terms of trade for 1965 in relation to 1964; and whether he will make a statement.

It is not the practice to reveal forward estimates of this kind. The terms of trade have improved slightly in the course of 1964 and this may continue.