asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to define the area of the premises of a building used as a polling station at a Parliamentary election over which the presiding officer exercises control or jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement.

The jurisdiction of a presiding officer is limited to the polling station. Although the boundaries of a polling station have never been statutorily defined, it is clear from the statutory provisions and decided cases that the area of a polling station is normally confined to a room, or part of a room, in a building, and does not extend to any other part of the building in which the room is situated. Whether further clarification is required is being considered in connection with the current review of electoral law.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to bring the areas of Ashington, Newbiggin, and Morpeth local authorities in the County of Northumberland into the North-East development area in order to enable them to share in the benefits and attract industry urgently needed.

The unemployment situation in these areas would not justify scheduling them as development districts. But we are keeping the list of development districts under review.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the volume of traffic crossing the junction of A.1085 and Normanby Road, South Bank, Middlesbrough, on weekdays between the hours of 8–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m.

The estimated number of vehicles using this junction, based on a traffic count carried out in August, 1960, is as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport whether, having regard to the inadequate road from the Midlands via Oxford to Southampton Docks, and to the need to facilitate the speedy transport of exports to the ports, he will accord a high priority to the provision of appropriate road access to Southampton from the Midlands.

Major improvements of the trunk roads between Southampton and Oxford costing over £5½ million are either already in hand or programmed for the next financial year. Within Southampton improvement of classified roads leading to the docks is planned within the next two years or so at a cost of over £½ million.With these and certain other improvements planned for the longer term, the route between Southampton and the Midlands should be reasonably adequate having regard to the growth of traffic as now foreseen and to the many other urgent demands upon the highway improvement programme.But if there are major developments in, for example, the future of the port of Southampton then highway plans would have to be reconsidered also.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress his Department have made with the local authority associations on the review of highways grants; and whether he will make a statement.

My Department's discussions with the local authority associations were deferred last year. I am now considering with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government the best form of Government grants in urban areas, to take account especially of the implications of the Buchanan Report. I am considering also the form of highways grant in other areas. All this will be in the context of the general review of the financial relations between local and central government.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give an assurance that, when they are referred to him after hearing by the Transport Users' Consultative Committee, the proposed withdrawal of local passenger train services between Birmingham and Derby and the proposed withdrawal of passenger train services between Birmingham and Nottingham will be considered together by him.

I shall certainly consider these two proposals together if I find this necessary to reach the right decisions.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to enable him to direct that proposed withdrawals of local passenger services in adjacent areas should be considered at the same hearing of the appropriate area Transport Users' Consultative Committee, or by the same Committee at separate hearings.

No. I consider that the arrangements made in accordance with section 56(9) of the Transport Act, 1962, are working satisfactorily.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he regards the proposed closure of the Isle of Wight railways as a major closure.

I have not yet reached any conclusions about these proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to encourage the public industry of transport to develop production and distribution services to meet their own need and to share in the competitive market at home and abroad; and whether he will make a statement.

The nationalised transport undertakings' powers of manufacture and production are restricted by statute and in other ways. I am at present considering how their needs in this respect can best be met.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the proposed size of the new town that he proposes establishing in Mid-Wales;(2) what surveys have been undertaken by the Welsh Office with a view to setting up a new town in Mid-Wales;(3) what are the alternative sites he has in mind for a new town in Mid-Wales;(4) what is the estimated cost of establishing the proposed new town in Mid-Wales;(5) what consideration he has given to establishing a Mid-Wales Development Board on the lines of the proposed Highlands Development Board as an alternative to a new town in Mid-Wales; and if he will make a statement;(6) what consultations he has held with local authorities in Mid-Wales to ascertain whether the inhabitants of Mid-Wales are in favour of a new town being built in the area, and to ascertain their views on the matter generally;(7) what negotiations he has had with Welsh cultural and social organisations with a view to ascertaining from them their views of the possible effect on Welsh social and cultural life of the proposed new town in Wales;(8) how he proposes to raise the money for the establishment of the new town;(9) if he will make a statement as to the comparative cost of the proposed new town and the development of the existing towns of the area to such a state as to make the existing economy viable;(10) whether it is proposed that the population of the proposed new town in Wales will be obtained from overspill arrangements from English cities or from overspill arrangements with cities or boroughs in Wales; and what will be the main source of population;(11) what steps he has in mind for providing employment facilities in the proposed new town;(12) by what criteria he intends to determine the best site for the proposed new town;(13) whether the proposed new town is intended to be on a wholly new site, or whether it will be the development of an existing town into a larger town;(14) what rail links the proposed new town will have with other parts of the country;(15) from what official bodies he has sought and received advice as to the feasibility of a new town in Mid-Wales;(16) how soon it is contemplated that the proposed new town shall be built.

My examination of these matters is at present in a preliminary stage. Before a decision is reached on a possible new town in Wales, and other means of assisting the rural areas, I intend to consult the interests concerned, and in particular hope in the near future to visit Mid-Wales and have discussions there with the Mid-Wales Industrial Development Association.

asked the Minister of Power if he will take steps to encourage the public industries of coal, gas and electricity to develop productive and distributive services to meet their own need and to share in the competitive market at home and abroad; and whether he will make a statement.

I am examining the extent to which the statutes at present limit the activities of those nationalised fuel industries for which I am responsible with a view to removing any undesirable restrictions, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of granting an Income Tax allowance in respect of the interest element in council house and flat rents;(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of granting an Income Tax allowance in respect of the interest element in council house and flat rents not exceeding £150 per annum, and of the cost of successive £50 increases up to and including £350;(3) what estimate he has made of the cost of granting an Income Tax allowance in respect of the interest element in the rents of non-council houses and flats, taking the interest element as being the same proportion as in the case of council houses;(4) what estimate he has made of the cost of granting an Income Tax allowance in respect of the interest element in the rents of non-council houses and flats, taking the interest element as being the same proportion as in the case of council houses, for rent not exceeding £150, and of the cost of successive £50 increases up to and including £350.

I regret that it is not possible to give a satisfactory estimate.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) what was the total value of the aid in cash and kind given by this country to Uganda in 1963, or in the nearest convenient year; through what agencies in Uganda such aid is channelled; what are the objectives of this aid; whether she is satisfied that these objectives are being fully achieved; how many Britons were in the employment of the Government of Uganda on Independence Day; and how many are today;(2) what was the total value of the aid in cash and kind given by this country to Cyprus in 1963, or in the nearest convenient year; through what agencies in Cyprus such aid is channelled; what are the objectives of this aid; whether she is satisfied that these objectives are being fully achieved; how many Britons were in the employment of the Government of Cyprus on Independence Day; and how many are today;

The following table shows the total value of bilateral economic aid disbursed by Her Majesty's Government in 1963 to Uganda, Cyprus, Malawi and

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations on what conditions as regards their use have arms and military equipment been provided as aid to India.

In responding to requests from the Government of India, the United Kingdom Government agreed

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the number and classification of building craftsmen registering for employment in Lanarkshire, at the most recent convenient date.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Health what the extra cost for the balance of this year and for a full year will be to the National Health Service in running their ambulances as a result of the increased duty of 6d. per gallon on light hydrocarbon oils.

About £60,000 and about £150,000 for the local ambulance services in England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the increased cost to farmers in the Bromsgrove Urban District Council's and Rural District Council's areas and Redditch Urban District Council's area as a result of the 6d. per gallon extra duty on light hydrocarbon oils, and the employers increased contribution for National Insurance.

I regret that this information is not available, as reliable estimates of farmers' costs for areas as small as district council areas cannot be prepared.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that anthrax germs were traced last week in bone meal supplied to farmers by a Liverpool company, the name of which has been sent to him, and analysed at the Aynsome Laboratories, Grange over Sands; and what action he proposes to take, in view of the recent outbreaks of anthrax in Great Britain.

I am grateful to the hon. Member for this information which is consistent with the conclusions reached by the Department's veterinary staff as a result of inquiries initiated by them early in November into recent outbreaks of anthrax in farm animals, which in the past five or six weeks have been occurring in greater numbers than usual and over a wide area of Great Britain. These inquiries have indicated that the probable source of contamination in a high proportion of the outbreaks was the meat and bone meal content of certain compounded feedingstuffs originating in Liverpool.Most of the suspect feedingstuffs have now been withdrawn, although some supplies have not been traced and their use may result in further outbreaks.We have been considering for some time whether there is justification for additional control over imported bones: this is a complicated issue, as the hon. Member may be aware, but investigations are proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in applying the terms of the Administration of Justice Act, 1956, to Antigua, Grenada, Saint Vincent, St. Helena, Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla, respectively.

Orders in Council extending the terms of the Administration of Justice Act, 1956, to all the territories named were made on 15th October. Copies of the relevant Orders were placed in the Library early last month.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the estimated cost of teachers' salaries taken account of in the general and relative supplemental grant orders for the periods 1963–64 and 1964–65; and if he will make an estimate of the figure for 1965–66.

The cost of teachers' salaries and superannuation taken into account in general grant orders and increase orders was £455 million for 1963–64, and £470 million for 1964–65. For 1965–66 it is expected to be about £490 million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will lay before Parliament the General Grant Order for 1965–66 and 1966–67 before Parliament rises for Christmas; and whether he will make available an explanatory memorandum when the order is laid.

With regard to the first part of the Question, I hope to do so. Section 1(6) of the Local Government Act, 1958, requires me also to lay a report explaining the considerations leading to the order.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what percentage of persons in the age groups 60–65 years, 65–70 years, 70–75 years, 75–80 years, 80 years and over, respectively, were receiving assistance in supplementation of pension at the latest available date;(2) how many persons were receiving assistance in supplementation of pension in each of the age groups 60–65 years, 65–70 years, 70–75 years, 75–80 years, 80 years and over, respectively, at the latest available date.

The figures are as follows: