asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether a decision has yet been reached on where in Edinburgh the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children is to be built.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to publish a plan for north-east Scotland.

As regards the preparation of such a plan, I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Banff (Mr. Baker) on 3rd December. My right hon. Friend cannot yet foresee the most suitable method of publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to make a proposed change of use of land in Scotland from agriculture or pasture to forestry, or vice versa, subject to planning permission.

No. My right hon. Friend can see no case for this sort of control.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the value of Scottish seed potato sales in England during the 1962–63 and 1963–64 seasons.

The estimated value to the grower of Scottish seed potatoes sold in England and Wales was £10·1 million in the 1962–63 season and £6·8 million in 1963–64.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the transport problems facing producers of seed potatoes in Scotland; and what consultations he has had on this matter.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave on 2nd December to the hon. Member for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that adequate facilities are available to enable farmers and merchants in Scotland to complete deliveries of seed potatoes to customers in England.

My right hon. Friend has no reason to believe that the combined facilities of rail and road transport will not be adequate for this traffic.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants will be required to man the proposed Scottish Planning Board; and how this number compares with the existing Scottish Development Department.

The Board will be manned by civil servants in the service of the various Departments concerned. A few additions to their staffs for this purpose may be necessary, for example, economic assistants, but there is no suggestion of a new bureaucratic growth.The great majority of the staff of the Scottish Development Department will, as heretofore, be engaged in the administration of those of my right hon. Friend's statutory duties that are discharged through that Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, as a result of the recent meeting between the Under-Secretary of State and the Convener of Glasgow Corporation's Housing Committee, he will now concentrate on Glasgow's housing problems and launch a programme aimed at the speedy solution of a national rather than a local problem.

Glasgow's housing problems are already regarded as more than local and contributions to their solution are being made by the Scottish Special Housing Association, New Town Development Corporations, and overspill receiving authorities as well as by Glasgow Corporation themselves. Much remains to be done but my right hon. Friend will press ahead with all practicable measures to alleviate the housing situation in Glasgow and in other parts of Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy regarding the building of nursery schools.

At the present time essential developments in primary, secondary and post-school education absorb all the building resources and the teachers available. My right hon. Friend regrets, therefore, that he can see no early prospect of removing the restrictions on nursery school provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of calves are vaccinated against brucellosis; and what action his department will take to increase the proportion.

During the year ended 30th September, 1964, some 126,600 calves were vaccinated under the free calf vaccination service. This represents just over 41 per cent. of female calves under one year old. No figures are available for private vaccinations. Every effort has been made to publicise the scheme and to bring home to farmers the desirability of taking advantage of it and these efforts will be continued.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the decision of Lanarkshire County Council to review its school-building programme in view of the Government's recent decision to increase Bank Rate to 7 per cent.; and what steps he is taking to ensure that Scottish school-building programmes are not curtailed in consequence of recent Government actions.

I am informed that the council's decision was to ask all spending committees to review as soon as possible the capital projects envisaged by them with a view to postponing projects which could not be regarded as absolutely essential. I have made a general grant increase order which will take account of the likely effect, during the present financial year, of higher interest rates, and I have no reason to believe that school-building programmes will be curtailed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make staggers, otherwise known as hypomagnesaemia, in cattle and sheep a notifiable disease in Scotland.

No. That would be an unnecessary imposition on the farmers concerned and would serve no useful purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the anomalous position regarding the new lime subsidy scheme, which penalises lime quarries in the Highlands as against English producers; and if he will take steps to correct this.

My right hon. Friend has no evidence that this is generally the case. There is some disadvantage in a few localities more than 100 miles from the quarries concerned and near to depots handling lime transported in bulk from England. The point will be kept in mind when the operation of the scheme is reviewed early next year.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he intends to take to improve rural bus services in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16th November to my hon. Friend the Member for the Western Isles (Mr. Malcolm MacMillan).

asked the Minister of Transport what additions will be required in Estimates to pay for the increased National Insurance and duty on hydrocarbon oils both this year and in a full year.

In 1964–65, about £1,000 for National Insurance and £600 for hydrocarbon oils; and in 1965–66 (a full year) £69,000 for National Insurance and £1,200 for hydrocarbon oils.

asked the Minister of Transport in how many cases in the past year he has confirmed an Order, in accordance with Section 93 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949, to restrict traffic in a national park or area of outstanding beauty and what consideration he is giving to amending the existing procedure so as to give more power to the planning authority concerned to limit to reasonable levels the number of vehicles entering their area in order to preserve its natural beauty.

None. If there are conflicting interests between the highway and the planning authorities it seems to me that this should be settled by consultation. As far as I am aware there is very little evidence of such conflict.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has now reached a decision on the chairmanship of the Nationalised Transport Advisory Council.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will provide on request, and without charge, a supply of breathalysers being used by his Department to any Member of Parliament who might wish to ascertain the accuracy of these devices at a time and place of their own choosing.

No breath testing equipment of any kind is at present being used by my Department. A small sample of drivers is being tested, on a voluntary basis, by the Road Research Laboratory with the co-operation of the police. The "breathalyser" is a quite complicated piece of equipment. Its scientific accuracy can be tested only by properly controlled laboratory experiments; and a report of the results of experiments of this kind was published in the "British Medical Journal" on 4th January this year. The problems likely to arise in practice if breath testing equipment were to be used for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, are now being studied by a Home Office Working Party.

asked the Minister of Transport what decision he has reached on the proposed temporary footbridge over the Great Cambridge Road near the junction with Westerham Avenue.

I have decided to erect a temporary footbridge, with ramps, for use until the subway can be completed. It will be erected as soon as possible—I hope by mid-March.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration is being given to north-south communications between the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire across the River Humber; and whether he will make a statement.

We have received front the Humber Bridge Board new traffic and cost estimates for the proposed Humber Bridge. We are studying this in our review of the future trunk road needs in the area between Hull and the Great North Road. As I told my hon. and gallant Friend on 18th November it is likely to be several months before I shall be ready to announce my conclusions. I shall certainly do so as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will state the restricted tonnage of vehicles using the Ellerby, East Yorkshire, bridge, and the tonnage of the laden double-decker buses which have recently started using this bridge because of the closure of Hull/Hornsea railway lines.

I understand that the bridge carries a warning notice that it is insufficient to carry a vehicle of over five tons in weight. Double-decker buses, which may weigh up to 13 tons laden, have however been using it safely for many years. The Traffic Commissioners are already investigating this matter. I shall write to my hon. and gallant Friend when I hear further from them.

asked the Minister of Transport what special investigations are being carried out on drivers and vehicles involved in traffic accidents over the Christmas period; and if the findings will be published.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill) on 17th November. The results of the investigation will be published.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will give his decision on the proposed closure of the Glossop-Manchester, Piccadilly, line.

As soon as I have completed my examination of the Transport Users Consultative Committee's report and all other relevant factors.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations have been made to him about the congestion in the London and other docks leading to serious delays in shipments and the consequent adverse effect on exports.

I have received representations from various sources about congestion in the docks and delays to exports. I have, therefore, arranged, in consultation with other Ministers concerned, for urgent discussions to be held by my Department (in association with the other Departments concerned) with representatives of port authorities, shipowners and other port users. The object of these discussions is to elucidate the facts of the situation and to explore what action can be taken in the short term, by the Government or the parties primarily concerned, to accelerate the movement of exports.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will give an assurance that he does not intend to lower the glide path into London (Heathrow) Airport below an angle of three degrees.

I am not at present proposing to lower the glide path below its present angle of three degrees.

asked the Minister of Aviation what decision he has taken regarding night jet flights into London (Heathrow) Airport; and if he will make a statement.

I expect to be able to give a decision on this question shortly. As the matter is of considerable interest to many local residents, I have arranged to discuss it with the London (Heathrow) Airport Standing Consultative Committee tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) what have been the main causes for delays in British European Airways flights between London and Belfast over the past year;(2) what percentage of flights between London and Belfast over the past six months have suffered from delays of more than 15 minutes; and what the average length of such delays has been.

B.E.A. inform me that this service suffered from some minor unserviceability on Vanguards during the summer and also from congestion at London (Heathrow) Airport. As a result there were an unusually large number of delays of fifteen minutes or more. If the hon. Member likes to get in touch with B.E.A. direct I am sure they will let him have more detailed information.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the total value of all payments made during the last complete financial year by the Government to each manufacturer of airframes and/ or aero-engines in respect of goods delivered or to be delivered, and in all other connections, respectively; and what was the total value of payments he received, in the same period, from each of these firms by way of royalties or otherwise.

Payments by the Ministry of Aviation in the financial year 1963–64 airframe and aero-engine manufacturers were:

		£m
Hawker Siddeley Group	…	88·13
British Aircraft Corporation	…	65·93
Westland Aircraft Ltd	…	18·88
Handley Page Ltd	…	10·92
Short Bros and Harland Ltd.	…	7·50
Scottish Aviation Ltd.	…	·25
Beagle Group	…	·18
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd.	…	58·43
Rolls Royce Ltd	…	31·44
Napier Aero Engines Ltd	…	3·02
Alvis Ltd	…	1·04

These payments were in respect of all goods and services including guided weapons.Payments received in the same period were:

		£m
Hawker Siddeley Group	…	·885
British Aircraft Corporation	…	1·054
Westland Aircraft Ltd	…	·174
Short Bros. and Harland Ltd.	…	·011
Handley Page Ltd	…	·106
Beagle Group	…	·003
Scottish Aviation	…	·005
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd.	…	1·332
Rolls Royce Ltd	…	1·878
Napier Aero Engines Ltd.	…	·358
Alvis Ltd	…	·007

These receipts were in respect of rent of Crown assets, commercial sales of products developed under research and development contracts and other charges.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the average weekly number of passengers carried by the British Overseas Airways Corporation in direct non-stop flights between London and Prestwick and between Prestwick and London in each of the last five years.

The numbers, which comprise in the main passengers in transit between London and North America, are as follows:

Year		Average weekly number
		London-Prestwick	Prestwick-London
1960–61	…	350	325
1961–62	…	214	195
1962–63	…	191	126
1963–64	…	205	72

I regret that the corresponding figure for 1959–60 is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many direct non-stop flights there now are between London and Prestwick, and Prestwick and London, by the British Overseas Airways Corporation and other airlines.

B.O.A.C. at present has no direct non-stop flights between London and Prestwick. The only airline to make such flights is Air Canada at frequencies of 5 a week in the summer and 4 a week in the winter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the forthcoming extraction of a million tons of sand and gravel from the sea bed off the North Norfolk coast and the Humber, and the extensive damage this will cause to the Norfolk whelk industry; and what action he is taking to safeguard the industry.

I am aware of the proposal to dredge sand and gravel in these areas. Objections were made by my Department on fishery grounds to the original proposals; revised proposals for dredging in a much smaller area are under examination.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate of cereal imports he has made for the year ending June 1965.

It is difficult at this stage of the season to give any precise estimate of cereal imports during the current crop year but it is thought that they are likely to be less than last year—possibly within a range of 8 to 8¼ million tons excluding imports of cereal products other than flour.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report from the committee set up to consider the problems of brucellosis.

A report on a recent survey of brucellosis in dairy cattle will be published shortly. On present progress my right hon. Friend hopes to receive the result of the Department's further study of the problem of brucellosis early in the new year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much liquid egg was imported into the United Kingdom in 1962, 1963, and 1964; and what were the countries that supplied it.

The information is as follows:

IMPORTS OF LIQUID EGG PRODUCTS INTO THE UNITED KINODOM
thousand tons
—	1962	1963	1964 (January/October)
Frozen liquid egg
From
Australia	10·0	4·5	2·1
South Africa	2·1	1·0	0·7
Poland	1·5	2·2	1·4
New Zealand	—	1·1	—
China	1·1	0·7	—
Other countries	0·3	0·1	0·6
Total	15·0	9·6	4·8
Yolk
Total	0·2	0·2	0·2
Albumen
Total	3·0	3·2	1·8

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the amounts of fishmeal imported into this country from the main overseas suppliers; and what information he has as to the price paid for the raw material in each case, and the comparative price in this country.

Imports from the main suppliers in 1963 were as follows:

Country			tons
Peru	…	…	60,820
South West Africa	…	…	59,551
Iceland	…	…	44,271
Norway	…	…	38,991
Denmark	…	…	33,116
South Africa	…	…	22,559

I have no detailed information about the prices which foreign manufacturers have to pay for their raw material. Even if such prices could be obtained, it would be difficult to establish a valid basis of comparison of raw material costs since the prices paid by domestic manufacturers vary widely, particularly for herrings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he will forthwith ban the use in compound feedingstuffs of imported bone and meat meal; and if he will temporarily direct that the firm, whose name has been sent to him by the hon. Member for North Cornwall, be suspended from supplying compounds to the farming industry.

No. My right hon. Friend would not be justified in seeking powers either to impose a general ban or to suspend the activities of a particular supplier. Although outbreaks of anthrax are most commonly linked with imported bone products, the great majority of imported supplies cause no trouble. As indicated in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member's Question on 4th December, we are considering whether there is justification for additional control over imported bones.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force personnel are on the waiting list for married quarters at El Adem, Libya; and when it will be possible to meet such requirements.

Two hundred, of whom a proportion already have their families with them in private accommodation. The current period of separation varies from about three to twelve months. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind perhaps he would write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total weekly pay of the officers and men of the military police in the British Army of the Rhine.

Approximately £15,000, including allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for the reorganisation of Chelsea Hospital.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what representations were made, other than on the shortness of notice given, to the Kenya Government about the deportation of Mr. Richard Beeston.

The Acting British High Commissioner approached the Kenya Government at Mr. Beeston's request in order to ask that the order of expulsion should be rescinded or that, if this was not acceptable, the notice given should be extended. He was told that the Kenya Government were determined not to vary their decision. He pressed for an extension but this was refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what progress has been made with the formation of the Commonwealth Secretariat; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary to the right hon. Member for Streatham (Mr. Sandys) on 12th November. It has now been agreed that the meeting of Commonwealth officials will take place in London in the first week of January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is now contemplating to afford protection to local authorities from the full effects of the increase in the Bank Rate.

In accordance with normal practice, some of the additional expenditure on interest charges incurred by local authorities will be met by increases in Exchequer grants, and the appropriate Orders are being laid today by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Housing and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Scotland. As I told the House on 23rd November, I am considering whether some means can be found of mitigating the effect of the increase in Bank Rate on the housing programme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value of Government holdings of dollar securities at present market prices.

The market value of the portfolio fluctuates, but recently it has averaged around $1,250 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the substantial expansion of Calderpark Zoo, he will give it a grant-in-aid.

No. It is not the general policy of the Government to grant-aid zoos.

asked the Minister of Health how many women having their first child have been unable to obtain a bed in Gravesend Hospital in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, and to date in 1964.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of people on the waiting list for admission to Gravesend Hospital, and the category of treatment for which they are waiting.

The waiting list at 31st October, 1964, was 868 as follows:

General Surgery	540
Traumatic and Orthopaedic Surgery	106
Ophthalmology	4
Dentistry	7
Gynaecology	211

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that the maternity unit at Gravesend Hospital is adequate to accept all who wish to have their first confinement in hospital; and if he will make a statement.

No. A scheme is in hand to increase the number of maternity beds from 17 to 26. The regional hospital board hopes to complete this by the end of next year. A new maternity unit is being planned as the first phase of the major development of the hospital.

asked the Minister of Health how long was spent at the King Hill hostel by the officer of his Department who visited it in August; how many of the residents he saw personally; and whether the officer investigated any of the allegations made in the documents sent by the honourable Member for Orpington to him.

About three hours; several, but no record of numbers was kept; the officer was not aware of these allegations at the time of her visit and received no complaints while she was there. I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will contribute to the costs of the United Nations peace-keeping force in Cyprus during the current period of its mandate.

Her Majesty's Government have agreed to make a contribution of $1 million towards the cost of the United Nations force in Cyprus during the current three month period, in addition to continuing to provide free of charge a contingent of about 1,100 men. They have also agreed to provide free of charge the transportation required to rotate the Danish contingent, the cost of which will be of the order of £67,000. Parliament will in due course be asked by means of a Supplementary Estimate to vote whatever portion of this contribution is necessary during the current Financial Year.

asked the Paymaster-General when he last visited the Chelsea Hospital in the exercise of his official duties; and what was the purpose of his visit.

As Chairman, I visited the Royal Hospital, Chelsea on 17th November at the invitation of the Governor.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, in view of the increase in the price of a bag of coal, if she will consider taking steps to supply a free bag of coal during the festive season to the old-age pensioners.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 30th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why he will not grant a free pardon to Mr. N. Zoledziewski, arising from a conviction when it was alleged he had failed to register a change of address, although the evidence was not complete enough to warrant a conviction, and evidence submitted by his solicitor to the Home Secretary on 21st October, 1964, shows that there was clear evidence that there was no change of address.

The conviction was in 1954. Mr. Zoledziewski, who did not appeal at the time, represented to the Home Office in 1958 that he had been wrongfully convicted. Careful consideration was given to these and subsequent representations and my right hon. Friend has now considered the case, including the solicitor's letter of 21st October, but on the information before (him he can find no sufficient grounds for concluding that Mr. Zoledziewski was wrongly convicted.