asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for reducing the shortage of teachers; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering urgently all the possibilities that might help to reduce the shortage, including the encouragement of more married women to return to teaching and the fullest use of the Special Recruitment Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, with a view to reducing the shortage of teachers in Scotland, he will now enable suitable retired teachers to return to duty on full pay and pension.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Sir M. Galpern) on 25th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for encouraging an increase in the pace of slum clearance, and the provision of new houses.

—	1964–65	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68 (part year only)
	£	£	£	£
(a) Authority's proposals at costs estimated by them at December, 1963	752,000	543,000	140,000	—
(b) Proposals as at (a) on basis of up-to-date costs (tender costs or the Authority's latest estimated costs)	1,127,000	810,000	140,000	—
(c) Allocations of investment	400,000	250,000	250,000	150,000

The figures relate to value of Projects to start. It is understood that the authority intends to start Back Junior Secondary School early in 1965–66; but until it confirms the list of projects it proposes to start it is not possible to give further information.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements will be made under the new regional pro-

I have asked all local authorities for their comprehensive proposals for the three years 1965 to 1967, and will discuss with them the scale and pace of slum clearance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what bodies and persons with special knowledge and experience of Highlands and Islands problems he intends to consult before introducing legislation appointing the proposed Highland Development Board.

I propose to have consultations with representatives of the main local authority and other organisations concerned with the Highlands and Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the financial school building allocation requested by Ross and Cromarty County Council; what is the current allocation since the recent cuts; how many new schools in the Isle of Lewis it will be able to undertake within the present financial restrictions; and when work on them is to begin.

The following is the information requested.posals to give recognition to the differing needs of the differing regions within Scotland; and what development machinery will be available to the different regions.

This will be considered with the new Scottish Economic Planning Council when it has been set up.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what respect his economic plan for Scotland differs from that already in existence.

There is at present no such plan in existence. Its preparation, within the framework of a national plan for the economy as a whole, will be the task of the new machinery for Scottish economic planning which we have just announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the relationship between the Development Unit in the Scottish Office and the new Scottish Planning Board.

I assume the right hon. Member is referring to the Scottish Development Group. As I explained to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mr. G. Campbell) on 2nd December, its functions will be taken over by the Scottish Planning Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what economies will accrue to the small burghs in Fife and Kinross if the plan for the proposed regional water board is adopted.

By enabling the water resources of the region to be used and developed in the most efficient manner the proposed board for Fife and Kinross should prove of benefit to the area as a whole including small burghs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any proportion of the retentions can be applied by the Glenrothes Development Corporation to the payment of outstanding accounts to sub-contractors to the Cadco Building Company.

Any surplus funds in the hands of the Development Corporation will have to be paid to the Official Receiver for the benefit of the Cadco Building Co's creditors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public money was involved directly or indirectly in the Cadco project at Glenrothes, Fife; and what the prospects are for recoupment.

Total payments made by the Glenrothes Development Corporation to the Cadco Building Company for work done amount to £767,302. The Development Corporation is in discussion with a number of firms interested in taking over all or parts of the premises. Recoupment of expenditure will depend on the form of disposal eventually agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek power to ensure that, before public houses are established in housing schemes where they do not presently exist, not less than 10 per cent. of the electors within the scheme shall represent to the local authority that they desire such facilities, and that thereon the local authority shall carry out a referendum among all the electors within the scheme in the same manner as a temperance poll under the Licensing (Scotland) Act, 1959, and a resolution shall be held to have been adopted if a majority of the votes recorded are in favour of the resolution, and not less than 35 per cent. of the total electorate for the housing scheme have voted in favour thereof.

No. The Guest Committee considered this possibility in its second Report and recommended against it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the reasons for the delay in announcing a decision on Glasgow Corporation's request to utilise for playing fields 40 acres of land east of Aikenhead Road, zoned as open space.

This request necessitated public inquiries into two separate issues, a development plan amendment and a compulsory purchase order on the one hand and a planning appeal on the other. These inquiries took up four days over a period in July and called for a lengthy report which I received last month. My consideration of this is almost complete and I expect to issue my decision shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is, by reference to each college of education, the number of places available, the number of students presently in training, the number refused admission at the commencement of the present session, and the number of vacant places and the reasons for such vacancies; and if he will make a statement.

The following is the Answer:The latest information available from the Scottish Council for the Training of Teachers is that the number of students in training this session in each of the colleges is as follows:

Aberdeen College of Education	977
Callender Park College of Education	170
Craigie College of Education	193
Craiglockhart College of Education	243
Dundee College of Education	744
Dunfermline College of Physical Education	227
Jordanhill College of Education	2,971
Moray House College of Education	1,795
Notre Dame College of Education	772

There are no places to spare in any college except Callender Park (30) and Craigie (7), each of which could have taken 200 students this year.No candidate who satisfied the conditions for admission was refused a place this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals against winter keep gradings still remain to be dealt with.

The total number of appeals received up to 4th December was 2,558; of which 1,988 have been settled leaving 570 still to be dealt with.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names of ex-military personnel, and their rank, who have secured appointments in the new towns since 1946, and the salary paid in each case.

Appointments other than to the New Town Development Corporations do not require my approval. Of the total of 68 persons who, since 1946, have been appointed by the Secretary of State to serve as members of the corporations, I am aware of two who had previously been employed as regulars in the Armed Services, namely:

• General Sir Gordon Macmillan. Chairman of Cumbernauld Development Corporation since 1956; and
• Admiral Sir Peter Reid, a member of Livingston Development Corporation since 1962.

Corporation Chairmen are at present paid £2,000 a year and members £500 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the general managers of new town development corporations appointed since 1946 had had previous experience of business or local government.

These appointments do not require my approval. The Corporations' statutory reports show that of the six individuals who have served as general managers since 1946, two had previous service as officers employed in local government. I have no knowledge as to whether any of the six was at any time employed in private business.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities and new town corporations to become certificate holders in the licensed trade.

I have no plans at present to introduce legislation to this effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much Channel Islands milk is produced annually in Scotland.

About 1 million gallons comprising rather less than 1 per cent. of all milk sold in the liquid market in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he will take to enable people who intend to build their own houses to receive mortgages at favourable rates of interest.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government explained in reply to Questions on 24th November, the Government wish to complete their reviews of housing subsidies and finance, in conjunction with the local authority associations, before any statement is made about interest charges on loans to private individuals for house purchase.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Highland Panel report on land use is to be published; and what action he proposes to take on the report.

The Report on land use which the Highland Panel has submitted to me is being published today. I welcome this Report and I am grateful to the Panel for its comprehensive investigation. I shall give careful consideration to the important recommendations made in the report. Some of these are already being implemented, others are being discussed with authorities concerned—including the Crofters Commission—while others would require legislative action. The Report is, of course, relevant to the Scottish Development Group's current study of the Highland area, and to the work of the Highland Development Board which I am proposing to appoint.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report of the Departmental Committee of inquiry into the Aberdeen typhoid outbreak will be published.

On 17th December.

asked the Minister of Transport why instructions were given on 28th October, 1964, for the Brightlingsea railway line to be torn up after the hon. Member for Harwich had written to him on 21st October, 1964, asking for his reconsideration of this closure.

I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary said in reply to the debate on 27th November.

asked the Minister of Transport if he proposes to take the necessary action to enable British Railways workshops to tender for equipment required by purchasers outside the publicly-owned transport sector; and when such action will be taken.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will take the necessary action to enable British Railways workshops to tender for orders from outside the publicly-owned transport system, including export orders.

I have removed the existing Ministerial restriction and approved the British Railways Board proposal (the full terms of which, with permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT) to make wagons for customers outside the publicly-owned transport sector for use on the nationalised railways in this country. Manufacturing for export would require new legislation and I am looking into this question.Following is the Board's proposal:

asked the Minister of Transport what decision he has reached in regard to the closure proposal of the Railways Board of the Manchester-Oldham-Rochdale passenger train services.

I have not yet received the report of the Transport Users Consultative Committee. When I do, I will consider it along with all the other factors, in accordance with the general policy I announced in my statement on 4th November, before reaching my decision.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the frequent late running, overcrowding, and cancellation of train services, where no alternative underground service exists, if he will seek power to control fares until passengers receive an adequate service.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will vary the conditions of consent to the closure of the Whitby-Malton-Scarborough railway lines on the grounds that the proposed alternative transport is inadequate; and whether he will reconsider the report of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee before deciding on the necessary variation.

I shall be glad to consider any concrete evidence given to me that the alternative services will not meet essential needs. In doing so I will certainly take account of any relevant observations in the T.U.C.C.'s report.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is yet able to give his decision on the proposed withdrawal of passenger train services between Liverpool, Lime Street, and Chester, General, and the discontinuance of all passenger train services between Runcorn and Frodsham.

No. I shall give my decision as soon as I have completed my examination of the Transport Users Consultative Committee's report and all other relevant factors. The report reached me only last week.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will set up a study group to determine whether tube, helicopter, monorail or hovercar would be the fastest and safest form of transport by which to travel to London Airport.

A committee covering these matters already exists. I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to him on 11th November and the Answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) on 30th November.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will order a new inquiry into the advisability of applying to all motor vehicles the rule of yielding at intersections to traffic on the right.

This proposal has been examined several times in the past and rejected. The new Traffic Signs Regulations at present before the House prescribe new signs, including road markings, which will he used to distinguish the minor from the major road at virtually all junctions. I am sure these will be much clearer than any general rule which, as abroad, would necessarily have numerous and confusing exceptions.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make regulations prohibiting the parking of vehicles in the vicinity of schools, and particularly the temporary stopping of ice cream vendors' vans there.

No. The new Traffic Signs Regulations prescribe a carriageway marking with the words "SCHOOL ENTRANCE" to indicate that part of a carriageway outside a school which should be kept clear of stationary vehicles. Where such markings have already been authorised they have been found to be generally effective. When, however, this marking is not observed it is open to the competent authority to impose a waiting restriction under powers which are already available. It is in any case illegal under the general law for a vehicle to park any where it causes danger or unnecessary obstruction. Nevertheless, I am looking urgently into the safety problem of children and ice cream vans.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the annual cost to British Road Services of belonging to the Road Haulage Association.

Companies in the British Road Services Federation were admitted to a special category of membership of the Road Haulage Association on 1st October, 1964. It is for the parties concerned to decide how much information about the membership terms should be made public.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the results of the experiments he is now carrying out in order to find remedies for the problems of rural transport.

Within two or three months, I hope.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that in a recent test conducted in Salford, one-third of the 1,457 motorists who took a health test proved to have defective eyesight and were not able to judge distances properly; and whether he will advise other local authorities to carry out occasional tests of this kind with a view to promoting greater road safety.

I know the findings of the Salford survey which set a higher standard than that established in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations.These regulations require drivers to be capable of reading a number plate at 25 yards in good daylight. Under Section 235 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, it is an offence for an applicant for a driving licence to state that his vision reaches that standard if, in fact, it does not, and under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, it is an offence to drive a motor vehicle on a road with vision—with glasses if worn—of less than that standard. I welcome any action by local authorities which may impress these points on motorists who may not have fully appreciated them.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that no waiting restrictions are making it increasingly difficult for doctors to call on their patients; and if he will take steps to exempt them from such restrictions.

In many areas, including London, the police exercise discretion in favour of doctors, so far as circumstances permit, if their cars are marked by a badge provided by the British Medical Association. This arrangement seems to work well.

asked the Minister of Transport how many driving test examiners are at present employed; what number is actually required; for what average period a learner-driver has to wait for a test; and what plans he has to boost recruiting of examiners.

asked the Minister of Transport how many L drivers were awaiting tests at the latest convenient date; how many driving examiners were available at 1st January, 1964; and how many are engaged on this work at the present time.

At 5th December, 1964, 433,758 L-drivers were awaiting Tests. The average waiting period was 12 weeks. At 1st January, 1964, there were 1,204 Examiners employed on L-testing. Because of wastage, there are now 1,180, but I am aiming to recruit 250 more, both to replace wastage and to expand the total force. I hope that this will diminish the average waiting period, but it is not easy to predict the volume of public demand. The situation is being kept under constant review.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, as suggested by the hon. Member for Banbury in the debate on 16th March, 1962, he will take steps to set a term of years by the end of which the ancient tolls on bridges on classified roads shall be extinguished.

No. I am not convinced the circumstances require such a step. in my view the best solution for through traffic is usually a new route altogether.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take to impress on all road users the need for extra care during the Christmas period.

The Government has launched a large scale Press, television and poster advertising campaign which will reach its peak in Christmas week. It focuses attention on road dangers by highlighting the particular hazards of driving after drinking. Considerable helpful additional support is continuing to be given by the Press and television.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent he took into consideration, when drafting the Severn Bridge Tolls Bill, the need to ensure that no compensation should be paid for the extinguishment of the franchise granting ferry rights over the Severn originally granted to a favourite of James I in 1607 and now claimed to be vested in a descendant, the Duke of Beaufort, which would be greater than the original consideration given in 1607; and if he will investigate the nature and character of the original consideration given to the Severn Bridge ferry operator, in order to satisfy himself that a payment of compensation would not offend against public taste.

The Severn Bridge Tolls Bill does not include any provision for compensating the owner of a ferry franchise if it is extinguished. The Bill does include a provision enabling the ferry operator, where operation of the ferry is discontinued on or after opening of the road, to apply to me for compensation, and empowering me, if certain requirements are satisfied, to pay such compensation as I may consider appropriate in accordance with the provision of the Bill. The present operators first acquired rights in 1931. The terms of their rights have been revealed to me in confidential "without prejudice" discussions.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) who were the parties to the indenture conveyance of 25th March, 1795, whereby the Severn Ferry franchise was transferred to the predecessor of the present Duke of Beaufort;(2) what investigation he has made into the circumstances whereby a franchise was believed to have been granted to the predecessor of the Duke of Beaufort, which, in part, forms the basis of the payment of compensation as envisaged in the Severn Bridge Tolls Bill; and if he will make a statement.

The history of the ferry franchises was given at a public inquiry in 1946 into the draft of the Order which fixed the line of the Severn Bridge and its approach roads. No information was given then, or has been given to me since, about the parties to the indenture conveyance of 1795. Further investigation into this would not be relevant at present. The Severn Bridge Tolls Bill includes a provision that I must be satisfied as to certain matters concerning the ownership of, and interest in, the franchise if I am to entertain an application for its extinguishment. There is no occasion for me to consider these matters unless or until such an application is made under the provisions of the Bill if enacted.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has now decided who is to be the chairman of the Nationalised Transport Advisory Council.

I will make a statement on the future of the Council as soon as I can. For the moment the Answer to the hon. Member's Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to increase expenditure on A.4 to alleviate traffic congestion already in existence on this road, which is expected to worsen on the opening of the Severn Bridge.

Bearing in mind progress on the construction of the M.4 motorway, the main weight of traffic on A.4 is likely to be between Chippenham and Maidenhead. Improvements costing over £1,130,000 are in hand or soon to be started on this stretch of the road.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he now has to prevent the accumulation of litter and filth surrounding lay-bys and the edges of public highways.

I already pay the full cost of providing anti-litter signs and litter bins and of emptying the bins at lay-bys on trunk roads in rural areas. As for sanitary nuisances, I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds) on 11th November.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to introduce legislation to streamline the present procedure of commencing new road constructions.

I have no immediate plans for legislation. The statutory procedures governing the construction of trunk roads and motorways are under constant review to see if any changes are desirable. These procedures are for the protection of those affected by road proposals and necessarily take time. Our forward road programming arrangements are designed to enable the procedures to be started far enough ahead of the time the road works are planned to start.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now state when is the likely starting date for the Yorkshire section of the Yorkshire-Lancashire motorway.

It is planned to start major earth-works on a section in the Pennines in the spring of 1966, but the main roadworks depend on completion of the statutory processes and availability of funds.

asked the Minister of Tranport whether, in view of the delay in the authorisation of the Fareham section of the Southern Trunk Road, he will now act to permit traffic to join A.27 from side roads by authorising the installation of traffic signals at the junctions of Portland Street, Osborn Road, Trinity Street and Grove Road with West Street, Fare-ham, and at Porchester crossroads.

I have asked my Divisional Road Engineer to re-examine the situation at these junctions. When I have studied his report, I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects work to start on the by-pass at Eaton Socon on the A.1.

The preparation of this scheme is in a preliminary stage. I hope to publish a draft Order under Section 7 of the Highways Act, 1959, by about the middle of next year with a view to fixing the line of the road. Work will start when the statutory processes, detailed design and acquisition of land have been completed.

asked the Minister of Transport when he is proposing to make a start on the construction of the Leominster by-pass.

I cannot say. The by-pass has not been able to secure a place in the announced forward programme.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will arrange for a pedestrian crossing to be placed at the junction of Glen Road and Churchwood Avenue with the trunk Otley Road, Leeds, 16,(2) how many accidents, fatal and otherwise, have occurred within the last three years at the junction of Glen Road and Churchwood Avenue with the trunk Otley Road, Leeds, 16.

The Otley Road here is not a trunk road. No application for a pedestrian crossing has been made by the appropriate local authority. On present criteria a crossing could not be justified. in the past three years there have been four personal injury accidents, all non-fatal. In only one of these was a pedestrian injured.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if Leeds Corporation has accepted the offer of a loan from his Department towards the cost of improving the lighting along the Leeds-Otley trunk road from Lawnswood to the Leeds city boundary; and when the offer was accepted;(2) if he will urge Leeds Corporation to expedite the work required to improve the street lighting along the Leeds-Otley trunk road between Lawnswood and the Leeds city boundary.

Lighting columns are now being erected on the length of the Leeds-Otley trunk road (A.660) from its junction with A.6120 to a point 200 feet north of Kingsley Drive. I am contributing 50 per cent. of the cost of this lighting scheme. No loan is involved as the Leeds City Council are meeting the balance out of revenue. I feel sure the Council will complete the work as quickly as they can, but both they and the Yorkshire Electricity Board are, at the present time, heavily involved with a number of other urgent street lighting schemes.The remaining length of the Otley Road to the city boundary is, except for one hotel, undeveloped and there are no proposals to light this stretch.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what is the number of accidents, fatal and otherwise, which have occurred within the last five years at the junction of the Leeds-Otley trunk road with Church Lane and Farrar Lane at Adel, Leeds;(2) what further negotiations have taken place to improve the site lines at the crossing of the Leeds-Otley trunk road with Church Lane and Farrar Lane at Adel, Leeds.

During the past five years one person has been killed in an accident and six people have been slightly injured in five other accidents at this junction.The cutting and thinning of trees and shrubs on the eastern side of the trunk road has been completed. Occupiers of properties on the western side of the road are being approached about the cutting down or removal of hedges on that side.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the revenue in landing fees and other amounts received during 1963 and 1964; and which airlines operate from Gatwick.

For the financial year 1962–63, the revenue from landing fees at Gatwick was £402,445; and from other activities and services £464,740. For the year 1963–64, the amounts were £404.075 and £507,823 respectively.Five airlines, namely, British European Airways, British United Airways, Dan Air Services, Morton Air Services and Scillonian Air Services, operate regular passenger services from the airport.About 50 other airlines use Gatwick for charter services.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a statement about the present stage of discussions between his Department and Ferranti, Limited on the subject of the company's repayment of excess profits arising from the Bloodhound I missile contracts.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) whether he is aware that Ferranti, Limited are finding difficulties in repaying to the Government their debt of £4½ million; and whether, when allowing them time to repay this debt, he will claim the normal market rate of interest on the amount of the debt left outstanding until such time as repayment has been completed;(2) whether he is aware that Ferranti, Limited are finding difficulty in repaying to the Government their debt of £4½ million; and what steps he is taking to recover the sum.

Negotiations between my Department and Messrs. Ferranti, Ltd. on the terms on which the company should repay the £4¼ million which they have agreed to refund from their profits on Bloodhound I production are still going on. I cannot at this stage anticipate the outcome. So far the company have not been prepared to accept terms which the Government could regard as satisfactory.The statement by Mr. Sebastian de Ferranti to the effect that he cannot afford to make this repayment over a short period of time must be viewed against the background that his company made a profit £5·77of million on production contracts which it cost them only £7·05 million to carry out and that they have had the use of this money, less the tax paid on it, for some years.

asked the Minister of Aviation when he hopes to conclude his re-examination of the problems of aircraft noise at London Airport.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Brentford and Chiswick (Mr. Dudley Smith) on Tuesday, 15th December.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether Abbotsinch will be fitted with equipment to enable blind landings to take place.

The airborne and ground equipment needed for blind landing by commercial airlines is still under development. It is not yet possible to say at what aerodromes the installation of the fully developed equipment will ultimately be justified but when Abbots-inch is opened it will have the latest type of instrument landing system installed at both ends of the main runway. This system permits suitably equipped aircraft to land under 100 ft. cloud base in quarter-mile visibility.

asked the Minister of Aviation by what criteria, when a nationalised Air Corporation submits a tender for trooping, Her Majesty's Government will judge whether the tender is commercially competitive.

Primarily by reference to competing tenders and to current contract prices. In the unlikely event of a Corporation offering what are, prima facie, unduly low prices for trooping work, I have the necessary statutory power to require information for the purpose of satisfying myself that the Corporation's finances will not be adversely affected by carrying out the work at the prices quoted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that small poultry and egg producers in the vicinity of very large units are sufficiently protected against the spread of fowl pest; and if he will make a statement.

In order to secure the maximum protection for his flock against fowl pest every poultry keeper, whether his flock be large or small, should adopt a regular programme of vaccination, and support this with good husbandry, hygiene and disease security measures. I am satisfied that if small poultry keepers carry out these measures conscientiously the chances of their flocks contracting fowl pest will be very greatly reduced, whatever their situation. Moreover, most of the country's large flocks are vaccinated, and experience has shown that, if for any reason vaccination should fail to protect a vaccinated flock, the amount of virus produced and disseminated is very much smaller than is the case in a non-vaccinated flock.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the expert and scientific advice that has determined the necessity to carry out an annual cull of seals on the Fame Islands.

The Report of the Consultative Committee on Grey Seals and Fisheries published in May, 1963, contains the main body of expert and scientific advice on the question of grey seals. Additional information made available since then, which I have taken into account in my recent decision to continue the cull, is in preparation for publication.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that live fowl pest vaccine is being imported into the United Kingdom and used in poultry flocks; and what steps he is taking to stop this practice.

The importation into this country of live fowl pest vaccine, and the use of such vaccine in poultry flocks, are both illegal. There have been a number of unsubstantiated reports, and a greater number of rumours, of such irregularities, and all of these have been or are being investigated by my Department, as will any further reports or rumours which reach us; where appropriate the Department of Customs and Excise is co-operating with us in our investigations. If the hon. Member has any information about illegalities of this kind he should bring it to my attention. Our investigations so far have revealed no evidence that live vaccine is being imported into or used in this country, except in one instance in which the Customs seized a quantity of live vaccine being smuggled into the country by a poultry farmer: this farmer was successfully prosecuted and fined. We shall not hesitate to prosecute in any other cases of illegal importation or use of live vaccine which may be detected in the future.The policy of using dead vaccine has the support of the organised poultry industry and has achieved a considerable measure of success. It can achieve still greater success if every poultry keeper will adopt a regular programme of vaccination supported by husbandry, hygiene and disease security measures.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it was with his authority that Mr. Emrys Jones, a senior official of the National Agricultural Advisory Service, stated in a public lecture at Queen's University, Belfast, that 60,000 small farmers would be far better off if they went out of farming.

I am afraid the hon. Member has been misled by newspaper reports. Mr. Emrys Jones made no reference to any figure of 60,000 small farmers in his recent lecture at Queen's University, Belfast. He did, however, in reply to a question following a recent talk to the N.F.U. Branch at Colchester give this figure as his personal estimate of the number of small farms at or below the lower limits of eligibility of the Small Farmer Scheme whose occupiers, even if given all the technical assistance available, could not be expected to get from them an income equivalent to an agricultural worker's earnings. He did not suggest that the occupiers should necessarily go out of farming. Mr. Jones was of course following the normal practice of the N.A.A.S. in giving to gatherings of farmers a broad picture of economic and technical trends in agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now make a statement concerning the proposals to raise the price of Channel Islands milk or to free it from retail price control.

I met the Joint Committee of the Milk Marketing Board and the Central Milk Distributive Committee yesterday. I am considering their representations urgently and hope to announce my conclusions shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for the formation of a Cereals Import Commission; and when it will be established.

I have no plans for the formation of a Cereals Import Commission in the near future. In considering the possibilities for the longer term, the Government would, as promised, consult all the interests concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reductions have been made in the Department of the Paymaster-General since 15th October, 1964.

The existing staff—including two in the private office—total 631, six fewer than on 15th October, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated total annual budget for the Department of the Paymaster-General.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the cost of salaries and other incidentals. This information is shown in the Civil Estimates, Class I, Vote 3.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to remove the restrictive effect of Pay As You Earn on all hours worked over 42 a week and on all hours worked over 30 a week for those employed on exports.

I am not persuaded that special tax treatment would be right in principle; moreover it would be unsatisfactory in practice.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, consequential to the proposed corporation tax, he intends to have a withholding tax on dividends paid to overseas investors in United Kingdom companies at a rate lower than the United Kingdom standard rate of Income Tax; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which my right hon. Friend gave on 8th December.

UNITED KINGDOM PRIVATE INVESTMENT ABROAD (Net of disinvestment: £ million)
1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964 (First Half)*
—127	—173	—238	—182	—258	—298	—307	—311	—314	—321	—253	—309	—215

NOTES

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take action to assist local authorities to provide more houses by reducing interest charges on

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a system of taxation rebates to be allowed in proportion to the percentage of a firm's total production which is for export.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion but I would remind him that any such rebate of direct tax would be contrary to our international obligations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total investments, loans, etc., made abroad by British subjects in 1938, and for each year between 1950 and 1964, respectively.

Figures of United Kingdom private investment abroad, net of disinvestment, are given below for the years 1952 to 1963 and for the first half of 1964. Those for the third and fourth quarters of 1964 will appear in the December, 1964, and March, 1965, issues of Economic Trends, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Similar figures for earlier years are not available.A note on pages 32 to 34 of

As I have told the House, I am considering whether some means can be found of mitigating the effect of the increase in Bank Rate on the housing programme. Longer-term policy on interest rates on housing loans will be considered when the review of housing subsidies and finance currently being undertaken by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Housing and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Scotland have been completed.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is satisfied that the present stocks and output of bricks are adequate to meet all the demands of the building and construction industries in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

At present the output of bricks in Scotland is more than adequate for current demands. I have told the Scottish brickmakers that demands will increase, and I have asked them to consider building up stocks against the summer demand next year.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will set out in detail the new factors in the Regional Plan for the North-East which differ from the development plan at present in operation in the area.

The programme for the North-East published by the last Government will be reviewed within the framework of the Government's national planning policies. Our new regional economic planning machinery will, in the Northern Region as elsewhere, ensure that local interests play their proper part in shaping the future of their region.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will initiate a modernisation and export drive early in 1965; and if he will include in it an investment for modernisation policy, regional conferences, and appeals to support the drive by television, Press and other appropriate methods.

We started this the moment we took office. We shall support it by improvements in the machinery of Government, by a wide range of policy measures, and by all the information and publicity methods my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will allow the North-West Study Group to continue to consider the problems of Cumberland and Westmorland until it concludes its Report, thus avoiding unnecessary delays in transferring these important decisions to the new Northern Planning Region.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the budget of the Medical Research Council was devoted to research in bio-medical data-processing equipment in the last complete five-year period.

The Council is actively encouraging the use and development of data-processing equipment in a wide variety of medical and biological fields but it is not possible to make a separate estimate of its expenditure on such research.

asked the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs what progress Her Majesty's Government have made in meeting the Brazilian Government's request for financial assistance.

An agreement was signed in Rio de Janeiro on 14th October between Her Majesty's Government and the Brazilian Government, providing for a loan of up to £4,160,000 for the re-financing of certain maturities falling due in 1964 and 1965 in respect of United Kingdom commercial suppliers' medium-term credits. The first payment under the agreement is expected to be made before the end of this year. The necessary Supplementary Estimate will be presented in due course. In the meantime, any urgent expenditure will be met by an advance from the Civil Contingencies Fund.

asked the Minister of Health how many courses in medical automation are available for the medical profession.

Two at present within the Health Service.

asked the Minister of Health how many bio-medical data-processing centres are in operation in the Health Service.

Seventeen centres and hospitals use data-processing equipment which can process medical data and fifteen of these are doing this kind of work. There are computers at six of these.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities employ a health education officer; and how many of these have been trained as a cancer education officer.

Local authorities organise their health education work in many different ways. I understand that about 50 authorities in England and Wales have designated an officer to take special responsibility, either whole-time or part-time, for organising health education. I am not aware of any special training in cancer education.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what guidance he has now given to local authorities on the problems connected with the disposal of worn-out and derelict vehicles.

My right hon. Friend expects to issue a circular early in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the value and tonnage of waste paper salvaged by local authorities in each of the last five years; and whether, as a contribution towards the solution of the balance of payments difficulties, he will introduce financial and other means of encouraging more local authorities to salvage paper.

Figures for the whole country are not available. The following are the latest available from returns by 470 local authorities, with a total population of 33 million, of whom about 400 salvage waste paper:

—		Value in £ million	Tonnage
1962–63	…	1·8	245,000
1961–62	…	2·2	282,000
1960–61	…	2·1	286,000
1959–60	…	2·0	274,000
1958–59	…	2·0	260,000

The best encouragement to local authorities is the offer of satisfactory contracts by the users of waste paper, and my right hon. Friend does not think there should be any need for him to encourage authorities to increase their salvage efforts.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what were his reasons for withdrawing the modification proposed by his predecessor to the Thornbury Town Map, whereby the industrial notation would have been eliminated.

I have written to the hon. Member about this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will allow the appeal against the decision of the Slough Borough Council not to permit the construction of 151 houses at the junction of Sutton Lane and Colnbrook by-pass, in view of the acute shortage both of houses and of building land in the Slough area.

My right hon. Friend has not yet made a decision on this appeal. When he does so I will send the hon. Member a copy of the decision letter.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many houses are owned by the Forestry Commission; how many of these are let on service tenancies; and how many are let on ordinary agricultural tenancies.

The Forestry Commission possesses 5,822 houses, of which 4,438 are occupied by Commission staff on service or similar tenancies and 466 on ordinary agricultural tenancies. The remaining 918 houses are otherwise let to persons not in the Commission's employment.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many staff are employed in his Department; how many of these are of the rank of assistant secretary and above; what is the annual cost of their salaries; and on what vote they are borne in the current year.

There are at present 76 officials in my Department, of whom eight are assistant secretaries and above. The estimated annual cost of their salaries is £110,400. Pending the approval of Estimates for 1964–5, which will be submitted in due course, the remuneration and expenses of persons appointed directly to the department are being met out of advances from the Civil Contingencies Fund; the remaining persons appointed have been transferred from other departments, and their pay and expenses are continuing to be met out of monies voted by Parliament for those Departments.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what is the acreage of forest land under his control in the counties of West Suffolk, and Norfolk; how many men are employed there; what was the value of forestry and related products sold from these areas in each of the last 10 years; and what was the profit and loss account over the same period.

The Forestry Commission has 51,154 acres under plantations in West Suffolk and Norfolk: 464 forest workers are employed in the area.The accounts for the last 10 years are not now available, but the produce trading account for the last six years shows:

—		Sales Receipts	Surplus
		£	£
1959	…	289,635	106,665
1960	…	263,291	83,686
1961	…	269,172	92,293
1962	…	312,613	91,382
1963	…	335,923	100,029
1964	…	371,162	109,008
		£1,841,796	£583,063

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what instructions have been given to local offices of the National Assistance Board as regards the giving of an extra weekly allowance during the winter to meet the cost of extra fuel.

The Board's local officers make allowances for the cost of extra fuel in the weekly grants of recipients where expenditure on heating needs to be above the normal level, because, for example, of poor health, or the type of accommodation occupied. In December, 1963, they were making provision of this kind in nearly 500,000 cases.In addition, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11th November last during his Budget statement, the National Assistance Board is making a special grant this winter to all people over retirement age who are receiving National Assistance—apart from those in hospital and in Old People's Homes—and to others who are likely to need extra heating. The amount of this special grant is, as my right hon. Friend stated in the House on 16th November, £4.

asked the Postmaster-General how many hon. Members have Division bells in their private residences; and what annual charge is made for such devices.

There are 60 hon. Members with Division bells in their private residences. The annual charge for the facility depends on the distance the hon. Member lives from the House, but in the majority of cases it varies between £3 I4s. 0d. and £12 14s. 0d.I am sorry that in answer to the Question of the hon. Member for Manchester, Moss Side (Mr. Frank Taylor) on 8th December, I said that a ringing test

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES
		County of Kent			Ashford U.D.
		1962	1963	1964 (January to November)	1962	1963	1964 (January to November)
Granted	…	64	51	76	—	2	8
Refused	…	1	1	7	—	—	—
Total	…	65	52	83	—	2	8

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will take steps to obtain from manufacturing firms suggestions further to increase exports;(2) if he will have consultations with the managements of the large manufacturing concerns with the best export record, in order to benefit from their experience and see that it is applied to increase the exports from other concerns.

Yes. I am in close touch with industry both directly and through the British National Export Council and other national organisations concerned with exports. The Minister of State (Overseas) in my Department is engaged in a series of meetings with senior representatives of major exporting companies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he will take to increase the volume of output of private Division bells is made daily from Monday to Friday at 10 a.m. and that hon. Members must arrange for their bells to be switched on at 10 a.m. The test is in fact made at 9.45 a.m. and hon. Members should arrange for their bells to be switched on at that time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of industrial development certificates sought and granted for the County of Kent and the town of Ashford, respectively, during each of the last three years.

The figures are as follows:of the pottery industry and the percentage of the total for export.

During the first 10 months of this year the output of the domestic pottery industry was 6 per cent. higher than in the corresponding period last year and exports, which had increased by 8 per cent., amounted to 41 per cent. of total sales. The services of the Board of Trade are freely available to the industry and I am always ready to do whatever I can to help.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will introduce legislation to ensure the political impartiality of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Authority.

No. Both broadcasting authorities are already under a duty to treat controversial subjects with due impartiality.