asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additives are now allowed to be added to wheat flour and to bread at any stage of its production; if he will give particulars of the advisory body or bodies who are consulted before further additives are permitted; and when the possible effect of the combination of the total additives, whose use is now authorised by his Department, was last considered by these advisory bodies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he is aware of the possible deleterious side-effects to cattle in the use of the chemical trichlorphon; and if he will make a statement on the deaths of cattle on a Kentish farm recently from this cause;(2) when his Department was first informed of the proposed use of the chemical trichlorphon for cattle; what tests or trials had been made on it at that time, and over what period; what tests or trials were subsequently required by his Department; and of what duration these were.

Formulations of trichlorphon for veterinary use were notified to the then Advisory Committee on the Use of Poisonous Substances in Agriculture and Food Storage in July, 1960. The notification was supported by detailed information about extensive field trials and experimental work carried out over a period of years, including evidence that in rare cases trichlorphon can produce transient reactions in correctly treated animals. The use of these and later formulations were cleared on the basis of this information and subject to the observance of recommended precautions. My officers were not consulted about the deaths of cattle to which the hon. Member refers, and I am unable to say whether these were in any way due to the use of trichlorphon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of growing public concern over the use of chemicals for crops, animal diets, dressings, and sprays, he will state the policy of his Department regarding the testing and trials of such substances.

The manufacturers have agreed not to market any new agricultural pesticide, veterinary product or similar chemical until they have submitted to the Agricultural Departments full details of the results of the tests and trials they have conducted on its toxicity and safety in use. These data are considered by the Government's Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals, who are free to call for further trials and data before clearance is given for it to be put on the market. The manufacturers have also agreed to incorporate in the label the recommendations for safe use advised by the Committee and agreed with Government Departments.The Advisory Committee is at present reviewing the whole of the present safety arrangements and in this connection is examining the scientific standards applied in assessing the information received from the manufacturers.The use of antibiotics in feedingstuffs is controlled by regulations made under the Therapeutic Substances Act, 1956.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the latest estimates he has made of the agricultural subsidies for the United kingdom for 1964–65; together with comparable figures for the previous year.

I. FARMING GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES
	£ million
	Latest estimate of outturn	Actual outturn
	1964–65	1963–64
1. General Fertilisers Subsidy	31·7	33·6
2. Lime Subsidy	9·4	8·0
3. Grants for Ploughing up Grassland	8·3	9·9
4. Grassland Renovation Grants	0·1	—
5. Field Drainage and Water Supply Grants	3·9	3·3
6. Grants for Improvement of Livestock Rearing Land	1·5	1·4
7. Winter Keep Grants	2·8	—
8. Marginal Production Assistance Grants	—	0·7
9. Bonus Payments under the Tuberculosis (Attested Herds) Scheme	1·5	3·2
10. Calf Subsidy	20·3	19·4
11. Hill Cattle and Hill Sheep	11·7	8·0
12. Silo Subsidies	0·3	0·3
13. Grants for Farm Improvements	11·4	10·2
14. Grants to Rabbit Clearance Societies	0·4	0·4
15. Grants to Small Farmers	4·8	5·6
16. Other Grants	0·1	0·1
Total I	108·2	104·1

II. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRICE GUARANTEES
					£ million
					1964–65		1963–64
(1) Cereals:—
Wheat and Rye					15·9		30·3
Barley					37·5		36·8
Oats and mixed corn					9·9		10·0
					—	63·3	—	77·1
(2) Fatstock:—
Cattle					12·7		40·8
Sheep					7·2		13·3
Pigs					31·4		26·5
					—	51·3	—	80·6
(3) Eggs						33·2		20·2
(4) Wool						2·2		0·6
(5) Potatoes						0·6		0·4
	Total II					150·6		178·9

III. OTHER SERVICES
Payment to the Exchequer of Northern Ireland		0·9	1·5
Totals I, II, III		259·7	284·5

IV. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Applicable to I and II only	10·0	9·4
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT	269·7	293·9

Details of the original estimates of the cost of agricultural support were included in Table VI of the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Estimates 1964–65 (Cmnd. 2290),

Following are particulars of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the United kingdom in the financial year 1964–65 for which provisions have been made in the Civil Estimates, Class V, Votes 3, 4, 5 and 6, with comparable figures for the outturn in the financial in the financial year 1963–64.

asked the Attorney-General if he will state the principle by which he nominates members of the Bar to conduct Crown prosecutions on circuit.

The principle is that the most suitable barrister available is nominated.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will investigate the extent to which student teachers are employed for the marking of General Certificate of Education advanced examination papers, with a view to taking steps to ensure that joint matriculation boards employ only qualified teachers in this connection.

I would refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's Answer to his Question on 26th November, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware of the delay between plans being submitted and approval given for rebuilding church schools; and whether, in view of rising costs, he will make the Government's 75 per cent. grant towards the cost of rebuilding such schools cover the final cost of building and not the cost at the time approval was given.

I am not aware of any undue delay in my Department in approving plans of church schools. But I will gladly look into any cases if my hon. Friend will let me have details. Grant is related to the approved final cost on completion of the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to increase from 30 years to 50 years the repayment period for loans towards the cost of rebuilding church schools.

No. Loan periods are related to the expected life of the asset, and I see no justification for treating church schools differently from other schools.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will be in a position to make a statement about the Government's review of the rating system.

We have taken steps to intensify work on the review of local government finance. But it is a complex subject with long-term implications, and I cannot yet give a completion date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of increasing the pensions of public service pensioners and retired Servicemen, respectively, who retired before 1965, to the rates payable to those who retired on 1st January, 1965.

The cost for retired Servicemen would be about £25 million a year; for the rest of the public services about £80 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of increasing the pensions of public service pensioners and retired Servicemen, respectively, who retired before 1956, to the rates payable to those who retired on 1st January, 1956.

The cost for retired Servicemen would be about £5 million a year if all pensions awarded before 1956 were brought up to 1956 levels and if those aged 60 or over were then awarded the pensions increase appropriate to 1956 retirements. If, following the pattern of the present Pensions (Increase) Acts, the concession were limited to those aged 60 or over, and they were brought up to the current levels appropriate to 1956 retirements, including pensions increase, the cost would be about £2 million a year. Exact figures for the rest of the public services are not known, but the cost on either assumption would be less than £1 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many proposals for reduction in the rateable assessment of house properties in Brighton were received between 1st April, 1963, and 1st April, 1964; and how many of these cases are still awaiting a hearing before the valuation panel.

4,516 proposals for properties of all kinds—separate figures for house properties are not available. About 2,100 of these cases are awaiting a hearing, but a number of them may of course be settled out of court.

asked the Minister of Health if he will prohibit the retail distribution of nasal drops and sprays which contain naphazoline, except when ordered on a doctor's prescription.

I have no power to do this but I understand that the Committee on the Safety of Drugs is considering the possible harmful effects of this and similar substances and what action might be called for.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in the light of cases submitted to him by the hon. Member for Salford, East, he will now consider ways of speeding up the procedure for compulsory purchase of houses standing empty for more than two months, except where there are special reasons for the continued vacancy.

I will certainly see that orders are dealt with as quickly as possible. But I have to give interested parties the opportunity to put their views.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will include alpha naphthylamine, either pure or containing any proportion of beta naphthylamine, in the Pieliminary Draft of the Carcinogenic Substances (Prohibition) Regulations and the Carcinogenic Substances (Prohibition of Importation) Order and what steps he is taking to trace workers who may have been in contact with the carcinogenic substances named in the Carcinogenic Substances (Prohibition) Regulations, a Preliminary Draft of which has been published.

Comments which were invited from interested organisations and persons on these Draft Statutory Instruments have now been received. They include suggestions that alpha naphthylamine, either pure or containing beta naphthylamine, should be included among the prohibited substances. All the suggestions received are being carefully studied. My Department has prepared a notification to be given to workers who might have been exposed to carcinogenic substances, advising them to consult a doctor so that any necessary screening tests can be carried out. I hope to arrange with the firms concerned to trace such workers and pass on this advice.

asked the Minister of Labour what the employment figures were on 31st December, 1964, in the various public services and nationalised industries.

The classification of the employment statistics by public and private sectors is made by the Central Statistical Office once a year. The figures for mid-1964 are not yet available. It is estimated that in mid-1963 some 5,300,000 persons were employed in Great Britain in the public sector, including 1,697,000 employed in nationalised industries.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what would be the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer over each of the next five years of paying to persons over retirement age who had no opportunity of taking part in the present National Insurance Scheme, a pension equal to that part of the retirement pensions to be paid from 29th March next which does not represent contributions previously paid by recipients, or their employers in respect of them;

I am afraid that no such estimates are possible. How much pensioners or their employers can have paid in contributions depends, among other things, on when they first became entitled to pension. It is not possible to strike an average from the records now available, nor to attribute a specific portion of current retirement pensions (or those to be paid from 29th March) to past contributions except in the sense that in each case the whole pension is conditional upon the necessary contributions having been paid over the years up to pension age. In common with other National Insurance benefits, retirement pensions are financed from the current income of the National Insurance Fund under the pay-as-you-go system—contributions being set at such a level as to enable the income of the National Insurance Scheme as a whole to match its expenditure taking one year with another.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now make a statement about the future of local broadcasting.

The Government are considering the general question whether, and if so when, local sound broadcasting should be introduced into the United Kingdom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made with the Commonwealth Exports Council; how it is to be composed and organised; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Perry) on 1st February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has been in touch with the Consumer Council in respect of the practices of the Universal Health Studios Limited; and with what result.

The Consumer Council has expressed no views to the Board of Trade on this matter. The Board has passed on to the Council information received from Universal Health Studios Limited about certain changes in its practice.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what conclusions he has reached after considering the copy of the Standard Sales Procedure of the Universal Health Studios Limited sent to him, which is similar to those issued to the manager of each branch of the organisation with the instruction that they must be strictly observed.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the instructions in the sales procedure manual which this company sent him on 15th December, 1964, would encourage its staff to persuade people to sign contracts without full consideration. As I told my hon. Friend in reply to his Written Questions on 23rd December, the Board of Trade has told the company that it dislikes high pressure salesmanship which may not be in the best interests of consumers. The methods recommended in this manual seem to me to fall into this category. The Board of Trade has suggested to the company that it ought to reconsider its instructions with a view to making it clear to prospective members that they could take a contract form away to read and consider properly before committing themselves. The company has told me that it is proposing to introduce provision for a cooling-off period in its contract.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet consulted with the Minister of Health on the complaints made in respect to the health hazards in the activities of the Universal Health Studios Limited.

Yes. My right hon. Friend has no power to control the activities of health clubs, gymnasia and the like. Complaints about the cleanliness or the structure of the buildings should be addressed to the local authority.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action is being taken as the result of his discussions with the Attorney-General on the activities of the Universal Health Studios Limited.

The Board of Trade has sent details of complaints made by members of the public about this company's methods to the Metropolitan Police. I understand that the police are making inquiries about some of these complaints.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will seek the opinion of the head office of the Citizens' Advice Bureaux on the experience gained by that organisation in respect to the activities of the Universal Health Studios Limited.

The National Citizens' Advice Bureaux Council gave the Board of Trade on 9th December, 1964, a full report on the complaints received by local bureaux about the practices of this company. My reply to my hon. Friend on 17th December took full account of this report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration has been given to whether fresh legislation is necessary or practical to deal with the unsatisfactory practices of high pressure salesmanship.

My right hon. Friend is considering this question. He has not yet reached a conclusion.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of his refusal to authorise the improvements at the intersection of A.453 and A.51 at Tamworth, he will approve the erection of a secondary traffic light facing towards Silver Street from Aldergate, in view of recent accidents due to present obscuring of the primary light for low-slung motor vehicles.

I am still considering what further improvements should be carried cut at this junction. As my hon. friend is aware, an order was brought into operation last November to facilitate traffic movements here, but it is too early yet to assess its effect. On present information I do not consider that the provision of a secondary signal facing towards Silver Street from Aldergate will help.

asked the Minister of Transport what would be the cost of restoring the 12 miles of the Lancaster Canal north of Tewitfield for the purpose of navigation; and what would be the cost of closing and rendering it safe.

I understand that the British Waterways Board estimates that, the cost of restoring the eight miles between Tewitfield and Stainton to pleasure craft standard only would be about £40,000. There would also be a considerable increase in maintenance costs. Restoration of the remaining four miles, which is not a statutory navigation, would involve large scale excavation, reconstruction of the bed and other work. The Board expects that the cost would be of the order of £150,000–£200,000.I am not aware of any proposal to eliminate any part of the canal. I understand that, if Parliament approves the British Waterways Bill, the Board proposes to retain the section north of Tewitfield as a water channel. It does not anticipate that any major expenditure will be necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport why the pensions of former employees of British Railways are not increased at the same time as those of civil servants.

Railway pensions are not the direct responsibility of Her Majesty's Government, like those of civil servants, but of the British Railways Board. The Board and its predecessor, the British Transport Commission, have increased the pensions of railway superannuitants five times. Two of their supplementation schemes were introduced at the same time as Civil Service pensions were increased, the last on 1st January, 1963.