asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to what extent the powers to grant industrial development certificates will be delegated to regional planning boards.

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade operates his statutory responsibility for industrial development certificates through his regional controllers. They will, of course, be members of the Regional Economic Planning Boards.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will introduce legislation controlling prices and wages.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will introduce legislation controlling prices, wages, rents, dividends, and profits.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will introduce legislation to control land prices, rents and dividends.

I do not believe that comprehensive controls would be in the national interest. But some things require control and so we shall introduce legislation to deal with rents and land prices. I shall be making a statement on prices and incomes policy after the end of Questions.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will give an assurance that on the Regional Economic Planning Council for the South-West there will be representation from district council level of the part of North Devon which is remote from the county seat at Exeter and which includes development districts.

We have this in mind but at this moment I have nothing to add to the reply my hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Thorpe) on 21st January.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he accepts the assumption upon which the South-East Study is based, that there will be at least 550,000 more immigrants from overseas to be housed by 1980 in addition to the numbers which will enter the region from other parts of the British Isles and in addition to the natural increase of population which must be expected.

No. That among others is the reason for the review.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what facilities he proposes to offer oil companies to establish a shore base at Aberdeen for the exploration of oil in the North Sea.

This is the first I have heard of it. If the hon. Lady would like to speak to me I should be pleased to see her.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will now give the size and political composition of his proposed regional planning boards.

It is clear that the hon. Gentleman is confusing the Boards which will consist wholly of officials with the Councils which will consist of representatives of local opinion. It is therefore impossible to answer his Question in the terms he has put it down.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he is aware that the Isle of Sheppey was left out of the South-East Study by the last Government although representations for its inclusion as an area for major expansion had been made by Kent County Council, the three island local authorities and the island development committee; and to what extent his policy for the area will differ from that of the previous administration.

Yes. Further discussion on individual proposals must await the results of the review of policy for the South-East now under way.

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware that the activities of the Committee of 100 outlined in their current circular to individual members of the Armed Services attempting to undermine their loyalty to the Crown are seditious; and if he will

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the inquiry by the Wreck Commissioners into the loss of the Aberdeen trawler "Blue Crusader" is expected to report; and whether he will make the findings public.

A preliminary inquiry into the loss of this vessel is now taking place. When the report of this inquiry is ready I will decide whether a public formal investigation under a Wreck Commissioner is necessary. If a formal investiga-

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave the hon. and gallant Member for Harrow, East (Commander Courtney) on 1st February, 1965.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the 10 most important raw materials imported into the United Kingdom in 1964, the quantities imported, and the average price in each case; and what were the prices for similar goods in 1954.

Following is the information:is ordered, its report will certainly be published.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the interest in the Minister of State's tour of Japanese shipyards and his subsequent statement that they are successful and extremely competitive, he will issue a report of his findings.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State has given me an account of his study of the methods and organisation of the Japanese industry. Full details of the information will be made available to the Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what British shipbuilders are using one-pass, one-side welding machines on ship construction; how long they have been in operation; whether he will state form the experience of his Japanese tour to what extent Japanese shipbuilders are conversant with this type of operation; and if he will make a statement.

One British yard has announced that it is using this method of welding and I understand at least two others intend to do so. I saw one Japanese yard using a roughly similar technique and I have evidence that two others have been doing so for some time. One of the Japanese systems was approved by Lloyds for use in cargo ships well over a year before the British system and I have little doubt that some Japanese yards used one-pass, one-side welding ahead of us. At this stage it is not possible to make any final assessment as to the various merits of the different systems in use or under development.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans Her Majesty's Government have for assisting Messrs. Fords financially to build a new motor car manufacturing plant on the North-East coast.

It would be open to the company to apply for financial assistance under the Local Employment Acts, 1960 and 1963, in respect of any project providing new employment in a development district.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will order an investigation into the affairs of the North British Locomotive Company pursuant to Section 165 of the Companies Act, 1948.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will grant com- pensation to the shareholders of the North British Locomotive Company, now in liquidation, who were encouraged by Government action to invest in the company.

My right hon. Friend has considered carefully the representations which have been made to him on behalf of the shareholders but he finds no grounds to justify their claims for compensation from the Government.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there are firms prepared to assist in market research overseas for individual companies; and whether he will set up a Government agency to help smaller companies to make greater use of the facilities provided.

The British National Export Council is introducing a scheme to assist collective market research overseas undertaken on behalf of sectors of industry. I hope that smaller companies will make full use of this through their trade associations and chambers of commerce.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an estimate of the total expenditure on advertising in the United Kingdom for the latest available year, and of the total amount spent in the same year on sales promotion of all forms by British firms in overseas markets.

No official estimates are made. Advertising expenditure in the United Kingdom in 1963 is estimated by the Advertising Association to have been £501 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for maintaining full employment in the basic industries of Wales.

Full employment will be maintained by appropriate economic policies applicable to the country as a whole and by special measures to secure the necessary expansion of new employment opportunities in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he is introducing Government control over capital education projects costing less than £2,000.

My right hon. Friend is reintroducing the procedure operative up to October, 1961, because the existing arrangements have made it difficult to ensure a sensible distribution between local education authorities of the limited resources available for minor works as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated sum spent on minor works in Hertfordshire in 1964–65, both for projects costing between £20,000 and £2,000, and for those costing below £2,000; and how this compares with the allocation for 1965–66.

The local education authority estimate that they will spend in 1964–65 £360,000 in minor projects costing between £2,000 and £20,000; and £200,000 on projects costing up to £2,000. Their minor works allocation for 1965–66 is £380,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of schools in the area covered by the Huddersfield local education authority built from 1850 to 1900, 1901 to 1920, 1921 to 1940, and 1941 to 1961, respectively, together with the number intended to be built in the next five years.

I understand from the local education authority that the figures are 20, 2, 4 and 19, each school being classified according to the date of the main part of its buildings apart from two in the final group which are classified according to the date at which they were remodelled to comply with modern standards. Five new school projects have been included in major building programmes from 1961–62 to 1965–66.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what cuts were made in the school building proposals submitted by the Huddersfield local education authority between October, 1959 and October, 1964; and whether he will restore at least part of these cuts in the near future.

For the five major school building programmes from 1962–63 to 1966–67 which were announced between October, 1959 and October, 1964 the Authority submitted twelve proposals at an estimated cost of £1·82 million; five projects costing £·69 million were approved. I cannot at the moment say whether it will be possible for the Government to increase the size of current educational building programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers of schools in Huddersfield lacking inside toilets, running hot water, playground, library, and assembly hall.

I understand from the local education authority that there are fourteen schools with toilets mainly outside, and one school without running hot water. There are no schools without playground space, library provision, or assembly hall.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of places in the engineering departments of British universities at the beginning of the current academic year; and how many were unfilled.

In October, 1964, there were 19,964 full time students in university faculties of technology. According to the Second Report of the Universities Central Council on Admissions (U.C.C.A.), published today, universities in Great Britain (excluding Oxford and Cambridge) planned to admit in October, 1964, 5,610 students to study technology; the number admitted was 420 less than this.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware of the national concern at the lack of uniformity between the standards of the various General Certificate of Education examining boards; and if he will take action to ensure proper co-ordination.

I am aware of concern but cannot accept that there is evidence of enormous lack of uniformity. The Examining Boards concerned are investigating an instance of discrepancy in results which recently received wide publicity.More generally, the Schools Council, which acts on my behalf as central coordinating authority for secondary school examinations, is actively pursuing investigations in a number of subjects. New general procedures for validation of standards are being explored by the Council in connection with the forthcoming introduction of the Certificate of Secondary Examination and the relevance of the results to examining for the G.C.E. will no doubt be considered by the Council and the Boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why no increment is payable to a teacher who attains post-graduate qualifications after attaining first and second class honours degrees, although an increment is payable if the first degree was of third class or lower standard.

The current statutory salary provisions provide for two additions in respect of high academic qualifications: £100 to a graduate teacher and a further £120 to a graduate teacher with a first or second class honours degree or a higher degree. These provisions thus limit to a maximum of £220 the total addition a graduate may receive, but treat a good honours degree and a higher degree as alternative means of attaining that maximum. No graduate teacher is therefore debarred from this maximum because his first degree was not of good honours standard.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of the Challenor Inquiry to public funds.

I regret that this information is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make a statement as to the adequacy of the present legislation affecting firearms.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the statement that I made in the House this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action has been taken to increase the number of places for Colonial students in the United Kingdom.

The needs of suitably qualified Colonial students for places in educational institutions and for courses of practical and professional training in Britain are fully recognised and my Ministry is in close and continuous touch with other Departments and with the institutions concerned to ensure that this position is maintained. The number of qualified candidates is increasing from year to year and in general no difficulty is experienced in finding places for them.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will take measures to promote expansion in the new Commonwealth countries, thus enabling British subjects in those countries to find suitable employment.

The main object of our overseas aid programme is to promote economic expansion in Commonwealth and other developing countries. This will, I hope, serve naturally to provide additional employment in these countries.In the calendar year 1964 we spent £130 million in bilateral capital aid to the developing Commonwealth countries—over five-sixths of our total bilateral capital aid. A large part of our technical assistance and our multilateral aid also benefits the Commonwealth.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations he has made to the British Transport Commission on the importance of restricting price increases on the fares charged to the travelling public.

When the joint Statement of Intent on Productivity, Prices and Incomes was signed last December, I brought it to the notice of the Chairmen of the nationalised transport undertakings, and emphasised its relevance to all parts of the economy. I also discussed with the British Railways Board the reasons behind their proposals for increased charges from 1st February, which the hon. Member may have particularly in mind. I must emphasise that those increases cover only about one-third of the additional costs facing the Board; two-thirds will be absorbed by increased productivity and efficiency. I am sure that all the undertakings are conscious of the point the hon. Member makes in his Question, and bear it in mind so far as statutory requirements allow.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present position with regard to the South Lancashire motorway between Liverpool and Manchester, which was suggested by the Lancashire County Council several years ago.

Proposals by the Lancashire County Council for further new motorways in Lancashire, including the scheme referred to, were discussed by my Department with respresentatives of the Council in April last. It was agreed that the Council would prepare a report on this scheme to enable us to decide whether the proposed motorway is acceptable in principle. This the Council has done and the Department is considering their report.If it is acceptable in principle, surveys would be necessary to determine a line for the motorway and the statutory processes to authorise its construction would need to be followed. The scheme would be considered for a place in my roads programme in due course, in competition with other important schemes.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has now received proposals from British Railways regarding the future of the Richmond to Broad Street line; and when he will remove uncertainty about the possible closure of passenger services by making a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now make a statement about the future of the Richmond-Broad Street line.

The Board has not yet put any proposals to me. I understand that it is still examining possible ways of maintaining an economic service. I hope to have its proposals before very long.

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government will continue procedures for personnel security in the public service, in particular the appeal procedure of reference to the Three Advisers described in chapter 5 of the Radcliffe Committee's Report, Command Paper No. 1681.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech of the Minister of Housing and Local Government on 23rd January at Coventry on reduced interest rates represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech of the Minister of Housing and Local Government at Coventry on 23rd January on interest rates represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Yes, of course. My right hon. Friend simply re-stated that, as he had indicated in the House, the Government stand by their pre-election undertaking on home interest rates and hope it can be implemented in the next session of Parliament.

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received following the cancellation of his visit to the United Nations General Assembly; and if he will give an assurance that he will be ready to visit the United Nations Assembly at an early suitable occasion.

I have naturally received some expressions of regret, which I share, that my visit to the United Nations General Assembly had to be postponed. I very much hope that I shall be able to visit the General Assembly soon.

asked the Prime Minister if he will give a schedule of the types of statutory provision which provide legislative machinery for the hearing of causes of complaint by independent tribunals or other authorities.

The following is the schedule. It does not include references to certain obsolescent bodies or to courts of law.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of meat inspection expenses is being carried by the rates; how much by the charges for inspection per unit; and whether he will make a statement.

I regret that the precise information asked for is not readily available. The charges which local authorities are empowered to make under the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1963, represent a total potential annual income over the whole of England and Wales of rather less than £1 million against an annual sum of about £140,000 under the Exchequer grant scheme which operated before the Regulations took effect. Overall therefore, the proportion of meat inspection expenses being carried by local rates must be very much less than it used to be. In some areas, however, the additional income is outweighed by the additional work needed to secure full inspection; so that the proportion borne by rates has increased. This is one of the many factors to be taken into account in my right hon. Friend's review of the working of the 1963 Regulations.

asked the Minister of Aviation what studies he made, before withdrawing their petrol tax concession, of the practice in other countries of assisting the private flying movement; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the results of those studies.

No special studies of this kind were made. My Department has, of course, information about the practice in a number of other countries, but the decision to end the petrol tax rebate was based on the particular needs of this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what machinery is in existence in each of the colonial countries with which he is concerned for imposing a check on the health of immigrants from those countries to the United Kingdom.

So far as I am aware, there are no arrangements in colonial countries for imposing health checks on intending emigrants from those countries. Measures for improving the health safeguards for immigrants on and after entry into Britain have recently been announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now approved the annual budget recently submitted by Dominica.

The draft Estimates for 1965 have been examined and the Dominica Government advised of certain amendments which should be made to them. After the amended Estimates have been passed by the Legislative Council they will be submitted to my right hon. Friend for his formal approval.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he is now willing to confirm the offer of £5,000 to Dominica as a matching grant towards a university centre.

An application from the Dominica Government for a special grant is under consideration, and I hope that a decision will not be long delayed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements have been made with the United States of America for the purchase of United States aircraft.

The Government of the United States have agreed to supply C.130E and Phantom F4 aircraft for the R.A.F. on the basis of Her Majesty's Government placing fairly small initial orders for both types of aircraft with an option to buy more aircraft up to the maximum number that may be needed as a result of the outcome of the current review of defence policy and commitments.The R.A.F. will receive equal priority with the United States Forces in the delivery of aircraft and in the supply of spart parts, modification kits and other support services at the same production prices as those which apply to the U.S. Forces.Special arrangements are being worked out for the procurement by the United States in the United Kingdom of equipment that will be used in the aircraft production programme. These will include items such as Rolls Royce Spey engines, Martin Baker ejection seats and electronic equipment. Agreement in principle has also been reached for a major United Kingdom/United States co-production effort on the Phantom, and further discussions on the extent of this will take place. The arrangements also cover the installation of the Tyne engine in the C130 if, after investigation, this is found to be practicable and desirable.In order to reduce further the effect on the United Kingdom's balance of payments the United States Government will arrange to make available credit facilities, at an interest rate of 4¾ per cent. to cover dollar costs. During the next three years dollar payments would be very small. The balance would subsequently be repaid at as constant a rate as possible over a period extending until about 1976. The total dollar cost will depend on the total number of aircraft bought, on which no decisions have yet been taken and no contracts placed, and the arrangements for the purchase of British equipment and for co-production of the Phantom. Detailed discussions with the United States Government about the initial aircraft orders, involving expenditure of up to £70 million (not all of which will be in dollars) on the purchase of aircraft and initial support equipment are now in hand. I will keep hon. Members informed of progress.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will alter the five-year rule, so that land needed for the new Clacton Hospital can be acquired in advance of the present five-year limitation;(2) why he can only acquire land for the building of hospitals five years in advance.

My powers to acquire land for the building of hospitals are not limited to what is needed in the next five years, but I am reluctant to acquire land unnecessarily much in advance of need.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied with the level of research into the comparatively high infant mortality rate in the northern counties; and if he will make a statement.

Various organisations, both official and independent, are studying the regional incidence of infant mortality. I propose to keep the need for further research under review.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what information he gave to the Press prior to his announcement on housing for Londoners in Parliament on 3rd February; and whether, in future, he will take steps to ensure that leakages do not take the place of statements intended to be made in Parliament.

So far as I know there was no leakage of the main essentials of my statement, namely, the size and location of the new town, the names of towns to be expanded and the number of people involved. A statement on this subject had been generally expected for some time, and newspapers seem to have based their anticipations on the South-East Study.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many schemes of central redevelopment have been approved since 1960; and how many schemes are at present receiving consideration.

Eighty-eight have been approved since the beginning of 1960: eighty-two are under consideration.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many appeals against rating assessments were lodged in Poole in the year ended 31st December, 1964; how many have been heard by the local valuation courts; and in how many cases the original assessments have been reduced.

In 1964 the valuation officer received 468 proposals to alter the valuation list and transmitted 1,477 proposals made in 1963 or 1964 to the local valuation panel, so constituting appeals. By 31st December, 1964, the local valuation courts had heard 216 appeals arising from the 1963 list and had reduced the assessment in 38 cases. A further 569 appeals were disposed of by agreement between the parties or withdrawal.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the cost of raising the standard National Assistance scales to £5 a week for a single householder and to £7 10s. for a married couple, with a corresponding increase in the special scale.

On present numbers the cost in a full year of raising the scale rates of National Assistance to £5 a week for a single householder and to £7 10s. a week for a married couple is estimated at approximately £99,000,000.This calculation, which includes corresponding increases in the special scale rates, is based on the rates of National Assistance that will be in force as from 29th March, 1965; on the current rates of National Assistance the cost would be approximately £159,000,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the cost of raising the standard National Assistance scales to £6 a week for a single householder and £9 a week for a married couple, with a corresponding increase in the special scale.

On present numbers, the cost in a full year of raising the scale rates of National Assistance to £6 a week for a single householder and to £9 a week for a married couple is estimated at approximately £191,000,000. This calculation, which includes corresponding increases in the special scale rates, is based on the rates of National Assistance that will be in force from 29th March, 1965: on the current rates of National Assistance the cost would be approximately £251,000,000.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state his reasons for refusing to exempt from the requirement to purchase a licence those who obtained receivers incapable of receiving British Broadcasting Corporation programmes.

Successive Governments have for many years maintained the principle, currently embodied in the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1949, that if a broadcast receiving set is installed or used at all a licence must be held.

asked the Minister of Power what progress has been made by his Department on the formulation of an integrated fuel policy; and what annual output of coal will be needed within that plan.

I have, at this stage, nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton) and to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) on 9th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, with a view to attracting more married women back to teaching, he will make part-time teaching service pensionable.

Part-time service which consists of whole days is already pensionable, but I am issuing draft regulations tomorrow to enable half days of teaching to count as pensionable at the option of the teacher concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the membership and the terms of reference of the Committee on the Distribution of Teachers.

The Chairman of the Committee is Dame Jean Roberts, D.B.E., former Lord Provost of Glasgow.The other members are:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a further statement about the $3,000 million Central Bank credits.

The Bank of England announced yesterday that those of the Central Bank credit facilities made available last November which are shortly due to expire would be replaced by new facilities, drawings under which would fall for repayment within the ensuing three months. Thus until the end of May the total of the facilities available will be the same as under the original arrangements made last November—namely, $3,000 million—in which all the same participants share as before.The Government intend to apply at the appropriate time for a drawing from the International Monetary Fund to refinance any sums drawn on this credit still outstanding at the end of the period.