asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reimburse those exporters who tendered for contracts on the basis that bank finance would be provided at the old rate.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now remove the temporary 15 per cent. import surcharge on all products affecting the horticultural industry.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury gave on 2nd March to similar Questions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now make a statement on the future of the 15 per cent. import surcharge.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now reduce the 15 per cent. import surcharge.

I would refer to my statement to the House on 22nd February announcing a reduction in the rate of the charge as from 27th April next.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply has been sent to Messrs. Berry Brothers and Rudd Limited in answer to their letter of 3rd February, 1965, requesting that the oak casks they have to import be exempted from the 15 per cent. import surcharge.

The company has been informed that it is not possible to introduce a special exemption in favour of these casks. I have sent the hon. and gallant Member a copy of the reply.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement of Her Majesty's Gov- ernment's policy towards reform of the international liquidity system along the lines put forward by President de Gaulle.

It would be premature for me to make a statement on the policies proposed by President de Gaulle and the French Minister of Finance, since these need clarification before it is possible to see precisely what is intended. We hope to learn more about the French proposals during the continuing international discussions of the liquidity problem. But if the French proposals are as restrictive as they seem to be at first sight, we certainly could not go along with them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he now proposes to take to mitigate the effect of the 7 per cent. Bank Rate on the housing programmes of local authorities with long-term borrowing commitments in excess of £500,000.

My decision to leave the lower set of Public Works Loan Board rates at the levels ruling before the Bank Rate increase benefits any authority, regardless of the size of its borrowing requirement, raising a loan from the Board within its annual quota.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of reducing interest charges to local authorities for housing purposes to 3½ per cent. and 4 per cent., respectively.

On the basis of the present arrangements for local authority borrowing and of current interest rates the cost to the Exchequer would be about £60 million and £50 million in the first year respectively, rising heavily in subsequent years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the principle of parity will be introduced for public service and Armed Forces pensions; and when he will make a statement with regard to the review of these pensions which he is undertaking.

A statement will be made when the review is finished and I cannot anticipate its conclusions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the net annual cost in foreign exchange of defence expenditure overseas for the last available period.

As I said in my Answer on 17th February to my hon. Friend, the Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Hamling), in the 12 months up to 30th September, 1964, overseas military expenditure was about £300 million including defence aid but excluding military imports. In the same period, military receipts on Government account, excluding military exports, amounted to £36 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interests of the British furniture industry, he will remove the surcharge on their imported raw materials and the Purchase Tax.

The best first step towards removing the temporary charge is the substantial general cut in the rate, from which furniture manufacturers will benefit. With regard to Purchase Tax, my right hon. Friend cannot anticipate his Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many outstanding valuation proposals exist within the area of Weymouth; and how long the oldest of these has been outstanding.

580, of which 410 were made by the valuation officer. The oldest was made on 2nd April, 1963.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many outstanding valuation proposals exist within the area of Wareham and the rural area surrounding it; and how long the oldest of these has been outstanding.

623, in Wareham and Purbeck Rural District of which 197 were made by the valuation officer. The oldest was made on 18th April, 1963.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to assist home ownership, he will abolish the stamp duty on house mortgages up to £3,500.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the revenue of abolishing stamp duty on share transfers.

About £30 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an assurance that, in considering his Budget proposals, he will take account of the difficulties of single women with elderly and infirm dependants; and if he will make a statement.

I have noted my hon. Friend's point.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to provide compensation for those exporters whose overseas customers, before the announcement of the amount of the export rebate, have deducted from payments a percentage greater than the amount of the appropriate export rebate.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will alter Note 6 of Notice 436 issued by the Customs and Excise whereby the indent houses rather than the manufacturers get the export rebate.

No. The Note reflects the provisions of the law, under which indent houses and other export houses are eligible to claim rebate only on export transactions in which they have acted as principals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will complement the annual Command Paper listing names, salaries and allowances of members of public boards, by issuing a similar paper covering all persons from private industry and other spheres who have been appointed by the Government to the various Departments of State indicating in which cases the salary is a nominal one and in which cases the salary is being supplemented by firms, with their names, from whom any of these officers have been seconded.

No. This information is made available in other publications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he is making to the letter addressed to him by the Civil Service National Whitley Council Staff Side requesting that unestablished service before 1949 should be reckonable in full for superannuation purposes; and whether he proposes to accede to the Staff Side's request for discussions with him or whether this question is one for discussion through the normal Whitley machinery.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has now had on the revision of the rules used in assessing the eligibility of civil servants for pension who have some years of non-established service, who get no pension and suffer hardship through the rigid application of the present rules; and if he will make a statement.

Temporary civil servants, who reach the age of 60 and have 20 years or more full-time, unestablished service, can now get established. Their previous service then counts for pension, as for all other established officers, as to one-half before 14th July, 1949, and in full thereafter. My right hon. Friend is still considering the Staff Side's request for discussions on the full reckoning of all unestablished service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to the continuance of the issue of dated Government stocks below par.

The terms of new issues of Government stock will continue to be fixed in the light of market conditions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of boards of companies to which the Government have appointed directors since 16th October, 1964; and whether he will publish a list of those directors in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Seven. The following are the particulars:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he now has for relieving ratepayers from the increase in rates resulting from the higher Bank Rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he will take to mitigate the effects of the increase in Bank Rate on local authorities' public works.

It is only on borrowings they have made in the short period since 23rd November, 1964 that local authorities have so far incurred extra charges and moreover the effect has been mitigated by the measures I announced on 19th January in reply to the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) and by the adjustment of Exchequer grants to which I referred in replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Sir M. Galpern) on 9th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the present purchasing power of the £ sterling, taking it as 20s. in October, 1964.

On the basis of the change in the index of retail prices, the purchasing power of the pound sterling, taken as 20s. in October, 1964, was about 19s. 8d. in January, 1965, the latest date available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now remove the Purchase Tax on musical instruments.

SALES OF HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORTS
1964–65					Corresponding Period of 1963–64
		Average Sales of daily Hansard	Sales of Weekly Hansard	Total			Average Sales of daily Hansard	Sales of Weekly Hansard	Total
1964					1963
27–29 Oct.*	…	2,139	1,588†	—			No issue	—	—
3–5Nov.	…	2,257					No issue	—	—
6–12Nov.	…	2,373	1,561	3,934‡	12–14 Nov.	…	2,152	1,400	3,552
13–19 Nov.	…	2,224	1,604	3,828	15–21 Nov.	…	2,239	1,375	3,614
20–26 Nov.	…	2,200	1,605	3,805	22–28Nov.	…	2,152	1,390	3,542
27 Nov.–3 Dec.	…	2,261	1,633	3,894	29Nov.–5Dec.		2,185	1,403	3,588
3–10 Dec.	…	2,375	1,673	4,048§	6–12Dec.	…	2,151	1,411	3,562
11–17 Dec.	…	2,198	1,668	3,866	13–20 Dec.	…	2,218	1,386	3,604
18–23 Dec.	…	2,189	1,628	3,817	—		No issue	—	—
1965					1964
19–21 Jan.	…	2,200	1,587	3,787	14–23 Jan.	…	2,167	1,344	3,511
22–26 Jan.	…	2,101	1,586	3,687	29–30 Jan.	…	2,155	1,319	3,474
1–4 Feb.	…	2,135	1,723	3,858	31 Jan.—6 Feb.		2,224	1,336	3,560
5–11 Feb.	…	2,116	1,607	3,723	7–13Feb.	…	2,086	1,331	3,417
12–18 Feb.	…	2,028	1,585	3,613	14–20 Feb.	…	2,027	1,318	3,345
19–25 Feb.	…	2,025	║	║	21–27 Feb.	…	2,109	1,313	3,422
* First issue of the current session.
† The six parts 27–29 Oct.,3–5 Nov. were bound into one "Weekly" Hansard.
§ Including the Budget Statement.
‡ Including the Statement on Corporation and Capital Gains Taxes.
║ Not yet available.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why desks with ink holes carry no Purchase Tax while desks without ink holes cost approximately 9s. extra each on account of Purchase Tax.

The tax on furniture is confined to articles of a kind used for domestic or office purposes. Desks specialised for school use are, therefore, not taxable, and ink-well holes are among the features which distinguish such desks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the total sales of HANSARD for each week since 15th October; and what were the corresponding figures for a year previously.

Following is the Answer:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the antismoking campaign, what alternative tax measures he will take to replace the present tax revenue from cigarettes and tobacco.

This is a problem my right hon. Friend will deal with as and when it arises.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to increase the limit of the Income Tax ago relief allowance to take account of the increase in retirement pensions which is to become effective on 29th March.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion but I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will take to give greater encouragement to personal savings at all levels.

I am glad to say that personal savings are at a high level and as I attach great importance to this I am at present considering a number of proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give an assurance that the possibility of moving Government Departments and offices out of London into other parts of the South-East is being considered in the review of the South-East Study; and whether he will make a statement about the specific moves that are under consideration;(2) if he is aware of the scope and need for development on the Isle of Sheppey; and whether he will bear in mind the advantages of the island when planning to move out of London those Government Departments and offices which can remain in the South-East.

Our dispersal policy is to move work right out of the South-East where practicable. Some units need to remain within close range of London, and a number of such moves in the South-East are now in progress. Plans for other moves will be announced when details have been settled in consultation with the staff concerned. I can assure the hon. Member that the special position and problems of the Isle of Sheppey will be borne in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what results are being achieved on the capital invested in the nationalised industries.

Following is a table showing results in the most recent three years:

NATIONALISED INDUSTRIES
Gross income (before depreciation) as a proportion of net assets (after depreciation)
		percentages
	1961	1962	1963
‡National Coal Board	10·4	13·7	14·5
*Gas Council and Boards	9·1	9·4	9·8
*Electricity Council and Board	10·5	11·1	11·8
South of Scotland Electricity Board	9·6	10·0	10·0
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	6·7	6·6	5·8
British Transport Commission and success sors	0·6	0·2	1·3
*British European Air-ways	9·4	11·7	17·4
*British Overseas Air ways-Corporation	6·0	8·6	19·3
*Post Office	11·0	10·8	12·4

Net income (after depreciation) as a proportion of net assets (after depreciation)†
		percentages
	1961	1962	1963
‡National Coal Board	3·1	5·0	5·7
*Gas Council and Boards	4·4	4·7	5·2
*Electricity Council and Boards	5·5	6·0	6·8
South of Scotland Electricity Board	4·9	5·8	5·6
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	5·2	5·1	4·2
British Transport Commission and successors	-2·9	-3·1	-2·5
*British European Airways	-0·3	2·3	8·7
*British Overseas Air ways Corporation	-24·6	-9·8	7·0
*Post Office	6·5	6·2	7·9
*Financial years.
† These figures are on a standardized basis in order to achieve comparability; it is not in all cases the same as that used for the published financial objectives agreed for individual nationalized industries.
‡ Latest accounts covered the period 1st January 1963 to 31st March 1964. Figures have been reduced to 80 per cent, to represent a twelve month period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now state his proposals for an increase in public service pensions.

I have nothing to add at present to my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary's reply to the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Mitchell) on 8th February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much will be paid in Income Tax and National Insurance contributions in a full year by a married man with no children earning £18 per week in 1964–65 and 1965–66; and what would have been paid in 1960.

£163 13s. 10d. in 1964–65 and £170 18s. 10d. in 1965–66 if his employer had not contracted out of the graduated scheme of National Insurance and £150 Os. 10d. and £157 5s. 10d. respectively, if his employer had contracted out. In 1960–61 he would have paid £155 9s. 3d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effects of his decision to raise the interest rates of the Public Works Loan Board.

I would remind my hon. Friend that only the rates for last resort loans from the P.W.L.B. were raised. These loans are likely to account for no more than £10 million of the total of about £300 million which the Board now expect to issue in the current financial year. I would not therefore expect the change in rates to have any significant effect on authorities' costs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take in order to minimise the hardship to civil servants, particularly those with young children or aged relatives to support, who are compulsorily transferred away from the London area.

Special arrangements have been agreed with the Staff Side about the pay and expenses of staff transferred from London under the dispersal programme in addition to the allowances which are normally payable to civil servants on compulsory transfer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for increasing the taxation on building societies.

I have no special proposals in mind for building societies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a comparative table showing the rise in the cost of living, as compared with increases in the level of public service pensions, taking 1st January, 1946, as 100 in each case for the following dates, that is to say 1st January, 1950; 1st January, 1955; 1st January, 1960; and for the latest available date.

A single figure cannot be given for the rise in the level of public service pensions between any two dates, since smaller pensions have received higher increases than bigger ones. The best estimate that can be made for the Civil Service (figures are not available for other public services) suggests that the average pension on 1st January, 1946, was about £120. Taking this as 100, the figures are:

			Pension	Cost of Living
1.1.46	…	…	100	100
1.1.50	…	…	121	116
1.1.55	…	…	143	154
1.1.60	…	…	171	172
1.1.65	…	…	208	197

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total amount of the National Debit in March 1951, and March, 1964, respectively.

The figures are:

		£ million
31st March, 1951	…	25,922
31st March, 1964	…	30,226

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy regarding the repayment of post-war credits; and if he will make a statement.

I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total of British private investment overseas since 1951, the amount of receipts of interest or dividends from such investments, and the amount of tax paid thereon.

United Kingdom private investment overseas, net of disinvestment, amounted to over £3,000 million in the twelve years 1952–63. Figures of interest and dividends on this new investment are not available, but in the United Kingdom balance of payments interest, profits and dividends (including unremitted profits) from the much larger total of all United Kingdom private investment abroad, totalled some £7,000 million in the period after payment of taxes abroad amounting to over £4,000 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of interest is to be paid on the £1,000 million loan raised from the western central banks.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. St. John-Stevas) on 22nd December, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on imports of the import surcharge at its new level of 10 per cent.

It is difficult to make a precise estimate of the effect but the saving this year will be substantial, perhaps of the order of £200 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many reductions of rateable assessment had been granted by the Valuation Panel out of the 4,100 reduction proposals in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which had been settled by 19th January, 1965.

85.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a table showing the amounts borrowed from foreign sources by Her Majesty's Government in each of the years 1954 to 1964, the

OVERSEAS LOANS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT, 1954–1964
Name of loan and Rate of Interest per annum			Receipts			Payments
			Year	Amount £m.	Year	Amount £m.
						Principal	Interest
U.S.A.
Export-Import Bank credit 4½%		…	1957	89	1957	—	—
					1958	—	4·0
					1959	89	4·0
Federal Republic of Germany
Treasury Bond 2⅞%	…	…	1959	37·5	1959	7·5	0·1
					1960	7·5	0·9
					1961	22·5	0·5
Switzerland
Swiss Government 3%	…	…	1961	18	1961	—	—
					1962	—	0·5
					1963	—	0·5
					1964	18	0·5
Totals	…	…		144·5		144·5	11·0

I.M.F.: U.K. Drawings AND REPURCHASES 1954–1964
(nearest £ million)
			Drawings	Repurchases
1954	…	…	—	40
1955	…	…	—	—
1956	…	…	201	—
1957	…	…	—	—
1958	…	…	—	—
1959	…	…	—	71
1960	…	…	—	127
1961	…	…	536	150
1962	…	…	—	308
1963	…	…	—	—
1964	…	…	357	—

The amount repurchasable, and actually repurchased, from the I.M.F. on any occasion by the united Kingdom depend not only on the size of outstanding U.K. drawings and the extent to which the U.K. has paid by any charges thereon in sterling, but also on the use made of sterling by other members in transac-

The amounts of new loans to Her Majesty's Government and of United Kingdom drawings on the International Monetary Fund in the years 1954 to 1964 and the other information asked in respect of these are as follows (assistance from Central Banks is omitted):tions with the Fund. With this proviso, the amount outstanding on 31st December, 1964 for ultimate repurchase by the United Kingdom was £358 million. In the eleven years 1954 to 1964, the United Kingdom paid £12 million to the Fund on account of charges. Details of the various rates at which these were payable are summarised on page 9 of the Fund's publication

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will alter the procedures for temporary importations of motor vehicles on the land frontier between the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland; and whether the changes will affect hire cars and private cars driven by United Kingdom residents.

Revised procedures for documentation of vehicles temporarily imported and exported have recently been announced and will operate from 1st April. So far as Ireland is concerned, the changes, which will affect hired cars, and private cars driven by residents of Great Britain, are as follows:—

1. Security (by bond, deposit, triptyque or carnet) will no longer be required for vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland and temporarily imported into Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland. New forms will replace the present documents and will be obtainable from Boundary Posts and Stations, major Customs offices in Northern Ireland, and motoring organisations in the Republic of Ireland shortly before 1st April.

2. No Customs temporary importation documents will be required from visitors (including residents of Great Britain) arriving in Northern Ireland whose vehicles are registered elsewhere than in the Republic of Ireland.

3. Residents of Great Britain not being residents of Northern Ireland will be allowed to import temporarily into Northern Ireland, without payment of Customs duty and purchase tax, vehicles hired in the Republic of Ireland. The period of temporary importation for each entitled person will be limited to one month, during which the vehicle may cross and re-cross the Land Boundary without restriction. The residents of Great Britain entitled to the concession are those who have spent not more than 90 days in the previous twelve months in Northern Ireland. The necessary document will be obtainable at the time of taking delivery of the hired vehicle.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has concerning the reaction of industry generally to the incentive value of investment allowances.

Apart from the Report of the Richardson Committee and the Report of the N.E.D.C. on the machine tool industry, I receive regularly a great deal of information on the subject of investment allowances. It is not all to the same effect, but it is all carefully studied.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the total British private capital investment in the oversea Commonwealth in the years 1962, 1963 and 1964, respectively.

Total United Kingdom private investment in the Commonwealth overseas, net of disinvestment, was about £140 million in 1962 and £135 million in 1963. Figures for 1964 are not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make available, for the use of Members, a photographic copying machine.

A photographic copying machine is already available in the Sales Office for the use of Members. A second machine is to be placed there shortly. No charge is made for up to three copies of any document required in connection with a Member's Parliamentary duties.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether capital gains tax will be payable on Government securities held by charitable institutions.

I explained in my statement on 8th December that gains realised by charities which enjoy exemption from Income Tax will be exempt from capital gains tax. This exemption will apply whatever the nature of the asset.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the increased expenditure announced for the public sector, with the freeing of nationalised industries from a percentage increase limit, will allow for a start in the Second Nuclear Power Programme.

I have nothing to add to the statement of the Government's policy with regard to the second nuclear power programme which was made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Palmer) on 1st December, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he now has to insulate the domestic economy against the effect of the increased Bank Rate.

I have no statement to make on Bank Rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the terms of the $250 million Line of Credit made available by the Export/Import Bank of Washington have now been settled.

Yes, the formal agreement with the Export/Import Bank of Washington was signed on 11th February, 1965.The text of the agreement has been published as a White Paper today.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he proposes to allow a second channel for Independent Television.

As I said in reply to the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Sir M. Redmayne) on 26th January, 1965, the Government are considering whether a fourth television service should be introduced, and, if so, who should operate it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a new radio station in Shetland can be established to enable trawlers north and west of Shetland to contact Wick radio without difficulty.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) on 23rd February.

asked the Postmaster-General what action he is taking to improve the postal services and particularly to prevent the considerable delays which are occurring in deliveries.

I much regret that shortage of staff has made it impossible for us to maintain the normal standard of postal services in some places. We are doing all we can to recruit more staff and, meanwhile, to keep delays in delivery to a minimum.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement on his plans to supply temporary post office accommodation during the period of the rebuilding of the Wombwell High Street Post Office.

None. The public counter is not affected by the rebuilding and will remain open. The other work will be handled at Barnsley.

asked the Postmaster-General when he will give details with regard to the special issue of stamps to commemorate the life and service of Sir Winston Churchill.

There is nothing I can add at present to the reply I gave to the hon. and gallant Member on 2nd March.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will amend his special stamp programme for this year, and consider the issue of a special postage stamp in May, in commemoration of the bicentenary of the launching of H.M.S. Victory at Chatham Dockyard on 7th May, 1765.

No. I received over 90 suggestions for commemorative stamps this year including one for this particular event, and a great deal of time was spent considering them. Inevitably many worthy subjects had to be omitted and am sorry it was not possible to meet this request.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the annoyance caused to users of private postal collection boxes in the W.1 area of London, who, at the request of the Post Office, have taken delivery of new divided boxes, but are now told that the original locks ordered by the Post Office have had to be scrapped and that many weeks will elapse before now locks are available; why these locks have had to be scrapped; and what is the total loss involved.

My right hon. Friend much regrets that, owing to delay in delivery, we are not at present able to let people have locks for the new boxes they have received. We expect to obtain the locks during the first week in April and shall begin to fit them immediately. There is no question of locks being scrapped and the question of loss does not therefore arise. Meanwhile use of old boxes continues.I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the owners of private posting boxes in parts of central London who are co-operating with the Post Office in providing double-aperture boxes and so facilitating the handling of mail in London.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make arrangements to situate a post office or sub-post office in the Fernhill district of Rutherglen.

Yes. Applications for the post of sub-postmaster have been invited and we shall open a new sub-post office as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give the approximate number of hours overtime worked each week by the sorters and deliverers at Huddersfield Post Office.

Since the middle of January an average of 2,850 hours a week has been worked—equivalent to about 12 hours a man.

asked the Postmaster-General what effect the closing of certain railway lines has had on the delivery of mail.

I am glad to say that railway closures generally have not had any substantial effect on the postal service.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will list the postal districts under his control in which there are three and four letter deliveries per day on Mondays to Fridays.

The following is the information for which the hon. Member asks:

Postal Districts with three letter deliveries Monday-Friday	Postal Districts with four letter deliveries Monday-Friday
London Western Central District
London Western District
London South Western District	London Eastern Central District
London South Eastern District
London Eastern District
London Northern District
London North Western District

asked the Postmaster-General why the postage stamp commemorating the new Forth Road Bridge is no longer on sale; if he is aware that there is a demand for it; and if he will now reissue it.

The Forth Road Bridge stamps were put on sale on 4th September last; they have not been withdrawn and should still be available at post offices. If my hon. and learned Friend has had difficulty in buying some and will let me have details, I shall gladly look into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the discrepancies in telephone accounts submitted by the London West Telephone Area, he will issue a warning to the public to scrutinise their accounts carefully before payment.

No. With hundreds of millions of items to bring to account it is unfortunately impossible to avoid occasional mistakes in telephone bills, but the number of such errors is small and there is no case for issuing a warning to subscribers in the London West or any other Telephone Area. I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my regret for the mistake which was made in the hon. Member's own telephone bill which was sent to him in February.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will provide public call-box telephones in the new multi-storey flats in Glasgow as an alternative to the risk of accident and damage to exposed call boxes.

We will gladly consider my hon. Friend's suggestion when the flats are nearer completion but unfortunately it is not only exposed call offices which suffer damage.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will examine the possibility of allowing telephone installation charges to be spread over the first one year or two year period following connection.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the costs I gave him on 2nd March. In view of these figures, I think it is reasonable to expect the connection charge to be paid when the telephone is installed.

asked the Postmaster-General what proposals he has for extending the improved automatic telephone services in the Bournemouth area; and how many party lines are now in use in Bournemouth and Christchurch.

My right hon. Friend plans to convert the eleven remaining manual exchanges in the Bournemouth Telephone Area to automatic working in the following years:

• 1965
• Blandford.
• Winton.
• 1966
• Wareham.
• Broadstone.
• Poole.
• 1967
• Christchurch.
• Weymouth.
• 1968
• Dorchester.
• 1969
• Westbourne.
• Parkstone.
• New Milton.

At Bournemouth 2,285 and at Christchurch 1,090 subscribers have shared lines.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, whether, in view of the fact that present valuations for rating purposes based on notional rents favour houses as against flats, he will base future valuations on notional selling prices.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the outcome of the Government's examination of local government finance, including the rating system.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will issue a circular to local planning authorities advising them of the need, when granting planning permission for significant housing development in country villages, to designate a suitable central area as being reserved for the construction of a village hall where none exists.

This is a matter for local initiative and local demand, and my right hon. Friend would be reluctant to lay down general rules. But he agrees that the provision of community facilities of this kind are an important feature of village development.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what plans he has for increasing the number of marinas and other facilities required for various water sports.

A joint circular from the Department and the Department of Education and Science issued last year recommended all local authorities, in collaboration with other interested organisations, to carry out reviews of their areas to determine what further provision for sport and recreation is needed. Maritime authorities and other with suitable inland waters in their areas will areas will no doubt include the need of water sports in their reviews.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will extract and publish as a short White Paper any proposals or suggestions for relieving the rates burden on the general public included in the 400 pages of Command Paper No. 2582.

The report contains no such proposals. In the first paragraph of their report, after quoting the terms of reference given to them by the last Government, the Committee say: "These terms of reference do not require us to pass judgment on the rating system or to make recommendations. Because our task has been to ascertain facts, our report is confined to facts, most of them expressed in figures. We have aimed to present a comprehensive and balanced account of the impact of rates on householders and to provide the essential statistical material for any review of the rating system".

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) on what date and in what form the committee responsible for producing Command Report No. 2582 invited the Shoreham by Sea Beach Residents' Association to submit written evidence to them; and if he will publish the evidence submitted by that association to the committee;(2) on what date and in what form the committee responsible for producing Command Report No. 2582 invited the Angmering-on-Sea Residents' Association to submit written evidence to them; and if he will publish the evidence submitted by that association to the committee.

The Committee gave notice in the Press in July, 1963, that they were prepared to receive evidence from the public or from any organisation. They did not specify the form which it should take. Nor did they issue a separate invitation to either of the Residents' Associations. I do not propose to publish any of the voluminous evidence received by the Committee.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many assessments of properties in Shoreham by Sea, Southwick, Lancing, Sompting, Ferring by Sea, Angmering-on-Sea, East Preston, Rustington and Littlehampton, Sussex, by the valuation officer concerned have been varied on appeal.

By 5th March courts of the West Sussex Local Valuation Panel had given reductions on appeals by ratepayers arising from assessments in the 1963 revaluation lists as follows:

Shoreham-by Sea U.D.	…	23
Southwick U.D.	…	98
Litlehampton U.D.	…	17
Worthing R.D.	…	36

Figures are not available for parts of rating areas.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why the demolition of the Church of St. James, Hampstead Road, has been delayed; and whether, in view of the needs of the neighbouring National Temperance Hospital, he will expedite demolition.

The Department raised no objection when notified by the Church Commissioners in May, 1964, that it was intended to demolish the Church. Beyond this, my right hon. Friend has no responsibilities in the matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now make a statement on his policy for reform of the rating system.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the completion of the Government's examination of local government finance, including the rating system.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to strengthen and extend the work of the National House-Builders Registration Council; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is satisfied that the conditions of membership of the National House-Builders Registration Council are stringent enough to ensure high quality in construction, design and fittings of new houses and flats, and protection of buyers for a sufficiently long period after purchase of property; and if he will take steps to improve standards in this connection.

The National House-Builders Registration Council are considering improvements both in the standards imposed for houses built under their scheme and in the remedies it provides for purchasers. They are also trying to increase the proportion of new houses covered by the scheme. I am in touch with these studies, and I am consulting representative bodies of the house-building industry, local authorities building societies, professional institutions and other interested organisations generally about protection for house purchasers. I am not yet ready to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will seek powers to prevent the demolition of habitable houses in cases where no detailed planning for the site has been granted;(2) whether, on sites zoned for office development but where this new building is now prohibited, he will seek powers to prevent the demolition of existing buildings, other than dangerous structures.

There are difficulties in controlling demolition, but my right hon. Friend is considering the whole question.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he expects to sanction the commencement of work on the supply of water to Vennington, Shropshire, in accordance with the scheme already submitted to him by the West Shropshire Water Board.

The Board have been asked for more information about this scheme, which was submitted on 25th February, and my right hon. Friend cannot yet say how soon it will be possible to reach a decision. But there will be no avoidable delay.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the facts that many landladies in seaside and holiday resorts let their rooms cheaply during the off season on condition that the tenants leave before the tourist season, when remunerative lets have been arranged, and that they fear that the Prevention from Eviction will enable tenants to break their agreement and refuse to leave, if he will take further action to clarify the position.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the Bill, which I intend to introduce soon, to replace the Protection from Eviction Act by a permanent code.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that many householders who intended to sublet part of their houses are now afraid to do so as a tenant who proved undesirable could not now be evicted without long court proceedings, so that owners or tenants are now refusing to sub-let; and what action he will take to avoid this situation.

The importance of dealing as quickly as possible with urgent applications for possession has been impressed on all county courts. Where a landlord has asked a court to expedite the hearing it has usually proved possible to do so.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that building societies insist on National House-Builders Registration Council certificates as a condition of granting mortgages; and whether he will make a statement.

Before making any statement I would prefer to await the outcome of the examination which the Building Societies Association are making of the possibility of their members requiring warranties from builders before making loans on new houses. I would also like to take into account the other studies and consultations referred to in the answer given today to questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Birmingham, Yardley (Mr. Ioan L. Evans) and Willesden, East (Mr. Freeson).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what measures he has in view to eradicate sub-standard house building; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Birmingham, Yardley (Mr. Ioan L. Evans) and Willesden East (Mr. Freeson).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what survey or estimate his Department has made of the incidence of sub-standard building for owner occupation, differentiating the results as far as possible between types of complaint; and whether he will circulate the findings in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

No comprehensive survey or estimate has been made. The information available about the standards of houses built for owner-occupation is quite inadequate. I am taking steps to remedy this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to authorise local authorities to sell to their tenants council houses at current market values.

Local authorities were authorised to do so by a general consent given in 1960. It is important that, in exercising this power, they should have regard to the value of the capital asset of which they are disposing.

asked the Secretary of State far Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on his visit to Rhodesia.