asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted murderers, in the last five years, had previous criminal records, or murdered in the course of committing another crime, excluding motoring

Year of Conviction		Number with previous convictions (excluding motoring offences)			Number without previous convictions (excluding motoring offences)			Total
		Number who committed murder in the committing another offence	Number who committed murder not in the course of committing another offence	Total	Number who committed murder in the committing another offence	Number who committed murder not in the course of committing another offence	Total
(1)		(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
1960	…	10	16	26	2	14	16	42
1961	…	10	17	27	4	20	24	51
1962	…	7	14	21	2	8	10	31
1963	…	6	22	28	5	13	18	46
1964*	…	5	21	26	5	12	17	43
Total	…	38	90	128	18	67	85	213
* The figures for 1964 are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were committed to prison for non-payment of fines imposed by the criminal courts for each of the last five years; and what was the average length of the sentence which they served.

The information is given in the following table:

Year			Number of committals to prison for non-payment of fines	Average sentence served (days)
1959	…	…	6,438	25
1960	…	…	6,868	31
1961	…	…	7,811	26
1962	…	…	9,763	23
1963	…	…	10,368	26

Figures for 1964 are not yet available.

The total number of persons convicted of murder in the years 1960 to 1964 was 213; of these, 146 had previous convictions other than for motoring offences or appear to have committed murder in the course of committing another offence. Figures for each year are as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will issue a special stamp to mark the 900th anniversary of the founding of Westminster Abbey.

Yes; and we shall aim to put the issue on sale early next year. I shall announce details later.

asked the Minister of Power on how many occasions in the last 10 years the South Eastern Electricity Consultative Council, the body set up by statute to safeguard the interests of electricity consumers, has rejected proposals put to it by the South Eastern Electricity Board; and on how many occasions proposals put it by the Board have been accepted.

This information is readily available only in the case of proposals for changes in tariffs. Since March, 1955, there have been eight such proposals each of which has been accepted. An account of the consideration given to these and other matters of interest to consumers will be found in the Consultative Council's Annual Reports.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he is satified with the effectiveness of local authority building inspections under the present byelaws; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is at present considering the improvement of the enforcement of building regulations.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he is satisfied that present local authority building byelaws achieve the aims of ensuring public health and safety, and establishing sound structural standards, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

The present building byelaws go a long way to ensure public health and safety and sound structural standards in buildings. The new building regulations will make further progress to this end.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the number of inspectors employed by each relevant local authority in England to supervise the application of building byelaws, together with the ratio of these numbers in the most recent convenient year to the value of capital projects completed separately as regards houses for owner occupation, council houses and other projects.

Information about the numbers of inspectors employed by local authorities to supervise the application of building byelaws is not available centrally. The value of capital projects completed could not be broken down by local authority areas and by the categories mentioned in the Question without a disproportionate expenditure of staff and computer time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many builders were either made bankrupt or went into liquidation in each of the past three years.

Figures of bankruptcies of builders and liquidations of building companies during each of the past three years are as follows:

			Companies
		Bankruptcies	Compulsory Liquidations	Creditors Voluntary Liquidations
1962	…	388	68	104
1963	…	415	79	93
1964	…	339	79	113

The figures for 1964 are provisional.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement regarding the development of the Crystal Palace site into a National Exhibition Centre.

I am in consultation with the Greater London Council and the Federation of British Industries about this project. I will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of increasing the pensions of all public servants who retired before 31st March, 1960, up to the level of pensions awarded to those who retired on that date.

The cost would be about £33 million a year if all pensions awarded before 1960 were brought up to 1960 levels and if those aged 60 or over were then awarded the pensions increase appropriate to 1960 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 retirement, including pensions increase, the cost would be about £24 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what companies in this country have changed their residences since 15th October, 1964; and to which other countries they have gone.

Since 15th October, 1964, 17 companies have applied under Section 468 of the Income Tax Act, 1952, for consent to move their residence outside the United Kingdom.The countries mentioned in the applications are the Bahamas, France, Guinea, Holland, the Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Rhodesia, South Africa, Switzerland and the United States.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that confirming houses are in certain cases insisting on making the claim in connection with the export rebate, on behalf of customers, and the charge for this service reduces the value of the incentive; and if, under his regulations, confirming houses have such rights in this matter.

Confirming houses are legally entitled to claim export rebate when they have been principals in export transactions. The ultimate apportionment of the rebate in such cases, and any charges made by confirming houses where they are not themselves the claimants but perform services connected with the claim, are matters for commercial negotiation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) why the rate of export rebate for silk, cotton or man-made fibre is 1½ per cent., for lambs or sheep wool 1¼ per cent., for knitted, etc., 1¾ per cent., for lace, etc., 1¾ per cent., for bonded fibres 2¼ per cent., and for roofing felt 3 per cent; and whether he will institute one uniform rate for all textiles;

The rates of export rebate have been obtained by calculating the element of indirect taxation which falls on the costs of the various industries. Goods such as textile products which are appropriate to different industries in the classification used for the scheme are likely to attract different rates of rebate because with differing processes the incidence of indirect taxation is variable; and a uniform rate of rebate for all textile products would not have been compatible with the structure of the scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider allowing the cost, insurance, freight value as the basis of the claim for export rebate with a fixed average deduction to allow a nominal free-on-board value for the purposes of the claim.

Arrangements of this kind are being made in suitable cases. If my hon. Friend has a particular exporter in mind, perhaps he would write to me.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, in connection with the export rebate on textiles, different statistical code numbers have to be included on an invoice for a wide variety of cotton piece goods, such as bleached, printed, dyed, cretonnes, despite their all being entitled to the same rate of rebate; and if he will save administrative work by instituting one statistical code number for all types of cotton goods.

The export rebate requirements have now been modified, so that only the numbers of divisions and subdivisions in Customs Notice No. 435 need be quoted on the claim schedules. Cotton piece goods come within a single subdivision.

asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies were listed at the employment exchange, Woolwich, for male adult workers in the week ended 27th February 1965; and how many of these vacancies were for skilled engineers.

On 3rd March, 1965, the total number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled for adult male workers at Woolwich Employment Exchange was 181, of which 54 were for skilled engineering workers.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to improve labour relations in the Scottish motor industry.

Labour relations are primarily the responsibility of the managements and trade unions concerned, but the services of my Department are, of course, available to help to secure all possible improvements.

asked the Minister of Labour if, having regard to the importance of the motor industry to the present and future prosperity of the central belt of Scotland, he will take the initiative in endeavouring to resolve the present unofficial trade dispute which is disrupting supplies of motor bodies to the motor factories and causing widespread suspension of workpeople in the industry.

I am glad to say that, at a meeting today, a decision was taken to resume work at the Pressed Steel Co., Linwood, on Monday, pending discussions.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses and flats were built for owner occupation during 1964 or the most recent year for which figures are available.

No statistics are available on the tenure of newly completed dwellings. But nearly all the 210,000 dwellings completed by private enterprise in England and Wales in 1964 will have been built for owner occupation. In addition local authorities built about 2,000 dwellings for sale to owner occupiers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received from the Consumer Council regarding substandard housing; what reply he has sent; and whether he will make a statement on them.

I have recently received the comments of the Consumer Council. I understand that the hon. Member has been sent a copy. I shall want to consider the Council's views with those of the other bodies I have consulted on this subject before sending a reply or making any statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received from the Law Society with a view to the protection of house purchasers from substandard building; what reply he has sent; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received no representations from the Law Society in this connection.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to introduce a scheme for grants to holiday resorts whose ratepayers have to bear the added burden of inflated populations during the holiday season comparable to the grants at present made under the Rural Water and Sewerage Act to sparsely populated areas.

No: I do not think there is any case for this.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the total amount realised in 1964 by the sale of Government surplus stocks at public auctions and the total amount of surplus stocks sold during the same period by informing other Service Departments and civil Departments of the surplus stocks available in advance of public disposal on the basis of the shopping lists sent to them in accordance with the instructions introduced in May, 1956.

The total amount realised in 1964 by the Ministry of Defence by the sale of surplus stocks at public auctions was £3,771,609. This covers the surpluses of the Army and Air Force Departments and also receipts from certain items sold by the Army Department on behalf of certain other Government Departments. The Navy Department does not dispose of its surplus stocks by public auction.The amounts realised by the Army and Air Force Departments during the same period by the sales of surplus stocks to other Service and Civil Departments as a result of the shopping lists procedure were some £75,800 and £72,400 respectively. The Navy Department does not keep special records of this kind of sale and this information is therefore not available in respect of Naval stores.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the results of the instruction issued in May, 1956, that Departments generally should consider whether they can permit some relaxation of their normal standards and specifications in order to be able to take advantage of Service surplus stores which, though not ideally suited to their requirements, may yet serve their purpose.

Information is not readily available to enable me to state to what extent other departments have been prepared to relax their standards and specifications in order to take advantage of surplus Service stores. Within the Ministry of Defence each Service accepts surpluses offered by the other Services to the greatest extent practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has of rings operating at public auction sales; and what action is taken to protect the interests of the public purse in this respect.

The extent to which rings operate is difficult to know precisely. However, as far as the sales of the surpluses of the Defence Services are concerned, the evidence is that they are not extensive and that they have little influence on prices obtained.The arrangements for selling surpluses are devised to make effective ringing as difficult as possible but it would not be in the public interest to give details.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in auctioning surplus Government supplies of sheets and blankets, he will offer them first for sale to regional hospital boards, the National Assistance Board, and local authority welfare committees.

It is rare for sheets and blankets in serviceable condition and in appreciable quantities to become surplus to the requirements of the Service Departments. Sheets and blankets offered for disposal are usually in an unserviceable or sub-standard condition. The Ministry of Health is on the shopping list of the Navy and Air Force Departments for serviceable blankets and sheets and is being added for these items to the Army Department's list. We look to the Ministry of Health to cover any requirements of regional hospital boards. The National Assistance Board is not a purchaser of bedding. The position with regard to local authorities is described in Column 2002, paragraph 6, of the OFFICIAL REPORT for 16th May, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total area of the Woolwich Arsenal site; and how much of it is currently occupied by the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich.

1,193 acres and about 150 acres respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many machine tools were located at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, on 4th December, 1963; what types they were; how many have been disposed of to date, and to whom; and what will be the method of disposal of the remainder.

On 4th December, 1963, there were about 4,000 machine tools at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich. They included boring, drilling, grinding, milling, planing, welding and woodworking machines, lathes of different types, presses and sheet metal working machines, some specialised machines, and a variety of tools of a general engineering nature. About 400 machine tools have been disposed of so far, of which roughly half have been transferred to other Royal Ordnance factories or other Government Departments and half sold. Of the remainder, nearly 400 have already been earmarked for other Royal Ordnance Factories or Ministry of Defence units. The rest will be used to meet any further needs in other Royal Ordnance Factories, other units of the Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments, in that order. Any machine tools then remaining will be sold.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what terms on abolition of office will be offered to those established employees at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, who cannot be given alternative equivalent Government employment in the district and who by virtue of age would not be expected to move to another part of the country.

Abolition of office terms i.e. immediate payment, regardless of age, of the pension or lump sum (or both) earned by service cannot be granted if other Government employment is available within the United Kingdom.I wrote most fully to the hon. Gentleman on 10th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees over 50 years of age will be declared redundant due to the closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich; how many of them will be established civil servants; how many unestablished; how many of them will be classed as skilled; and how many unskilled.

At 1st March, 1,681 employees at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, were over 50 years of age. Details are as follows:

Non-industrials
Established	376	(including 30 women)
Unestablished	16	(including 5 women)
Industrials
Established, skilled	309
Established, non-skilled	849	(including 28 women)
Unestablished, skilled	14
Unestablished, non-skilled	117	(including 67 women)

Not all of them will be declared redundant but it is not possible to forecast which individuals will remain in jobs on the Arsenal site or in other Government employment.