asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that only one telephone kiosk serves the residents of Rocke Street, Scott Street, Spa Street, Reabrook Avenue, Grove Road, Bromfield Drive, Leamere Crescent, and the new council houses in Brunel Way and Stevenson Drive, Shrewsbury; and whether he will now place another kiosk on the Grove Estate, Shrewsbury;(2) whether he will have a telephone kiosk placed in Montague Place, Shrewsbury.

None of these streets is more than a quarter of a mile from an existing kiosk, and several are much nearer, and I cannot promise additional kiosks at present. But the position is being kept under close review.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the approximate time a subscriber in London has to wait before he can obtain an answer from the exchange in order to put through a trunk call.

The average times to answer for auto-manual exchanges in the London Telecommunication Region are about 7½ seconds by day and 7 seconds during the evening.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will provide a telephone kiosk adjacent to the council houses about one mile from the Pershore Road at Whittington, Worcestershire.

No. There are only 40 houses at Berkeley Close, to which I assume the hon. Gentleman refers, and they are all within¾ mile of the kiosk outside Whittington Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether he will now agree to the erection of telephone kiosks in the Moneydarraghbeg, Brackenagh and Cranfield areas of South Down.

No. There has been no change since my right hon. Friend wrote to the hon. and gallant Member in November. The position at Moneydarraghbeg might be improved by re-siting the existing kiosk which is on the coast road, and my right hon. Friend is inviting the local council to consider this possibility.

asked the Postmaster-General, if he will restore the telephone kiosk in Mill Road Halfway, Cambuslang.

There are two kiosks within a quarter of a mile and takings would need to be increased to justify a third. But we have asked the Lanarkshire County Council if they would like either of the existing kiosks resited.

asked the Postmaster-General, what is the result of the study he has made of the question of giving concessional telephone rentals to people of 70 years of age and over who are living alone; and if he will make a statement.

The circumstances, handicaps and needs of individuals vary greatly, and it seems to me that the requirement is to find ways of catering for particular needs at minimum cost. I am, therefore, in touch with Departments and others who are interested in this problem, so that full account can be taken of their advice. The examination being made will inevitably take some time.

asked the Postmaster-General, if, in view of the scattered nature of the parish and village of Pentyrrch in the county of Glamorgan, he will authorise the provision of an additional public telephone kiosk there; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend would not be justified in providing another kiosk until there is a substantial increase in telephone business in Pentyrrch parish. There are already five kiosks in the vicinity.

asked the Postmaster-General what consultations he proposes to have with television authorities on the subject of longer viewing hours.

This is one of the matters now under review. This review will inevitably take a considerable time to complete.

asked the Postmaster-General, whether he is aware that reception of television is unsatisfactory in parts of the Stroud area; and what proposals he has for improving the transmitters concerned.

Responsibility for the quality of broadcast transmissions rests primarily on the B.B.C. and the I.T.A. They tell me that reception of their services should normally be satisfactory in the Stroud area if suitable receiving aerials are used; but if the hon. Member has any particular case in mind and will write to me about it, I will gladly have it investigated.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he will now reduce the cost to retirement pensioners of radio and television receiver licences;(2) if he will exclude retirement pensioners and the chronic sick from increases in radio and television receiver licences.

I am currently considering the B.B.C.'s case for an increase in licence fees but a decision has not yet been reached. The Government will, of course, keep the particular circumstances of retirement pensioners and others fully in mind but I cannot undertake to make any concessions.

asked the Postmaster-General, if he will seek to negotiate reciprocal arrangements with other countries whereby visiting licensed amateurs may be allowed to engage in amateur radio transmissions within the country being visited.

Yes. Subject to certain conditions being met, I shall in future grant licences to engage in amateur transmissions in this country to licensed radio amateurs who are nationals of countries which are prepared to grant reciprocal facilities to United Kingdom licensed radio amateurs. I shall shortly be taking steps to negotiate such arrangements as my hon. Friend describes.

asked the Postmaster-General, to what extent the terms of the appointment of the Chairman of the Independent Television Authority required the holder of that post to refrain from accepting other paid appointments.

The Chairman of the Independent Television Authority is appointed subject to the provision of Schedule 1 to the Television Act, 1964, which contains no such requirement.

asked the Postmaster-General what reconsideration he is giving to the proposed pay television experiment; and what representations have been made to him regarding it.

I have had representations both from pay television and film interests, but cannot yet add anything to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 22nd December, 1964.

asked the Postmaster-General how many organisations have made official representations to him for the establishment of a local broadcasting station in Norfolk.

Some general inquiries have been made, but no official requests have been received.

asked the Postmaster-General what will be the first local broadcasting station or stations planned for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Francis Noel-Baker) on 5th March, the Government are considering the general question whether local sound broadcasting should be introduced into the United Kingdom. Until this general question has been decided it will not be possible to evaluate the claims of particular localities.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now take steps to require the Independent Television Authority further to restrict the time devoted to advertisements on commercial television and to isolate such advertisements from the programmes.

Under the Television Act, 1964, the amount and distribution of advertising on independent television are the responsibility of the Independent Television Authority. The criteria which the Authority are to observe in the discharge of their responsibility are prescribed by the Act. I am keeping the matter under review.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will hasten the adoption of a colour television system, so as to ensure that British manufacturers are enabled to exhibit colour television sets at the 1967 radio and television international exhibition in Paris.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Sir M. Galpern) on 2nd March.

asked the Postmaster-General, if he will seek powers to remove responsibility for all British Broadcasting Corporation publications from the British Broadcasting Corporation and vest it in his own Department or the Central Office of Information.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the reduced revenue consequent on the ban on cigarette advertising on television, if he will reduce the additional payments charged under Section 13(4) of the Television Act, 1964.

No. It would be premature to consider varying the scale of the additional payments. The effect on advertising revenue of the ban will largely depend on how far the programme contractors attract other advertisements to replace the cigarette advertisements.

asked the Postmaster-General if, under Section 14(4) of the Licence and Agreement, he will instruct the British Broadcasting Corporation to refrain from broadcasting items calculated to give offence to religious susceptibilities.

The Chairman and Governors of the B.B.C. have been entrusted with responsibility for the programme content of their services, and no change is contemplated.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will introduce legislation to create a broadcasting and television authority which would have the same control over the British Broadcasting Corporation as the Independent Television Authority has over the independent companies.

The Chairman and Governors are themselves appointed as a public corporation to exercise just such authority in respect of the programmes broadcast by the B.B.C.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to improve local broadcasting services in Norfolk.

Responsibility for the quality of broadcast transmissions rests primarily on the B.B.C. and I.T.A. They tell me that reception of their television and V.H.F. sound services is generally good in Norfolk. In fringe areas where reception may be a little difficult the use of good outside receiving aerials should improve matters.Reception of the Light Programme on long wave and the Home Service and Third Programme on medium wave is also generally satisfactory over most of Norfolk, but after dark the Home Service in North-East Norfolk is liable to interference.If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind and will write to me about it I will gladly have it investigated.

asked the Postmaster-General what consideration has been given to the place of educational broadcasting in his formulation of future policy for radio and television; and whether he will make a statement.

In their review of broadcasting policy the Government are giving urgent consideration to the best way of meeting the need for more educational broadcasting.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will require the Independent Television Authority, under Section 9 (2) of the Television Act, 1954, to refrain from broadcasting bogus wrestling contests calculated to deceive the public.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General how much capital has been invested in the past 10 years to the present date in the Post Office; and what has been the percentage increase in the cost of telephones, telegrams and postage in these years.

Capital expenditure on fixed assets in the 10 years to 1964–65 amounts to about £1,200 million, of which the postal services account for £80 million and Telecommunications for £1,120 million. In the same period charges for inland telephone, telegraph and postal services have increased by 52, 66 and 47 per cent., respectively. During this period costs have risen even more sharply.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the welcome which his decision to make a special stamp issue to mark the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Britain has received, especially from past and present Royal Air Force personnel; and if he will take into account, in deciding on the design of these stamps, the part played in the Battle of Britain by personnel from other parts of the Commonwealth and elsewhere as well as from Great Britain, and the scope for design this offers.

I am glad to know that my decision to issue special stamps to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain has been well received.I also welcome my hon. Friend's reference to the part played by Commonwealth Forces in this historic battle and shall bear this in mind when selecting designs. But I am sure he will appreciate the difficulty of depicting such a concept within the confines of a postage stamp.

asked the Postmaster-General how many different stamps will be included in his special issue to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Britain; what their values will be; and when they will be on sale.

I propose to issue three denominations in September to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. I shall announce the details and actual date of issue later.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated loss on postal services for 1965 excluding telephones; how much extra a 4d. letter rate would produce; whether he now proposes to increase the letter rate to 4d.; and if he will make a statement.

The latest forecast of the loss on the postal services in 1965–66 is £30 million. An increase in the inland letter rate from 3d. to 4d. would yield between £20 million and £25 million in a full year, depending on the adjustments made in the weight steps. For the rest, I would invite the hon. Member to await publication of the annual "Post Office Prospects" White Paper next week.

asked the Postmaster-General what are his plans for the possible introduction of the giro system into the Post Office; and if he will make a statement.

The matter is, at this moment, under consideration but I am not yet ready to make any statement.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make a further statement on the transfer of the Post Office Savings Bank to Glasgow.

Replies to a questionnaire designed to show which Savings Bank Division staff are willing to move have just come in. Post Office staff generally have also been asked whether they wish to join the Bank Headquarters in Glasgow. As soon as all the replies have been analysed it will be possible to make more definite plans for the phasing of the move.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he will take to restrict the use of the postal services by advertisers who direct at the public advertisements of a pornographic or otherwise undesirable character which are not accepted by other media; what reply he has sent to representations by the Advertising Inquiry Council on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

It is an offence under the Post Office Act, 1953 to send indecent or obscene advertisements through the Post and I am satisfied that we do all we reasonably can to see that the Act is not contravened.I am not clear precisely what my hon. Friend has in mind when he refers to advertisements of "otherwise undesirable character which are not accepted by other media". But if he will let me have further details, I will look into the matter in consultation with my colleagues. I have not yet replied to the Advertising Inquiry Council on this subject.

asked the Postmaster-General, what action he now proposes to take to prevent further dispatch of pornographic literature through the post, copies of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Louth; and if he will make a statement.

It is an offence to send indecent or obscene matter through the post; and any such matter coming under notice is stopped. The literature mentioned by the hon. Member was ruled by a Court on 5th March to contravene Section 11 of the Post Office Act, and I do not therefore expect any more of it to be posted.

asked the Postmaster-General why a parcel of perishable farm produce posted in Truro on 17th February was not delivered in Walmer, Kent, until 22nd February.

Posted as stated the parcel should have been delivered by 19th February at the latest and I am sorry it was not. My inquiries have failed to show why delivery was not made until 22nd February but if my hon. Friend will let me have more details I will be glad to look further into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state his proposals for improving the postal services in East Sussex.

We are doing all we can to provide a satisfactory postal service in East Sussex. If the hon. Member has any particular difficulties in mind and will let me have details I shall be glad to look into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will arrange for the Post Office to participate in the Industrial Exhibition of Wales.

No. We had an exploratory discussion with the organisers from which we finally decided that audience interest in a Post Office stand at this exhibition would not justify the expenditure involved. We can, however, make available to the organisers background information and display material should they wish.

asked the Postmaster-General what communication he has received from the Director General of the Universal Postal Union advising of the plan made by the Chairman of the International Committee of International Cooperation Year; and whether the special stamp programme for this year will include a commemorative stamp to mark the anniversary and to honour International Co-operation Year.

A circular was received last year from the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union informing us that the committee set up to formulate and co-ordinate plans for the International Co-operation Year had recommended that those countries issuing special stamps to commemorate the Year should consider adopting the design to be used by the Postal Administration of the United Nations. I am considering this design in connection with the special stamps I shall be issuing in October to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will issue a special stamp to commemorate the famous Cornish engineer, Richard Trevithick, the pioneer builder of high-pressure steam engines arid father of the locomotive.

I have already announced my programme of special issues of stamps for this year, but I shall be glad to keep my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind for the future.

asked the Postmaster-General what are his plans for further British participation in communication satellite systems.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Sir J. Eden) on 2nd February.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will require an indication of the sender to be inscribed on all registered cash on delivery communications before their acceptance at any post office.

It is already a requirement of the service that the sender's name and address be shown on all cash on delivery communications. I am looking into the case which has been brought to my notice by the hon. Member and I shall write to him as soon as I can.

asked the Postmaster-General, if, in order to help keep the cost-of-living index steady and in view of the deteriorating postal delivery service, he will reduce the delivery stamp charge from 3d. to 2d.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he intends to produce Christmas cards for sale at post offices.

asked the Postmaster-General what consultations he has had with the trade representatives regarding the sale of Christmas cards by the Post Office.

I have had under consideration the production of Christmas cards for sale at post offices and there was some discussion between my officials and trade representatives. I have no plans for the issue of such cards, at the moment.

asked the Postmaster-General what delays are being experienced in the parcel post emanating from Northern Ireland to London and elsewhere in Great Britain.

I am sorry that parcels sent from Northern Ireland to London and other parts of the country are sometimes delayed. I am looking further into this to see what improve. ments can be made and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

asked the Postmaster-General how many artists have been asked to design the Churchill postage stamps; when the selection will be made; and if the stamps will be on sale before Whitsuntide.

Three artists have been asked to design the stamps, and the final selection should be made soon. I have it in mind to put the stamps on sale before Whitsun but I am not yet in a position to fix a specific date.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the lack of success of local authorities in bettering the unsatisfactory situation of hundreds of gypsies and other travellers this winter without water or the most elementary services, often resulting in considerable nuisance to other people living in the locality, and the fact that several Government Departments are concerned with the problem, if he will set up an inter-departmental committee to deal with the unsatisfactory situation.

My Department is already in close touch with the other Departments concerned in the provision of welfare and other services for these families. The immediate problem, however, is the provision of sites and an inter-departmental committee could not help with this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the difficulties involved in providing facilities for the growing number of motorised shoppers in existing town centres, what consideration has been given to providing out-of-town regional shopping centres with car-parking facilities; and what proposals he has to encourage this form of development on an experimental basis in rural areas in the near future.

My right hon. Friend is receiving proposals for out-of-town shopping centres. He will consider them on their merits.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the failure of all previous proposals to solve the problem of the many itinerants without any lawful place to stay, particularly during the winter months, he will seek to set up an interdepartmental committee to examine the situation.

I am in touch with other Departments and with the local authority associations in my study of this problem. Meanwhile I do not think it would help to have an inter-departmental committee.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what plans he proposes to agree to for the supply of water to meet the needs of Essex in the immediate future.

A large bulk supply from the Metropolitan Water Board will start on 1st April. The South Essex Water Company has been given a temporary authorisation to take more water from the Stour under certain conditions. Other schemes for increasing supplies are being examined by the water undertakers concerned, and when put to my right hon. Friend will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in his current review of local government finance, he will take account of the increased rates in the London area; and what proposals he now has for transferring to the Exchequer a proportion of rate-borne education expenditure.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, "Yes"; and to the second, that the hon. Gentleman must await the conclusion of the review.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many old-age pensioners have been able to obtain relief in payment of rates in The Hartlepools within the terms of the Rating (Interim Relief) Act 1964.

As I stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Hobden) on 2nd March, responsibility for considering applications lies with the rating authority and they are not required to supply my right hon. Friend with details of relief given under the Act. I have no doubt that the local authorities concerned will be prepared to help my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many appeals against rating assessments in Worthing remain undecided; and when all of them are likely to have been heard.

By 12th March, 3,206 appeals against assessments in the 1963 lists for Worthing had been received by the West Sussex Local Valuation Panel: 1,616 remain to be decided. If the present rate of progress can be maintained, the appeals with the panel should be cleared within 18 months, but this may prove difficult to achieve as the outstanding cases are likely to include more that are contentious.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether the committee investigating the rating system will consider the suggestion that individuals should be given an allowance against Income Tax if the rates they pay exceed a certain percentage of their income.

The examination of local government finance, including the rating system, is being undertaken by the Government and not by a committee. I take note of the hon. Member's suggestion, and I have no doubt that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will do so, too. It would, of course, do nothing to help ratepayers whose incomes are so low that they are not liable for Income Tax and who appear to be most in need of help.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will name the buildings in the counties of Northumberland and Durham on which preservation orders have been made under Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1960.

No preservation orders for buildings in these counties have been made under Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1962, but orders for the following buildings were made under earlier legislation: 39 Silver Street, Durham; The Vicarage Pele, Ponteland, Castle Ward Rural District, Northumberland.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware of the specially adapted houses for the disabled, which are to be built in selected areas in Northumberland, designed for the needs of individual disabled men and women; and whether he will consider giving special subsidies and extending the scheme over the country.

My right hon. Friend is aware of what some Northumberland housing authorities are doing to meet the special housing requirements of disabled people. Housing authorities generally have been encouraged to make special provision of this kind, most recently in a circular issued in September which made suggestions for adapting the designs of houses and ground floor flats at relatively small cost. Welfare authorities have power to contribute to the cost, as the Northumberland County Council is doing, and the normal Exchequer housing subsidy is payable. My right hon. Friend does not think a special subsidy is called for.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that, following a recent decision by a metropolitan magistrate in a case brought by the St. Pancras Borough Council under the Protection from Eviction Act, it appears that protection from eviction is not provided under the Act in cases where a tenancy has not been properly terminated; and whether he will introduce legislation to provide the protection originally intended by the Act.

I am bearing this point in mind in framing the forthcoming rent legislation.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give the cost to the National Coal Board of damage caused by subsidence for the years 1960 to 1964, respectively.

The provisions made by the National Coal Board for subsidence are shown as a separate item of costs, i.e. surface damage, in the Board's published Accounts in Schedule X for 1960 and 1961, Schedule IX for 1962 and Table 2 for 1963–64.

asked the Minister of Power if he is aware that, so far as old-age pensioners are concerned, the standard charges for maintenance carried out by gas boards are excessive in relation to the nature of the maintenance required and the amount of pension received; and if he will issue general directions to the gas boards to mitigate these charges for pensioners.

The area gas boards know that I expect them to provide service as cheaply as is consistent with covering costs and financial objectives. Many of the boards make special free visits to elderly customers to promote safety and on these minor maintenance is often done. I would not ask the boards to discriminate in favour of pensioners in their standard maintenance charges because this would not be consistent with their statutory duties. The Government's view is that in general the right way to help the elderly is to provide adequate money resources.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement on the development of hovercraft.

I hope to make a statement on hovercraft in the near future.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total of capital and other expenditure on the Dounreay experimental establishment; and what expenditure there has been in each of the last 10 years.

I am informed by the Atomic Energy Authority that expenditure incurred up to 31st March, 1964, on its experimental establishment at Dounreay totalled £53 million. Of this, capital expenditure on building and on the installation of various facilities was £28·5 million. The establishment became fully operational five years ago since when current expenditure has been running at an average of just over £4 million a year.

asked the Minister of Technology why the Fire Research Testing Station at Boreham Wood is six months behind with its work; when an improvement can be expected; and if he will make a statement.

The only delays in carrying out tests are in respect of those on the surface spread of flame and on fire resistance of structures. The volume of such test work has greatly increased in recent years and, because of a shortage of suitably qualified personnel, the Station has so far been unable to recruit sufficient staff to keep abreast of the work. To enable the delays to be progressively reduced vigorous efforts are being made to find additional staff.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had from national charities about the effect of the proposed corporation tax on charitable income and the effect of the proposed capital gains tax provisions on capital gains accruing to the residue of the deceased's estate where charities are the residuary legatees; and what assurances he is able to give at this stage.

A number of charitable organisations have written to my right hon. Friend about their position under the new taxes. As regards the second part of the Question, I must ask the hon. Gentleman to await my right hon. Friend's detailed proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now publish a White Paper on Public Expenditure.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 9th March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will grant subsidies or further tax allowances for the purchase of special categories of technologically advanced machinery and equipment.

My hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money he expects to be paid out in a full year by Her Majesty's Commissioners of Customs and Excise in tax rebates under the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1964, to exporters; and how much of this money will be recollected by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Inland Revenue in Income and Profits Tax.

On the basis of the current level of exports, it is estimated that payments in respect of export rebates would amount to about £80 million in a full year. It is not known how much of the rebate will find its way into taxable profits. Whether or not firms pay more tax will depend on how they use the rebate. To the extent that it goes to reduce prices or to increase expenditure, for example in current expenditure on sales promotion, no tax would be payable on it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what attempts are being made to seek methods of limiting tax avoidance by means of business expense accounts.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the anomalies that have occurred and are occurring as a result of the revisions in local government boundaries in rating assessments, and that identical houses in the same road, formerly in East and West Ham, are now in Newham, with rating assessments and rates of houses in the former area of West Ham being higher than those in the former borough of East Ham; and whether he will take action to rectify these anomalies.

No; but if my hon. Friend has any particular cases in mind, I will be glad to investigate them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals against their household rating assessments were submitted between 1st April, 1963, and 1st April, 1964, by householders in the Dene, Heaton, Walkergate, St. Lawrence, and Walker wards, respectively, in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to examine new methods of redistributing wealth, in view of the present inequity in its distribution.

The capital gains tax will go some way to meet my hon. Friend's point.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will alter the administrative procedure in the Inland Revenue so that where married persons pay Income Tax on separate assessments, any refund due to the spouse is forwarded to that person, and the sum is not refunded always to the husband.

Any repayment of Income Tax due in respect of the income of either spouse, for a year for which a claim for separate assessment is effective, is payable to the spouse whose income it is. If the hon. Member knows of a case where this procedure has not been followed and will send me particulars, I will look into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to introduce a voucher system to facilitate the giving of premium bonds as gifts.

National Savings gift tokens are available for exchange into premium bonds and other National Savings securities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the amount gained by the Exchequer annually as a result of civil servants dying prior to the attainment of pensionable age, based on the average life expectancy of a civil servant.

Superannuation schemes are drawn up and costed by reference to statistically probable expectations. It is obviously not realistic therefore to describe divergences from the statistically probable average as resulting in losses or gains.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will cause the Royal Mint to strike and issue a commemorative 5s. piece in honour of the late Sir Winston Churchill.

I am glad to say that arrangements are being made for the issue of a 5s. piece to commemorate Sir Winston Churchill. The design and preparation for minting will take some time and details of the issue will be made known in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the congestion at the docks caused by importers not clearing their goods through Customs until the import surcharge is reduced, if he will reduce the surcharge immediately to 10 per cent.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the list of persons entitled to concession passes on the Northern Ireland—Eire border to include schoolteachers, farmers owning land on both sides, and farmers who share machinery.

I am afraid I would not feel justified either in singling out these categories of person or in extending the concession pass system more widely.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated opening date of the new Customs post at Culloville, County Armagh.

As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Members for Mid-Ulster (Mr. Forrest) and for Fermanagh and South Tyrone (The Marquess of Hamilton) on 10th February, we hope to have this new post in operation for the coming tourist season, but I regret that I am not yet able to give any date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield to the Exchequer in additional revenue if Surtax were imposed at the level prior to 1961.

About £110 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the increasing sense of frustration being felt by the people of Gibraltar as a result of the present Spanish restrictions, what further action he has taken in this matter; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Members for West Dorset (Mr. Wingfield Digby), Cheltenham (Mr. Dodds-Parker), Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton), Belfast West (Mr. Kilfedder), Bristol North-West (Mr. McLaren) and Goole (Mr. George Jeger) on 1st March.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Tranent Town Council regarding the need for a by-pass road on the A.1 between Edinburgh and London; and whether he will receive a deputation on the subject.

I have received no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditures have been incurred in the Highland counties in each of the last 10 years on the various categories of agricultural support; and what proportion of all such expenditures in Scotland this represents.

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the long-established powers of the Welsh Board of Health, he will bring health services in Wales within the executive authority of the Secretary of State for Wales.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if the proposals for co-ordinating Government action in the field of integrating immigrants into the community will include an investigation into the effects on English working-class families mostly in the poorer industrial areas who have borne the social consequences of mass immigration; and if he will make a statement.

I am sure that my hon. Friend will take all relevant considerations into account.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the difficulties of securing voluntary restraint on demands for increased incomes in a large

Separate figures for these counties for years before 1959–60 are not readily available; and price support payments for milk, eggs, potatoes and wool cannot be determined separately for individual counties. The information available in the three main categories of production grants, improvement grants, and deficiency payments is as follows:range of activities, and in order automatically to involve everyone in the task of keeping consumption in harmony with production, he will seek to create a regulator in the form of a national dividend by which a balance between expenditure and production will clearly be seen to be adjusted by higher dividends when productivity improves and by lower dividends when too little is produced.

No. As was stated in the recent White Paper on the Machinery of Prices and Incomes Policy, we intend to give the voluntary method every chance of proving that it can be made to work.

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister of State in the Scottish Office with special powers to assess the trade and industry peculiar to North-East Scotland and with special responsibility for developing trade and industry and transport both home and abroad in that area.

No. The machinery that the Government have established for national and regional economic planning will enable the necessary work to be done without a special Ministerial appointment.

asked the Prime Minister why he will not return to Eire the documents of Sir Roger Casement now in the possession of Her Majesty's Government.

These documents are public records deposited in the Public Record Office. By Section 6 of the Public Records Act, 1958, such records may be released only if they are duplicated by other public records selected for permanent preservation or there is some other special reason why they should not be permanently preserved. Neither condition is satisfied in this case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to stop the shooting of common and grey seals, other than on the Farne Islands, in circumstances that cause suffering to the many animals not killed outright.

I am afraid that the Parliamentary timetable is such that there is no prospect of being able to introduce legislation on this matter in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, my Department has been in touch with the other Departments concerned to examine this problem further, and to see what should and could be done if the opportunity for legislation arose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many terrorist attacks have taken place in the South Arabian Federation in the present month; and if he will make a statement.

Forty-seven incidents attributed to terrorists and of widely varying degrees of seriousness took place in the South Arabian Federation, thirteen of them in Aden. Further security measures have been taken and will be taken as and when required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on how many occasions the Egyptian or Yemeni Republican air forces have violated the air space of the South Arabian Federation in the present month; and if he will make a statement.

So far this month Federal air space has been violated on two occasions by aircraft from the Yemen. On 5th March a MIG fighter with unidentified markings flew over Federal territory in the course of operations against Yemeni Royalist forces near the Federal frontier. A similar infringement by two unidentified MIG aircraft occurred on the 9th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the recent capture of Egyptian-trained terrorists in the Fahdli Sultanate.

In the early morning of 7th March, thirteen rebels, the majority in uniform, arrived at the eastern end of the Wadi Yeramis, some three miles from the Federal Guard post at Am Suwad in the Fahdli Sultanate. Three of their number went to a village nearby in search of food, and a sergeant of the Second Federal Guard in the village arranged for their arrest.The Federal Guard and the local tribesmen then engaged the rest, pinning them down in a small valley until the arrival of reinforcements from Zingibar, the State capital. After two of the rebels had been wounded the group surrendered There were no casualties on the Government side.The rebels, together with their arms, which included a bazooka, a two-inch mortar, a Bren gun, some hand grenades and a quantity of dynamite with fuses, were taken to Zingibar, where they are now detained and are being interrogated. Much credit is due to the Federal Guard and the tribesmen of the Fahdli State for attacking and finally apprehending these well-armed men.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the expenditure, including minor works, by the Bournemouth Education Authority in 1963–64; what amount was estimated for urgent works of improvement in 1964–65; and what amount has been allocated for 1965–66.

I assume that the hon. Member requires comparable figures, for the three years, of minor building work starts. These are:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce details of the Youth Service building programme for 1966–67.

I expect to announce details of this programme shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will conduct inquiries with a view to taking steps to set up a national sports foundation for the purpose of providing a university of sport where potential top class trainers and instructors would themselves be trained.

The training of coaches is mainly the responsibility of the governing bodies of sport. They are helped by the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation, which are substantially grant-aided by the Government, and which offer a service in arranging and assisting with training courses for instructors, leaders and coaches at local, regional and national level. Longer and more thorough training courses for coaches are desirable and should emerge as more full-time coaches are employed by national voluntary organisations. I envisage further development on these lines rather than a national sports foundation. This is a subject to which the Sports Council intend to give close attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make available in the Library of the House monthly statistics on immigration, specifying both the country of origin and the numbers in each category of immigrants, that is, relatives or type of work involved.

Yes. I hope it will be possible to make a start towards the end of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why dogs and goats have been exposed to phosgene in a testing chamber at the Government Experimental Station, Porton, Wiltshire; and if he will make a statement.

No experiment of this kind has been carried out at Porton since the last war.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has studied the evidence on vivisection practices forwarded to him by the honourable Member for West Derby, Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has read the pamphlet which my hon. Friend sent to him. He is at present studying the report of the Departmental Committee on Experiments on Animals, which he received on 24th February, but he is not yet able to say when he expects to be in a position to make any statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now state the outcome of his talks with the manufacturers of fireworks with regard to safety requirements.

It has been agreed with the fireworks manufacturers that an extensive publicity campaign will again be mounted in 1965, particular attention being paid to the need to warn parents against allowing young children to handle fireworks without proper supervision. Bangers will continue to be capped or boxed. It has not so far been found practicable to extend capping to other kinds of fireworks, but the investigation of this problem will continue. Efforts are also being made to improve the means of ignition of fireworks and to increase the fire-resistance of boxes in which fireworks are contained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual cost of keeping debtors in prison.

The average annual cost of maintaining a person in prison during the financial year 1963–64 was £587 4s. 11d. During 1963 the prisons contained a daily average of about 200 persons committed by county courts and of about 260 civil process prisoners committed by magistrates' courts; it is therefore estimated that the annual cost of maintaining such prisoners will have been about £270,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many widows did not receive the full amount of widow's allowance for the first 13 weeks after their husband's death because the necessary contributions conditions were not met, for the latest available 12 months period.

It is estimated that the number in any year is between 6–7,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the cost of extending the widow's allowance for the first 13 weeks after their husband's death to all widow's irrespective of age or circumstances.

To pay widow's allowance at the standard rate for the first 13 weeks of widowhood to all those widows who do not now qualify for it, irrespective of the age and other conditions provided in the National Insurance Acts, would cost about £3 million a year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners there are in Birkenhead; how many of these are in receipt of National Assistance; and how these figures compare with the national average.

I regret that information about the total number of retirement pensioners in particular localities is not available. In December 1964, in the areas covered by the two offices of the National Assistance Board in Birkenhead, which extend beyond the County Borough, 6,145 retirement pensioners and 415 non-contributory old age pensioners (out of a total of 493) were receiving National Assistance grants, some of which provided for the requirements of more than one pensioner. On the same date, 1,154,458 retirement pensioners, out of an estimated total of 6,164,000 and 61,448 non-contributory old age pensioners out of a total of 80,821 were receiving assistance grants in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will make a statement about the denial of unemployment benefit to the men thrown out of work by, but not involved in, the strike of 300 maintenance men at the Longbridge works of the British Motor Corporation.

In accordance with the usual practice when the unemployment benefit position of a large number of workers is affected by similar circumstances, test claims were taken from representative claimants employed at Longbridge who lost employment as a result of the recent stoppage of work. I understand that the effect of the insurance officer's decision on these claims is that the great majority of workers at Longbridge are disqualified for unemployment benefit under the trade dispute disqualification provisions of the National Insurance Act. There are rights of appeal against the insurance officer's decision to the local tribunal and, ultimately, to the National Insurance Commissioner. Claims by workers at other places of employment who were laid off as a result of the stoppage of work at Longbridge are not, of course, affected by the trade dispute disqualification.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the average cost per square foot rented and freehold of Government office accommodation in Blackpool and district; and what is the cost of similar accommodation in London.

The average rent of offices held on lease by my Department in Blackpool and district is just over 6s. per sq. ft., and in London just over 15s. per sq. ft. These figures are not directly comparable, as rents vary considerably according to the date at which a lease was taken out, the quality of the accommodation, and its location. It is not possible to give corresponding information for Government owned offices as the figures vary widely according to site costs and the dates at which particular buildings were erected.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in the light of recent losses of trawlers, he will seek to make obligatory the carrying of small automatic radio transmitting buoys in the life-saving equipment of all British ships.

No. I believe that in general the carriage of a portable radio set for use in survival craft is likely to be of greater value than the carriage of an automatic radio transmitting buoy, and I am at present considering which classes of ships should be required to carry such sets.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for industrial development certificates were received by his Department in the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire, respectively, in 1964.

For the East Riding, forty-one industrial development certificates were issued; for the West Riding, two hundred and sixty were issued and two refused.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the recent agreement between the United States of America and Canada regarding free trade in cars and car parts has yet been studied by the contracting parties of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; when a decision is expected regarding any possible violation of its rules; and if he will make a statement.

The Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, now holding their 22nd Session in Geneva, set up on 9th March a Working Party, on which the United Kingdom Government are represented, to consider this agreement between Canada and the United States of America in relation to the provisions of the G.A.T.T. It is not yet known when the Contracting Parties will conclude their consideration of this matter, and I cannot add to the statement which my hon. Friend made in answer to my hon. Friend's earlier Question of 3rd February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the result of the consultations he has had with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on the likely effect on United Kingdom exports of the recent agreement between the United States of America and Canada instituting free trade in cars and car parts between the two countries; and if he will make a statement.