asked the Minister of Power how many official outside advisers or review bodies have been appointed to his Department since October 1964.

The only review body I have appointed since October, 1964, is the Energy Advisory Council, of which I informed the House on 22nd January last.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give consideration to the postponement of steel nationalisation while an experiment is conducted to determine the effect of withdrawing price maintenance, mechanisms and subjecting the industry to price competition.

No.

asked the Minister of Power what proposals have been put to him for the development of the electricity power programme in the South-West, bearing in mind the future increased demands in North and West Devon; and if he will make a statement.

I am at present considering the South-Western Electricity Board's general programme of capital development in 1966–67 and future years. The Board's capital investment programme for 1965–66 was approved by my predecessor.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware of the problems created for local planning authorities and for persons living in colliery neighbourhoods by the extension of colliery spoil tips; and whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the National Coal Board to consider measures to dispose of colliery waste in places where it is less deleterious to local amenities and the health and comfort of local residents.

These matters are subject to the procedures of the Town and Country Planning Acts and a general direction would not be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Power what progress has been made in the removal of restrictive practices preventing the sensible use of manpower in the electricity industry during the past six months.

Last June, the electricity boards and the trade unions in the industry's National Joint Industrial Council agreed a statement on the co-operation of employees with management to achieve the best possible use of manpower and to improve service to consumers. This agreement has been actively supported by the trade unions and considerable progress has been made in carrying it out but it will be some time before the full effects can be assessed.

asked the Minister of Power whether the tenders for the various types of nuclear power stations have yet been considered; and which type has been chosen for the future power programme.

I have nothing to add to the replies I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Palmer) on 1st December and to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) on 26th February.

asked the Minister of Power what would be the cost of electricity from the last nuclear power station of the first programme, assuming a life of 25 years instead of 20; and how this would compare with the cost from the latest conventional power stations.

The generating cost at Wylfa would be about 0·63d. per kilowatt hour. The cost at conventional stations operating at high load factor to be commissioned about the same time will be between 0·5d. to 0·6d. per kilowatt hour depending on their location and the fuel used.

asked the Minister of Power, what contribution he anticipates will be made to electricity supplies from nuclear sources in the years 1970, 1975 and 1980 in terms of megawatt capacity and as percentages of total supplies available, respectively.

On the basis of the first and second nuclear power programmes, the Central Electricity Generating Board plan a nuclear capacity of 5,000 M.Ws in 1970 and 9,500 M.Ws in 1975. The Board estimates that on the present plans nuclear power will account for about 13 per cent. and 18 per cent. of their output of electricity in these years. It is not possible now to give figures for 1980.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on the Stamp Commission's report on European farms in Kenya.

The Stamp Mission has, of course, a great deal of material to consider and the issues are big and complex. Furthermore I understand that the Kenya Government have only recently put to the Mission their final views on the future of European mixed farms in Kenya. The Mission is naturally bound to take full account of these views in preparing its report. The Mission's full report is now not likely to be ready until June but the Mission is aiming to let me have an interim report by the end of April or early May. It is my intention to enter into discussions with the Kenya Government as soon as possible thereafter. I cannot of course at present forecast when it will be possible to reach a final decision.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make it a condition of the technical assistance she will be giving to Cyprus that part of the assistance shall go to Turkish Cypriot refugees.

The technical assistance which my Department is giving to Cyprus, in the form of experts' services and professional training in this country, is given on a Government to Government basis, it would not be appropriate for such assistance to be directed to the relief of any particular section of the population.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many pensioners of the old colonial or overseas civil service living in Great Britain are now financially worse off as the result of income tax being levied by Ghana, or other Commonwealth countries, at a rate higher than they are paying in this country.

This information is not available, since the tax position of overseas pensioners depends on their individual circumstances. The rates of income tax in most Commonwealth countries are less than those levied here, and the element of discrimination has been removed from the Ghana tax.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will list those research establishments tabulated in Appendix II of the Trend Report which are now the responsibility of his Department.

The following is the list:

• Building Research Station.
• Fire Research Station.
• Forest Products Research Laboratory.
• Hydraulics Research Station.
• Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
• National Engineering Laboratory.
• National Physical Laboratory (with which the National Chemical Laboratory has now been merged).
• Torry Research Station.
• Warren Spring Laboratory.
• Water Pollution Research Laboratory.

asked the Minister of Technology what special efforts he is making to ensure that the skill of aircraft design teams in Gloucestershire is properly employed.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the Hawker Siddeley Aviation team at Hucclecote, and I would refer him to my Answer yesterday to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley).

asked the Chancellor of the Excheuquer whether he will now exempt dicalcium phosphate from the temporary import surcharge in view of its importance as a component of feedingstuffs and fertilisers for the agricultural industry.

No. Agricultural users of imported materials will, however, benefit from the forthcoming general reduction in the charge.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to make a statement, following his consideration of the proposals submitted by the staff side of the Civil Service National Whitley Council regarding the counting of unestablished service for pension purposes in the case of those civil servants who have been established in the Civil Service after previous unestablished service.

The proposals submitted by the staff side are being considered. My right hon. Friend has no statement to make at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make regulations permitting post-war credits to be repaid to wives who reach the age of payment before their husbands.

If the credit is due to the wife she can claim payment on reaching the age of 55.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, other than through a Pensions Increase Act, any public money has been made avail- able to any pensioners drawing pensions from public sources for the purpose of raising those pensions to or above the general level; and whether he will put all pensioners on an equal footing.

A numbber of bodies wholly or largely financed by grants-in-aid, including the universities, increase pensions by analogy with the Pensions (Increase) Acts. Where necessary the provisions of the Acts are modified to provide comparable treatment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the proportion of total production costs represented by employers' social insurance contributions in the United Kingdom; and what information he has regarding the proportion of total production costs in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan and the United States of America represented by all forms of taxation, including employers' social insurance contributions, which are based on the number of persons employed.

I regret that information in this form is not available. Some indication of the relative proportions can be obtained from the table below which shows employers' social security contributions as a percentage of the total "compensation of employees" as given in figures for 1963 returned to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of personal savings for the last quarter of 1964, expressed as a percentage of personal disposable income; and how this figure compares with that for the corresponding period of 1963.

On the basis of seasonally-adjusted figures, personal savings are estimated to have been 8·4 per cent. of personal disposable income in the last quarter of 1964, compared with 8·3 per cent. in the corresponding period of 1963.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what gross rateable values are on the average assessed on houses and flats in central London where rents are between £400 and £500 a year.

This information is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will reduce the new rate for the 6s. Railex letter from 20s. to 12s., in view of the effect on small newspapers.

I am sorry but I should not he justified in doing what my hon. Friend asks. Railex is a costly service to provide; and it is running at a very heavy loss which, even after the coming increase in charges, will not be entirely eliminated.

asked the Postmaster General whether he will consider submissions by private firms for new designs for postage stamps.

Designs for our postage stamps are usually selected from those submitted by artists nominated by the Council of Industrial Design. I am however always prepared to consider designs or ideas for designs from any other source.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the publication of the Winston Churchill stamps on 24th May, the date of publication of the stamps to celebrate the centenary of the International Telecommunication Union has now been postponed; on what date they will become available; what their values will be; and how many of each will be printed.

Stamps to commemorate the centenary of the International Telecom- munication Union will be on sale on the 17th May and the values will be 9d. and 1s. 6d. About 6 million stamps of each value will be printed.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now include the whole of the London Borough of Barking within the London postal district.

No. Postal and local government areas are not necessarily conterminous and my right hon. Friend has no plans at present for extending the London Postal Area.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the name of the artist or artists who have designed the Winston Churchill stamps; by which firm they are to be printed, and in how many colours; and how long they will be on sale.

Both stamps were designed by David Gentleman and Rosalind Dease. They will be printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd. in two colours. Approximately one month's supply will be printed, but in accordance with our usual practice we shall be keeping them on sale until stocks are exhausted.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will expedite the public inquiry into the objection lodged against the compulsory purchase order in respect of 407 and 415, Scotland Road, Liverpool, having regard to the fact that this matter has been proceeding since November, 1949, and there is an urgent need for this site.

My right hon. Friend and his right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department have arranged for the inquiry to take place on 1st June.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will carry out the undertaking he gave last October to clear the car park dump in Wilton Road, Humberston, details of which were sent to him some months ago; and if he will make a statement.

As the hon. Member was recently informed, the Lindsey County Council has served a further enforcement notice upon the owners, which has to be complied with by 15th May.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is yet able to announce his decision on the expansion of Stevenage.

My decision is being published today. I have decided to accept the Inspector's recommendation not to proceed with the expansion of Stevenage to the west. Though I am, of course, very conscious of the need to provide housing for Londoners, I cannot accept that the contribution made by the proposed expansion would be sufficient to justify the disadvantages to Stevenage. I have also been influenced by the effect the expansion would have had on the surrounding country.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will seek power to provide funds to finance a national programme for providing additional houses to rent and to buy in the areas where immigrant settlement has helped to produce housing problems, involving money, land and building resources, beyond the capacity of the local authorities; and if he will take steps to increase the supply of housing in such areas, hasten slum clearance, deal with twilight areas and achieve some measure of dispersal.

The local authorities with the worst problems to overcome in housing are by no means always those with a high proportion of immigrants. Any special help should be given where the housing needs are greatest—on housing, not on racial grounds. I shall have this in mind in my review of housing subsidies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what increase or decrease in staff there has been in the Department under his control since 16th October, 1964; and what increase or decrease he anticipates in the period up to 15th October, 1965.

Between 16th October, 1964, and 1st April, 1965, the number of staff in my Department decreased by 264. From 1st April, 1965 to 15th October, 1965, it is expected that there will be an increase of 208.The decrease in numbers since October last reflects the transfer of certain responsibilities to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Wales and the Minister of Land and Natural Resources.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the large number of houses without baths in Heywood, Royton, Crampton, Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough and Whitworth and of the fact that existing legislation has failed to assist these areas, what action he will now take to remedy the situation.

My right hon. Friend is asking all local authorities to take vigorous action to improve as many houses as possible. He wants them to use to the full their compulsory powers both to make landlords install baths and to buy houses themselves where necessary. Local authorities got their powers to compel landlords to improve property only last year, and it is too soon to say whether further powers will be needed but he is watching the situation carefully.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how much extra interest charge will have to be paid on a £2,500 council house as a consequence of the raising of the Bank Rate from 5 to 7 per cent.; and what is the approximate total national cost to all local authorities.

No satisfactory estimate can be made. Most housing authorities operate a loans pool which evens out fluctuations in interest rates. Changes in Bank Rate therefore have little immediate effect on the loan charges for house construction.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consult trade unions and management to ensure that immigrants have reasonable access to apprenticeship and training schemes for the middle ranges of skilled employment and to opportunities for engagement and promotion in such employment.

No. Employment opportunities for young immigrants have recently been investigated by the Commonwealth Immigrants Advisory Council, which reported that there was no evidence that immigrants with the necessary qualifications did not have equal opportunities of obtaining apprenticeships.The Advisory Council thought it important that youth employment officers should continue to persuade employers that young immigrants of above average ability might be suitable for a wide variety of employment in industry and commerce, including many types of clerical work; and the Central Youth Employment Executive has issued a memorandum to all youth employment officers to this effect. So far as the Ministry of Labour's vocational training scheme is concerned, immigrants are accepted for training on the same basis as other persons.Qualified immigrants are readily accepted for skilled employment and my right hon. Friend has no evidence of difficulties about their promotion, which would justify his intervention in a matter which is primarily for industry itself.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will now keep figures for emigration of school leavers and others from one region to another for each of the regions, as redefined.

There are practical difficulties but we are looking into the possibility of getting more information about people entering employment for the first time.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to protect the public against the subsequent resale of vehicles which have been condemned by insurance companies as unfit for repair.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 17th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin) and to the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Fisher).

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that at certain times of the year mist on the rear windows of private cars renders centre interior mirrors useless; and whether he will make regulations that all vehicles shall be fitted with mirrors on mudguards.

The fitting of external mirrors is already compulsory for goods vehicles, heavy passenger vehicles and dual purpose vehicles. Cars must have a mirror providing rear vision—though the type is not specified—and there is a Regulation requiring all glass to be kept so that vision is not obscured when driving.Provided the advice in Rules 16, 31 and 82 of the Highway Code is followed, I think that safety can be preserved by a driver whose car has either type of mirror, and I have not seen evidence to suggest that a further Regulation would help.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that persons with defective eyesight are required to wear glasses when undergoing official driving tests but that there is no regulation which requires them thereafter to wear them; and whether he will direct that driving licences issued to such drivers will be inscribed "Wears Glasses," or with other appropriate indication.

It is already an offence, under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, for a motor vehicle to be driven by a person whose eyesight, whether or not wearing glasses, is such that he cannot meet the standard prescribed for the driving test. The marking of licences, as suggested, would be of no particular help in enforcing this requirement.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if, having regard to the fact that 186 persons were killed or injured in the three years ending 15th March, 1965, on Scotland Road, Liverpool, between Mile End and Boundary Street, he will direct that action should be taken to expedite the proposed subway;(2) having regard to the accident rate on a short length of Scotland Road, Liverpool, between Mile End and Boundary Street, if he will allow the local authority to introduce new methods of preventing accidents on this road.

A subway at this point would be very expensive and many pedestrians would probably continue to cross the road on the surface unless the central reservation were made continuous —which would create problems for right-turning traffic. The city council is considering, in consultation with my divisional road engineer, whether pushbutton pedestrian-operated linked traffic signals might not be a more effective safety measure.I have not felt able to agree to the installation of floodlighting at the pedestrian crossings in Scotland Road or to the painting of a safety legend on the footpaths near them. But I remain willing to consider any other new ideas for improving safety here which the council may put to me.

asked the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to British citizens taking their holidays in Spain.

The Government consider that this is a matter for decision by each individual.

asked the Prime Minister if he will define the status of the right hon. Patrick Gordon Walker on his trip abroad; if he is a temporary civil servant; to what extent his passage and expenses will be met from public funds; and what he estimates the total expenditure from public funds will be.

I would refer the hon. Member to my replies to Questions on 1st April by the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Cooper) and the hon. and gallant Member for Portsmouth. West (Brigadier Clarke). Mr. Gordon Walker is not making the tour as a temporary civil servant.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his visit to France.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to similar Questions today.

asked the Prime Minister in what way the charter of the Arts Council has been amended; and why the appointment of the new Chairman has been made by the Secretary of State for Education and Science, and not by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The amendments to the Charter of the Arts Council to which my hon. Friend refers have been effected by the Transfer of Functions (Cultural Institutions) Order, 1965. The main purpose of these amendments is to transfer the functions hitherto exercised by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. This is in accordance with the Government's policy outlined in the recent White Paper (Command 2601). One of the functions now exercised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is the appointment of the Chairman of the Arts Council.

asked the Minister of Aviatior whether the purchaser from Her Majesty's Government of the three Princess flying boats, which were to have been used in an American programme for the development of nuclear propulsion in aircraft, has yet taken delivery of the boats; in view of the fact that these boats caused a loss to the Exchequer of over £9 million, what price was paid by the buyer; and when it was paid.

The purchaser took delivery and paid the agreed price in December, 1963. The flying boats were sold after open tender to the highest bidder. The price is a matter of commercial confidence which I am not prepared to disclose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government of Mauritius has received an invitation to the conference in Lusaka aimed at setting up an East African Common Market; and what reply will be sent.

The Government of Mauritius has received an invitation from the Economic Commission for Africa to participate in a conference to be held at Lusaka in September on the harmonisation of industrial development programme in East Africa. Her Majesty's Government have no objection to the participation of Mauritius in the conference and preliminary arrangements for this are now being made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total annual cost of all British commitments east of Suez, including all ships, weapons and stores required for these commitments, or that proportion attributable to them: the cost of ships, weapons and stores held in reserve or the proportion attributable; the cost of transport of men and supplies in connection with these commitments; the cost of keeping a reserve of transport for such commitments or the proportion attributable; the cost of personnel used to provide transport and reserve transport facilities or the proportion attributable; the marginal cost of recruitment of men for these commitments; the cost of overheads, including staff concerned with the planning, organisation, weapons procurement and other functions, or that proportion attributable to these commitments, all the above costs to include all personnel.

The total directly attributable cost of our forces east of Suez is expected to be about £320 million in 1965–66, including about £100 million across the exchanges. These figures are based on current plans for the deployment of our forces and include all personnel costs, the direct costs of the maintenance of all buildings and of equipment—including ships and aircraft—whether carried out in the theatre or in the United Kingdom, and the capital costs incurred during the year on buildings in the theatre or on equipment intended for it.With regard to the details asked for in the remainder of the Question, we do not purport to attribute costs to particular commitments in the way suggested. The reason for this is that a large proportion of our forces has to fulfil multi-purpose rôles and the attribution of a proportion of costs to a single role could be very misleading.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs why no representative from the East Riding of Yorkshire has been appointed to the Yorkshire and Humberside Economic Planning Council.

Members of the Planning Councils are not intended to he representative of particular geographical or other interests but are appointed for the contribution they can make to the work of the Council. I am sure the Council for Yorkshire and Humberside will be able to take full account of the interests of the East Riding.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to what extent his preliminary examination of the state of race relations in Great Britain has revealed the extent of adequate, reliable and factual information about the situation in the country at large; and what consideration he has given to offering support from Government funds to the work of the Institute of Race Relations in respect of its survey of race relations in Great Britain, and to enable the Institute to make its other work in this field as comprehensive and effective as possible.

There is a general lack of accurate statistical information about Commonwealth immigrants in this country. I am considering how this situation can best be remedied and will bear in mind the suggestion of support for the Institute of Race Relations.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, in view of his overall responsibility for co-ordinating measures to help immigrants to adjust themselves to life in Great Britain, to what extent it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that, where local authorities require and apply for additional funds for special measures for this purpose, especially in the fields of housing, health and education, the Government will give help.

The extent to which local authorities need special assistance, and how this can best be given, will emerge in the course of my inquiries into the problems of integrating Commonwealth immigrants into the community.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will inquire into the special problems that immigrants have in securing credit for the buying and renting of houses and take steps to ensure that they get the best advice.

The special problems which immigrants have in securing credit for buying or renting houses and in obtaining advice are discussed in the Milner Holland Report (Cmd. 2605). I will bear these problems in mind in considering what measures can usefully be taken to secure the integration of immigrants into the community.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will arrange for the teaching of English as a foreign language to be given special emphasis in teacher training courses with the aim of providing teachers with this special training in areas where immigrants without the English language are concentrated.

Special training is best given to teachers in the areas concerned after they have taken their initial teacher training. Suitable short courses are organised by some local education authorities and university institutes of education. The University of London Institute also provides a one-year course in the teaching of English as a foreign language which is open to serving teachers, and is arranging next autumn an experimental one-year course specially for teachers of immigrant children.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give local educational authorities additional funds to provide special facilities, in the schools and outside, for the teaching of English to school children and adults among those immigrants who have little or no English.

My right hon. Friend hopes shortly to issue advice to local education authorities on the education of immigrants. Any special facilities required to teach them English are provided as part of the education service whose cost is aided by the Exchequer through the general and rate deficiency grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will consult the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, the universities and the local educational authorities with a view to securing their collaboration in initiating research into the educational problems in this country of children and adults from cultures different from our own.

The Schools Council which includes representatives of universities, local education authorities and teachers is sponsoring a preliminary inquiry into the problems of teaching immigrant children which should indicate further openings for useful research. The National Foundation for Educational Research is making a study of the linguistic and other difficulties met by overseas students. A number of local education authorities and institutes of education are interested in this problem and I am sure that they will be ready to co-operate in any further research that is required.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that matrons in

asked the Minister of Health if he will correlate the reports of successful special health measures taken by local authorities which have large immigrant communities and make the results available to all other such local authorities.

We are very ready to issue general advice whenever this seems desirable. Though the health problems of immigrants are not uniform as between one local authority and another,

I am aware that some hospitals receive more applicants for training than they can accept. It is a common practice for those who cannot be accepted to be referred elsewhere for training but I am discussing this and other aspects of the organisation of nurse recruitment with Regional Hospital Boards.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of babies born in each Welsh county and each county borough are born in hospital.

Following are the figures:we will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Minister of Health if he will seek to establish, with the collaboration of the Governments concerned, medical teams from the United Kingdom in the main countries of origin to carry out an examination of would-be immigrants to this country; and if he will arrange for second health checks of immigrants at the ports of entry into this country, in order to discourage evasion and correct mistakes.

The arrangements at the ports of entry have recently been improved and my right hon. Friend intends to study their effect before deciding whether further measures are needed.

asked the Minister of Health if, in order to help recent immigrants to understand the British National Health Service and to explain to them the aims of the public health system, he will produce short pamphlets in English and in the languages of the main immigrant groups.

Newly arrived immigrants who are referred to medical inspectors at ports of entry are now given a card printed in six languages informing them of medical and dental treatment facilities under the National Health Service and advising them to register with a doctor as soon as they reach their destination. Medical officers of health have also been asked to arrange for them to be visited soon after arrival by officers of the local health authority who will explain to them personally what services are available. Several local health authorities also produce leaflets in the language of immigrants in their areas.

asked the Minister of Health how the infant mortality rate in each Welsh county compares with the United Kingdom figure at the latest convenient date.

Following are the figures:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the membership of the Commonwealth Immigrants Advisory Council.

Yes. I am glad to say that five people have accepted my invitation to serve on the Council, one in place of Sir Harold Banwell whose resignation I have received with regret, and four as additional members. The full list of members is now:

• The Dowager Marchioness of Reading, G.B.E. (Chairman).
• Mr. R. J. Allerton, C.B.E.^*.
• Mr. G. S. Bishop. C.B., O.B.E.^*.
• Dr. H. 0. M. Bryant.
• Mr. G. A. H. Cadbury.
• Lady Coussey.
• Sir George Haynes, C.B.E.
• Mr. Philip Mason, C.I.E., O.B.E.
• Miss Marjorie Nicholson.
• Lt.-Gen. Sir Archibald Nye, G.C.S.I., G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., K.C.B., K.B.E., M.C.
• Mr. H. Patten^*.
• Mr. John Peile.
• Mr. J. H. Ryner, O.B.E.s.^*.
• Mr. A. R. Truman.^*.
• ^*Denotes a newly-appointed member.

asked the Secretary of State for Home Department (1) whether the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolitan area is satisfied that the provisions of Regulation 5 London (Waiting and Loading) Restrictions (No. 2 Regulations) 1965 and Section 34(4) of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, Waiting in a Restricted Street, are being observed in Halkin Place, S.W.l; to what extent certain vehicles persistently contravene these regulations; and to whom these vehicles belong;(2) if he is aware of the ignoring of parking restrictions in the Belgrave Square and Halkin Place area by cars of members of the staffs of diplomatic missions; and what requests have been made to the heads of those missions that their staffs should, wherever possible, conform to parking restrictions;

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that Halkin Place and Belgrave Square are not subject to waiting restrictions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to ensure that the proposed Bill against racial incitement and discrimination in public places will provide statutory machinery for conciliation so that offences come to the courts only in the last resort.

I have noted this proposal, but I cannot make any statement today about the content of the proposed Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what terms of reference have been given to Lord Mount-batten's Commonwealth mission.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Lord President during the debate on 23rd March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many tons of kangaroo meat were imported into the United Kingdom in 1964; and by whom.

Kangaroo meat is not separately distinguished in the United Kingdom trade statistics. Australian trade statistics show exports of 49 tons to the United Kingdom in the 12 months to June, 1964, the latest period for which figures are available. I regret that information concerning the importers is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will assist patternmakers, who are increasingly exporting and quoting for orders from abroad, by including in future Census of Production Forms 3130, 3300, or a supplementary form, provision for wood patterns, metal patterns and reinforced plastic patterns.

I have written to the hon. Member about this suggestion. When the Board consults industry about the information to be collected in the next detailed census of production full consideration will be given to this proposal.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in the light of the new evidence of fraudulent practice in Hull, made available to him by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East, since 18th March, he will now set up an inquiry under Section 165 of the Companies Act, 1948, into the affairs of the Universal Health Studios Limited.

I have considered the further information provided by my hon. and gallant Friend. There do not appear to be grounds for the appointment of an inspector under Section 165 of the Companies Act, 1948, to investigate the affairs of the company.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the credit terms guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in connection with the offer of a British consortium to supply a dimethyl terepthalate and polyester plant to Bulgaria; whether he is aware that the contract was lost to Germany due to their better credit terms; and if he will make a statement.

The terms and conditions of E.C.G.D. offers of cover are confidential between the British exporter and the Department. I have no reason to believe that the contract was lost because foreign competitors offered better credit terms than are available to British exporters to this market.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people entered this country from Southern Ireland to take up jobs in each of the last five years; and what is the estimated net permanent immigration rate.

The numbers of persons from the Irish Republic who registered or re-registered for National Insurance in Great Britain in each of the five years from 1960 to 1964 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the age structure of the population of each Welsh county.

Following is the information requested: