asked the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose the 420 pocket watches offered for sale at the public auction at Rotherwas, Hereford, on 4th March 1965 were purchased; how many were sold; and how the price realised compared with the purchase price.

The pocket watches, 200 of which were sold, were purchased for general Service use. It is not possible to compare the price realised with the purchase price as the watches were purchased before or during the war and their original cost is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why 3,238 pairs of boots and shoes were declared surplus and offered for sale at the public auction at Rotherwas, Hereford, on 4th March, 1965; and how many pairs were new.

They had all been used and were no longer serviceable.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why 1,395 large white blankets and 434 small white blankets were offered as surplus stock at the public auction at Rotherwas, Hereford, an 4th March, 1965; why they were not retained in stock for future use; how many were new; how many were disposed of at the auction; and how the selling price compared with the purchase price.

The blankets, all of which were sold except 150 of the small ones, were offered for sale because they were not serviceable. The large ones cost £2 9s. each and the small ones £1 15s. each: it is not usual to give details of prices realised.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average purchase price of 12,300 canvas tool holdalls and 3,340 50 ft. linen measuring tapes, and what was the average price obtained at the auction sale at Wem, Shropshire, on 25th February, 1965; and why they were offered for sale as surplus to requirements instead of being retained for further use or utilised by other Departments or public bodies.

The canvas tool holdalls, which cost on average £2 each, were part of the equipment schedule of the 40 mm. L60 AA Gun which became surplus to requirements when the main equipment was declared obsolete. They were offered for sale after having been offered, together with the Guns, to other Governments and to Crown Agents but not to other Departments or public bodies because they were of a type peculiar to the L60 AA Gun. The linen measuring tapes, which cost on average £1 2s. 6d. each, were of wartime stock and surplus to requirements. They were offered for sale after having been offered to other Government Departments.It is not usual to give details of prices realised.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the principal lines and quantities of surplus goods offered at the public auction at Rotherwas, Hereford, on 4th March; and why they were not retained for further use.

They included platform and kitchen scales, canteen equipment, office and domestic furniture, bedding, clothing and footwear, watches, electronic instruments and wireless sets, tentage, tent poles and scrap canvas, used tyres, motor vehicle spares, armoured petroleum hose, tractors and road works plant. Most of the Army stores which were offered were not serviceable: the others were surplus to requirements.

asked the Secretary of State of State for Defence why saloon and estate cars, vans, trucks, motor cycles, batteries and tyres were offered for sale at a public auction at Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, on 11th March; and why they were not retained for further use or purchased by another Department.

The military vehicles, batteries and tyres offered for sale were all beyond economical repair. They were not offered to other Departments because of their condition.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what types of machine tools were offered for sale at the public auction at Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, on 11th March; in what way they had been used; and why it was decided to dispose of them instead of retaining them for further use.

The tools are as listed below. Some, which were owned by the Ministry of Aviation, were used in aeroengine producton, others, owned by the Ministry of Labour, in Industrial Rehabilitation Units, and the rest were used for maintenance in factories and on board ship. They were disposed of because of their age and condition.

• Holden and Hunt Spot Welder. 25/40 KVA. 400 vt. 50 cycles with B.T.H. Control Panel.
• Maserati Vertical Milling Machine. Type V.900 4' 9" x 1' 2" Table. 400/3/50. (2).
• Milwaukee No. 1 Plain Horizontal Milling Machine. Model H. 3' 6" x 10" Table. 400 / 3 / 50.
• Pollard Corona 0–½" Gap Pillar Drilling Machine. 400/3/50.
• Pollard Corona Model 15.HF. ¼" Bench Drilling Machine. 400 /440 / 3 /50.
• Rapidor 6"Hacksaw. 14" Blade with 3 h.p. Motor. 400/440/3/50.
• White Twin Wheeled Pedestal Grinding Machine. Motorised.
• Hand Operated Wood Trimming Guillotine.
• Sagar Circular Saw Grinding Machine. Motorised. 400 / 3 / 50.
• Hand Operated Universal Wood Trimming Guillotine.
• Stenner Dimension Saw Grinding Machine with Moving Back. Motorised.
• Churchill Redman Cub Lathe. 6" Centre. 220 vt. D.C.
• Mikron 102 Gear Hobbing Machine. Motorised. 220 vt. D.C.
• Lang 6½" Gap Bed Lathe. 220 vt. D.C.
• Benson Belt Driven Universal Milling Machine. 1' 6" x 5" Table.
• Pollard Pedestal Drill. Model 1.AY.220 vt. D.C.
• Parkson Universal Milling Machine. 4' x 10" Table. 220 Vt. D.C. with Two Boxes of Spares.
• Luke and Spencer Single Wheel Wet Emery Grinder, Motorised.
• Black and Decker Valve Grinding Machine, with Spares. 200/250 vt. A.C.
• Elliot 6½" S.S. & S.C. Lathe. 3' 6" B.C. 400/440/3/50.
• Harrison 4½" Lathe. 220 vt. D.C.
• Drummond 3½" Centre Lathe. 220 vt. D.C. Pollard Corona. Model 15.XC. Drilling Machine. 220/240 vt. D.C.
• Soag Simplex 6½" Centre Lathe. Light Duty. 440 vt. A.C. (2).
• Wickstead Hacksawing Machine. 14" Blade. 220 vt. D.C.
• Hand Operated Punch.
• Hand Operated Shears.
• Coil Winding Machine.
• Maudsley Welding Generator. 220 vt. D.C. Pollard 26" Sensitive Drilling Machine. 220 vt. D.C. (2)
• Skatoskalo Air Driven Flexible Drive Cleaning Machine.
• Jones and Shipman Bench Drilling Machine. ½" Cap. 220 vt. D.C.
• Edgwick No. 2 Universal Milling Machine. 3' 9" x 10" Table with Spares. 220 vt. D.C.
• Parkson Universal Milling Machine. 3' 9" x 10" Table with Dividing Head and Spares. 220 vt. D.C.
• Town 3' 6" Radial Drill 220 vt. D.C.
• Ward and Haggas Smith 8" Centre Gap Bed Lathe. 6' B.C.220 vt. D.C. with Accessories.
• Luke and Spencer D.E. Motorised Emery Grinding Machine. 16" Wheels. 220 vt. D.C.
• Kitchen and Wade Type MVAX 2' 6" Radial Drilling Machine 700 r.p.m. Motor. 220 vt. D.C.
• Lumsden D.E. Motorised Grinding Machine. 14" Wheels. 400/440 vt. A.C.
• Jones and Shipman 15" Sensitive Drilling Machine with Table Vice. 220 vt. D.C.
• Churchill Universal Grinding Machine, with Accessories. 220 vt. D.C.
• Lang 6½" Centre Lathe with Gap Bed. 3' 6" B.C. 220 vt. D.C.
• Kitchen and Wade 2' 6" Radial Drilling Machine. 240 vt. D.C.
• Ward No. 7 Combination Turret Lathe. 440 vt. with Spares.
• Ward 6" No. 2A Turret Lathe 400/3/50.
• Richards Adjustable Head Horizontal Boring Machine. 220 vt. D.C.
• Kearns Heavy Duty Adjustable Head Horizontal Boring Machine. 200 vt. D.C.
• Lang 6½" Gap Bed Lathe. 200 vt. D.C.
• Ward Haggas and Smith 8" Gap Bed Centre Lathe. 220 vt. D.C. with Accessories.
• Swift 10" S.S. & S.C. Gap Bed Lathe. 220 vt. D.C.
• Swift 8½" S.S. & S.C. Gap Bed Lathe. 220 vt. D.C.
• Richards Adjustable Head Horizontal Boring Machine. 220 vt. D.C.
• Parkson Universal Milling Machine. 5' x 10" Table. 220 vt. D.C.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many boots were offered for sale at the surplus goods auction at Hurlford on 11th March; how many pairs were new; how much they cost; and how much they realised.

2,008 pairs, all of which had been used except 18 pairs of motorcyclist's boots which had become surplus to requirements because of a considerable reduction in the number of motorcycles in use. Most of the boots cost £1 15s. a pair and the motor-cyclist's boots cost £2 9s. 6d. a pair. It is not usual to give details of prices realised.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of communications sent to other Departments giving details of the surplus goods available before a decision was taken to dispose of them at the public auction at Hurlford, near Kilmarnock.

No. It is contrary to established practice to disclose interdepartmental communications outside official circles.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the miscellaneous stores offered for sale at the public auction at Barlow, Selby, on 16th March; and how these were offered to other Departments before a decision was made to dispose of them at Barlow.

The stores offered included office, domestic and canteen furniture, bedding, floor coverings, cutlery, hand tools, motor vehicles spares, used tyres, clothing, bench tools, a small number of portable electrical tools and instruments and some wooden transit cases. They were not offered to other Departments because they were not serviceable.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the number of new white blankets and new pairs of leather boots or shoes offered at public auction; of surplus goods from 1st January, 1964, up to the latest convenient date.

No new white blankets have been offered. Ten thousand five hundred and eighty-five pairs of unused leather boots and shoes, mostly of special types such as anti-mosquito boots, ski boots, and motor cyclists' boots bought during the 1939–45 War, were offered after having been offered to other Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons were rescued from the sea off the Hampshire-Sussex coast during 1964 by Royal Navy helicopters.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present extent of removal of the barriers at Horse and No Man's Forts; what undisclosed underwater dangers remain, especially in the Horse Fort barrier; and what action he is taking.

The barrier on the Isle of Wight side of the forts is believed to be cleared, but it is proposed to hold an investigation in the near future to ensure that this is so. The removal of the steelwork obstructions which top the concrete blocks on the north side of the forts should be completed this year.

asked the Minister of Health whether the terms of reference of the new Committee of Inquiry into the Pharmaceutical Industry will allow consideration of the present methods of patent protection of pharmaceutical developments.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study he has made of the resolution passed by the Berkshire branch of the National Farmers' Union, a copy of which has been sent to him, expressing dissatisfaction with the Price Review and recording a vote of no confidence in him and the Government which he represents; and what reply he has sent.

I received a copy of the resolution from the hon. Member on 6th April. I am considering it and will send him a reply shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportions of foodstuffs and feedingstuffs consumed in this country are imported from Commonwealth, European and other countries, respectively.

Approximately half of the food and feedingstuffs consumed in this country is imported, and of these imports 43 per cent. by value came in 1964 from the Commonwealth, 33 per cent. from Europe (including the Irish Republic) and 24 per cent. from all other countries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reply he has made to the representations from milk producers in the south-eastern region of the Milk Marketing Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

A complaint was presented to me in January on behalf of certain producers in the South-Eastern region, relating to the regional price structure of the Milk Marketing Board, with the request that this complaint should be referred to the Committee of Investigation for England and Wales. After careful consideration I have informed the complainants' Solicitors that I am unable to accede to their request, since I consider that the complaint is unsuitable for investigation by this procedure and is in any case of a kind which properly falls to be resolved through the arrangements available to producers and the Board within the framework of the Scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present stock of sovereigns in the nation's gold reserve.

It is not the practice to give details of the composition of the gold and dollar reserves.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the persons engaged in an advisory capacity to assist the Prime Minister and other Ministers or departments have the status of established civil servants; and what are the terms of their contracts in respect of notice of dismissal, redundancy payments and pensions.

None appointed since the Government took office is established. Their terms of service on the matters referred to are the same as those of all temporary civil servants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that when tax relief was withdrawn from that part of the National Insurance contribution attributable to unemployment and sickness insurance, the corresponding benefits were exempted from tax; and whether, as he proposes to withdraw relief from the pension part of the contribution, he will similarly exempt National Insurance retirement pensions from taxation.

The answer to the first part of the hon. Lady's Question is yes and, to the second part, no.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the gain to the Exchequer in the year 1965–66 as a result of withdrawing taxation relief from that part of the National Insurance contribution hitherto allowed for tax.

I would refer the hon. Lady to Table 2 of the Financial Statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of secondary school-age children in Heywood receiving grammar school education; and what are the percentages for Royton, Crompton, Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough, and Whitworth, respectively, compared with the national average.

The local education authority's figures are as follows:

GRAMMAR SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATED TO PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, 1964
	Number of pupils considered	Number of places allocated	Percentage
Heywood	375	87	23
Royton	197	47	24
Crompton	166	37	22
Milnrow	121	26	21
Wardle	40	14	35
Littleborough	167	42	25
Whitworth	98	13	13

Strictly comparable information is not available for the country as a whole. However, in January, 1964, of the 13 year-old pupils for whom local education authorities in England and Wales were responsible, 19·1 per cent. attended maintained grammar schools, 1·6 per cent. direct grant grammar schools and 0·6 per cent. independent schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the numbers and percentages of schoolchildren in the area of the Derbyshire County Education Authority being educated in over-large classes in different types of schools on the latest available date.

The table below gives the number and percentage of pupils in oversize classes, in Derbyshire, in January, 1964:

Type of school	No. pupils in all classes	No. pupils in oversize classes	Percentage of pupils in oversize classes
Primary	71,384	11,954	16·7
Secondary Modern	31,190	18,275	58·6
Grammar	12,701	6,926	54·5
Technical	370	161	43·5
Comprehensive	1,069	498	46·6
Other secondary	1,830	900	49·2
All secondary	47,160	26,760	56·7
Primary and secondary	118,544	38,714	32·6

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of children of secondary school age attending comprehensive schools in the area of the Derbyshire County Education Authority; and what he estimates this percentage will be by the end of 1966.

2·3 per cent. in January, 1964. An estimate for the end of 1966 is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that the existing adoption law governing third party adoptions is operating effectively to prevent payments being made to persons to effect arrangements for the adoption of babies; whether he is satisfied that the existing law prevents advertisements being published indicating a readiness to make arrangements for the adoption of children; and whether he will make a statement.

Section 50 of the Adoption Act, 1958, makes it unlawful to make or give to any person any payment or reward for or in consideration of the transfer by that person of the care and possession of an infant with a view to the adoption of the infant, or the making by that person of any arrangements for the adoption of an infant. Section 51 makes it unlawful for any advertisement to be published indicating that any person (not being a registered adoption society or a local authority) is willing to make arrangements for the adoption of an infant. These prohibitions appear to my right hon. and learned Friend to be clear, although he is ready to consider any practical suggestions for reinforcing them. Any person who has any information which suggests that an offence may have been committed should report it to the police, or to the county or county borough or London borough council, who have power to institute proceedings for offences against the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, in breach of the Adoption Act, 1958, the Memorial Centre of Help for Babies, Knightsbridge, administered by Mrs. Holman Richards, is appealing for funds in advertisements which claim that hundreds of couples have been given babies for adoption and that this centre is associated with the St. Margaret Nursing Home of Hackney which provides maternity facilities for unmarried mothers at uneconomic rates; and if he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to institute proceedings under sections 29, 50 and 51 of the Adoption Act, 1958.

It would be improper for my right hon. and learned Friend to express an opinion as to whether the law is being broken in any particular case, or to instruct the Commissioner of Police to take proceedings. He will, however, bring this Question and the Reply to the Commissioner's notice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that no research has been conducted into the outcome or practice of adoption; and, in view of the variety of methods of selection made by adoption societies and the consequent hazards to the happiness of the 16,000 children adopted each year, what action he is taking under Section 45 of the Children Act, 1963, to conduct or assist research into the adoption of children.

My right hon. and learned Friend is assisting a national study of adoption which has just been started by the National Bureau for Co-operation in Child Care, and he is hoping to conduct, with the help of the Social Survey of the Central Office of Information, a survey of the ways in which the adoption procedure has been used.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that there are adoption societies lacking an adequate number of trained social workers and competent persons in their employ and that selection of parents to be permitted to adopt children is being made by assistant secretaries of these societies who have no training in placements; and if he will take steps to draw the attention of local authorities to the regulations, requiring them to refuse to register an adoption society lacking competent persons in their employ.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no reason to think that local authorities are not fully aware of their powers, which are clearly laid down in Section 30 of the Adoption Act, 1958. But he is sure that they will take notice of this Question and Answer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that adequate visits are made by local authorities to the homes of prospective adopting parents having a child in care prior to the making, of an application for an adoption order; whether he is aware that in many instances only one visit is made; and whether he will seek to direct a minimum number of visits to be made by local welfare authorities.

My right hon. and learned Friend will consider my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of public concern with the activities of some persons who act as agents between mothers of children and prospective adopters; and whether, in order to ensure that such go-betweens may be required to come before the court in any adoption application in respect of a child they have placed, he will circulate local authorities asking them to carry out the recommendation of the Hurst Committee that all go-betweens should be made respondents to an adoption application.

The court rules were altered after the amending legislation of 1958 to require the guardian ad litem to interview every individual who appears to him to have taken part in the arrangements for the adoption of the child. If the court requires the presence of that person as a witness at the hearing of the application, it has power to call him. But my right hon. and learned Friend will look at this point again.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he allowed the appeal by builders against the decision on density of building made by the county planning authority and the parish council of Boughton, Northamptonshire, which would have helped to preserve the rural character of the land between the village of Boughton and the housing areas north of the present boundary of Northampton; and whether he will make a statement.

My decision to allow the appeal to which my right hon. Friend's Question refers, and which was concerned solely with density, followed the recommendations of the Inspector after a public local inquiry. My decision allowed development at an average of five houses per acre, but at less than four houses per acre where it adjoins existing houses. I do not think this is inconsistent with the county council's planning concept.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the approximate cost per head for 1964 of travelling expenses of persons employed in his Department.

For the financial year 1964–65, the figure was about £44 per head. This includes subsistence expenses as well as the cost of travelling: these two items are not shown separately in the accounts. District audit staff whose expenses are recoverable from local authorities have not been included in the calculation.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of working days which have been lost to date by official and unofficial strikes since April, 1956.

About 35 million.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he is making in his examination of ways of helping elderly

		September, 1952–August, 1955	July, 1956–June, 1959	July, 1959–December, 1961	January, 1962–December, 1964
Total number of accidents	…	19	19	18	26
Number of persons injured	…	9	10	7	5
Number of persons killed	…	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (1) whether he will publish, in detail, the components of the total figure, Gross profits and other trading income, used to calculate the figure of 23 per cent. for Profits, used in Progress Report No. 2 of his Department;(2) what information he has on the percentage which the total of net distributed profits in the private sector, after depreciation and taxation at source, bore to total net wage and salary incomes, after taxation, from 1953 to 1963;(3) what information he has on the percentage which the total of net distributed profits in the private sector, after depreciation and taxation at source and after taxation in the hands of the final recipients, bore to the total net wage and salary incomes, after taxation, from 1953 to 1963;(4) if he will state the statistical margins of error in the principal items of Table 9 of the National Income Blue Book, 1964.

The examination referred to in the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr. Shepherd) on 16th March is continuing, but I cannot promise any early solution.

asked the Minister of Transport what increase there has been in road accidents, fatal and otherwise, at the Four Wantz crossroads, Ongar, Essex.

The available accident figures are as follows:

The hon. Member will find all the available information in various tables of the National Income Blue Book, 1964. The components of the item "gross profits and other trading income" in Table 9 are given in detail in Table 1. Table 8 gives estimates of income after tax, but before depreciation, and separate estimates of depreciation are given in Table 65. Assessments of the reliability of the principal items in Table 9 are given on page 36 of "National Income Statistics: Sources and Methods".

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs how many staff and other canteens are established and run in his Department's offices in London; what is the lowest price charged for a midday meal; what is the average price charged; whether those prices represent the economic cost of purchases, preparation, service and rentals; how much profit is made or how much loss sustained in a year; and how a loss is dealt with in the annual accounts or estimates of his Department.

None.