asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has for setting up publicly-owned plants in Scotland for the manufacture of machine tools.

Scotland's interests will receive full consideration if proposals for setting up adiditonal manufacturing facilities, whether publicly or privately owned, should arise from the study which my Department is making of the machine tool industry.

asked the Minister of Technology what proposals he has for encouraging a more even flow of investment in machine tools.

This is one of the questions under consideration in my Department as part of its study of the machine tool industry. I hope to make a statement when the study has been completed.

asked the Minister of Technology what studies and investigations he has made in the field of agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the proposals he has for similar studies in this field in the future.

Agricultural research is primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, the Agricultural Research Council and the Agriculture Ministers. Two Ministry of Technology Establishments and several research associations to which the Ministry makes grants do work of relevance to agriculture, and the National Research Development Corporation has a number of agricultural patents and projects. I shall continue to promote agricultural technology in cases where my Department is the appropriate instrument.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for all road vehicle licences, due for renewal on or before 6th April, 1965, to be at the £15 rate since there is a 14-day period of grace given.

No. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Aster) on 15th April by my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to modify the practice, recently drawn to his attention by the hon. Member for Finchley, whereby the matrimonial home is valued for Estate Duty purposes at the amount it could be expected to command on the assumption that planning permission could be obtained to replace it with a small block of flats, although no such application has been made and the widow continues to reside there.

None. In this as in other cases property is valued for Estate Duty purposes at what it would fetch on a sale in the open market.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to prevent Government buildings being used as distribution points for alcoholic liquors purchased in bulk at wholesale rates and distributed in small quantities.

It is a common practice for clubs and associations to purchase wines and spirits by bulk orders based on their members' individual orders. I see no reason why clubs and associations of civil servants should be debarred from using arrangements which are available to the public in general.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the new criteria he has established on business expenses, he will introduce legislation to include for tax assessment purposes the entertaining by Government officials and the armed forces of individuals other than foreign buyers or sellers.

No. Where an employer bears the entertaining expenses of a director or employee in the business world the new disallowance will be made in computing the employer's profits. In the case of the Crown servant, the cost of entertaining is already borne by the Crown and no question of disallowance arises as the Crown is not assessed to tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of all stocks, shares and other securities held by Her Majesty's Government.

Details of these holdings are published in the annual Finance Accounts and the Departmental Appropriation Accounts. The following are particulars of the main items at 31st March, 1964:GOVERNMENT HOLDINGS OF STOCKS, SHARES AND OTHER SECURITIES AS AT 31ST MARCH, 1964

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many registered private limited companies paid Profits Tax in the most recent year for which the information is available; how many paid Income Tax only; how many paid no tax; and if he will give the same information in respect of public limited companies.

This information is not available because the Inland Revenue statistics do not distinguish public companies from private ones.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost of allowing the legal expenses incurred by owner-occupiers on the purchase of a house to be set off against taxable income.

About £20 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost of allowing for tax purposes one-half the rent payable by council house and privately-rented house tenants.

£80 million-£100 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost of increasing the personal allowance at present granted to married women against their earned income to such a figure as would allow them to earn £520 per annum without paying Income Tax.

About £90 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost of increasing the personal allowance at present granted to married women teachers against their earned income to such a figure as would allow them to earn £520 per annum without paying Income Tax.

I cannot give a precise estimate, but in any case I do not think such a concession could be confined to teachers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements have been made to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Parliament; and at what cost to public funds.

The Committee under Mr. Speaker which has been preparing the necessary plans has already announced that, to mark this anniversary, Her Majesty has graciously consented to be present in Westminster Hall on 22nd June and to receive Addresses to be presented by both Houses of Parliament. The cost of the necessary arrangements and of an associated reception for distinguished visitors from the Commonwealth and overseas will be about £12,000. The Government have also decided to make a special grant to the Hansard Society to enable it to make a contribution towards the celebrations by promoting a series of youth meetings, an essay competition, and lectures to schools within a total of £5,000 to which it is hoped other sources will also contribute. A Supplementary Estimate for the necessary sums will be introduced in the summer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now announce his proposals for assisting those who wish to purchase their own homes.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member and other hon. Members on 2nd February.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the number of houses in the Borough of Higham Ferrers, the Urban Districts of Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Irthlingborough, and the Rural District of Wellingborough which do not have fixed baths and inside toilets.

The latest complete information is derived from the 1961 Census Returns. These showed the following numbers of dwellings were without fixed bath.

Area		No. of dwellings without fixed baths	Per cent
Higham Ferrers M.B.	…	203	15·7
Wellingborough U.D.	…	1,952	19·68
Rushdon U.D.	…	1,197	19·94
Raunds U.D.	…	490	30·88
Irthlingborough U.D.	…	466	26·78
Wellingborough R.D.	…	1,215	25·89

Since then a number of houses have been demolished or closed, most of which will have lacked fixed baths, and baths have been installed in other houses with the aid of standard improvement grants. The latest figures available are shown in the following table. It is not known how many baths have been installed without grant.

Area		Unfit houses demolished or closed	Baths installed with aid of grant
Higham Ferrers M.B.	…	42	29
Wellingborough U.D.	…	101	304
Rushden U.D.	…	77	260
Raunds U.D.	…	24	44
Irthlingborough U.D.	…	61	60
Wellingborough R.D.	…	167	275

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when forms will be ready in order that applications for licences can be made for the abstraction of water under the Water Resources Act, 1963, which came into operation on 1st April, 1964; why there has been delay; and if he is aware that work is being held up and men kept unemployed as no action has been taken by his Department following the passing of the Act.

River authorities now have forms available in almost all areas. Any delay has been due to printing difficulties. For reasons explained in reply to letters from the hon. Member, my right hon. Friend does not believe that work has been held up for lack of forms. The 1963 Act came into operation on 1st April this year, not 1964.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of the 14 per cent. rise in average rate poundages in England and Wales for the year 1965–66, he will take steps to ensure that the Government share of the cost of local government services should be increased, as an emergency measure, pending the outcome of the Government's review of the rating system.

I am determined to tackle the problems of rates and of Exchequer grants; but I do not think it would be sensible to start making changes until we are clear what needs to be done in the long run.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's policy on a World Food Plan.

I have nothing to add yet to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. Crawley) on 15th December last.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will itemise the loans that have been made by Her Majesty's Government to Sierra Leone since independence.

As part of the Independence Settlement Sierra Leone received a loan of £3½ million under Section 3 of the Exports Guarantees Act.In 1964 further loans totalling £1,300,000 were made available to the Sierra Leone Government for the following purposes:

asked the Prime Minister whether he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to examine the problems of deprived children, unmarried mothers, deserted wives and the house-bound elderly, in view of the proposal of the Salvation Army in its recent Report, a copy of which has been sent to him.

No. As the hon. Member knows, the Government are conducting their own review of the social services and, while this is in progress, the appointment of a Royal Commission to examine these problems would not be appropriate.

asked the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for the co-ordination of home information services.

No special allocation of Ministerial responsibility has been made. As I have previously stated I decided that the practice of the previous Government to appoint a Minister as a full-time public relations officer was undesirable and should be discontinued.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Anglo-American plan to set up joint submarine bases in the Indian Ocean.

There is no Anglo-American plan to set up joint submarine bases in the Indian Ocean.

asked the Prime Minister whether he discussed on his recent visit to Washington the use of base facilities in British overseas territories by the United States of America; and with what result.

I would refer the hon. Member to Questions on this subject which I have answered today.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of telegraph mechanics at present serving in the Royal Air Force; by now many this falls short of the number required; and how many men have been recruited or otherwise appointed to this grade in each of the last eight quarterly periods.

It is not the practice to disclose details of the numbers in particular trades in the Royal Air Force. There is at present a marginal surplus of telegraph mechanics but this is rapidly disappearing as airmen complete their engagements and it is expected that by October this year there will be a small deficiency. There has been no admission to the trade for the past eight quarters but recruitment was re-opened on 1st April to meet the foreseeable requirements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement about further proposed appointments to the Home Grown Cereals Authority.

My colleagues and I are glad to be able to say that the following have indicated their willingness to accept appointment as members of the Authority which will be set up as soon as possible after the Cereals Marketing Bill becomes law.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether a decision has yet been reached on the recommendation contained in paragraphs 67–70 of the Report of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy for 1963–64 concerning a proposed new organisation for scientific and technical information.

Yes. An Office for Scientific and Technical Information has been set up within the Department of Education and Science as from 1st April, 1965, as part of the reorganisation of civil science. It has a pioneering function which can be briefly stated as follows:

"(a) Generally, to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Science on the conduct of, and support for, U.K. activities in scientific and technical information over the whole field of the natural and social sciences and their related technologies,

(b) to promote research and development within the field of scientific and technical information, the improvement of existing information services, and experiment with new ones,

(c) to stimulate the training of scientists for information work and in the use of information services,

(d) to co-ordinate such action as is taken with the work of other Government and independent organisations,

(e) to have responsibility for the National Lending Library for Science and Technology and for grant-aid to Aslib (the Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux), and,

(f) to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Science on official U.K. participation in the work of international agencies concerned with scientific and technical information."

In exercising these general functions it has taken over all support for research and development in this field previously administered by D.S.I.R. It has not, however, taken over the specialised information services of D.S.I.R.; such as the technical liaison scheme for industry. Indeed the Ministry of Technology, other Departments, and the Research Councils will have responsibility, as at present, for matters of scientific and technical information related particularly to their own special interests.I am setting up an Advisory Committee for Scientific and Technical Information to advise me in this field. Sir James Cook, F.R.S., the Vice-Chancellor of Exeter University, has agreed to be the first Chairman; details of membership will be issued shortly.Estimates for 1965–66 provide for an expenditure of £180,000 for the work of the Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the divisions of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research which have now been transferred to his Department; where they are now located; what is the respective number of the civil servants involved; and if the transfer is complete.

The departments of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research which were transferred to my Department on 1st April, 1965, their present location and the numbers of the civil service staff involved are as follows:

Department	Number of staff	Location
Overseas Liaison Group.	17	London (Curzon Street House).
Office for Scientific and Technical Information.	7	London (State House, Holborn).
National Lending Library for Science and Technology.	153	Boston Spa, Yorks.
Staff on loan to the Commonwealth Scientific Liaison Offices.	9	London (Africa House, Strand).
Scientific Liaison Overseas.	19	Bonn, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris, Stockholm, Tokyo, Washington.
	205

The following departments were also transferred temporarily to my Department on 1st April, 1965. They will be transferred to the Natural Environment Research Council which it is proposed should be established in June.

Department	Number of staff	Location
Geological Survey and Museum.	373	London (South Kensington), Edinburgh, Leeds and Northern Ireland.
Hydrology Unit of the Hydraulics Research Station.	9	Wallingford, Berks.
	382

Otherwise the transfer is complete.

asked the Minister of Health what he calculates to be the underlying rate of productivity for adult nurses and midwives in the hospital service.

The care of patients does not readily lend itself to a calculation of a rate of productivity.

asked the Minister of Health that facilities exist in the City of Leeds for the detection of cervical cancer.

Both the Board of Governors of the Leeds United Hospitals and the Leeds "A" Group Hospital Management Committee provide a cytological service for women with symptoms. Routine screening on a limited scale is also in operation and it is hoped to introduce this on a full scale later this year.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he will take steps to allow county and local authorities to pay interest on the capital sum involved when land is purchased from a private individual or organisation and a period of more than three months elapses between the decision to purchase and the payment of the amount due.

Until land is conveyed to a local authority, or the authority enters on it by virtue of a notice of entry under compulsory purchase procedure, the vendor continues to enjoy the use of, or the income from, the land. However, if payment is delayed after notice of entry, and this may be as much the fault of the vendor as of the acquiring authority, interest is payable from the date of entry. I see no reason to change this practice.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total number of allowances given by the National Assistance Board on the latest available date.

At the end of March, 1965, 1,958,670 weekly grants were being paid by the National Assistance Board.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total number of persons in receipt of retirement pensions who were also receiving National Assistance on the latest available date.

On 30th March, 1965, 1,160,438 retirement pensioners were receiving supplements from the National Assistance Board. Some of these pay- ments provided for the requirements of more than one pensioner.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total number of persons in receipt of sickness benefit who were also receiv- National Assistance on the latest available date.

On 30th March, 1965, 144,061 persons in receipt of sickness benefit were also receiving weekly supplements from the National Assistance Board.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many unemployed people were in receipt of National Assistance in addition to unemployment benefit on the latest available date.

At the end of March, 1965, 34,230 unemployed people were receiving weekly grants from the National Assistance Board to supplement their unemployment benefit.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many 10s. widows have received an increase to 30s.

About 100,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many widows have benefited from the abolition of the earnings rule.

About 600,000 widow beneficiaries were subject to the earnings rule and it is estimated that between 70,000 and 80,000 of these were having their benefit adjusted for earnings immediately prior to 21st December, 1964, when the rule was abolished.

asked the Minister of Power whether, in the public interest, he will publish statistical details showing the amount of concessionary coal allocated to employees of the National Coal Board in the last period of 12 months available, the value placed on this coal by the National Coal Board and the equivalent value if the coal were sold at normal prices.

The information as regards Board employees and certain pensioners and dependants is published in Table 30 of the Ministry's Statistical Digest for 1963. Details are not readily available covering the Board's employees only.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance is given to British shipowners who place construction orders in British shipyards; and what tax allowances they can claim which would not be available if they were to place similar orders abroad.

No special assistance is given; tax allowances are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will have an investigation made into why Great Britain is not exporting a greater percentage of products of the chemical industry, man-made fibres and man-made fibre machinery.

No. All these industries do a substantial export trade and I hope that the measures recently announced will help them to increase their exports further.