asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals Her Majesty's Government intend to put before the United Nations Committee on Peace-keeping Operations.

We have thought it right so far not to table specific proposals in the Committee. The solution to the problem must be the result of discussion between the whole membership and we are playing a full part in this.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government will now take to secure the settlement of the dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia by the intervention of the United Nations.

As my right hon. Friend told the hon. Gentleman the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Mr. Philip Noel-Baker) on 1st March, it is primarily for the Malaysian Government to decide when and in what way this question should again be brought before the United Nations. The Malaysian Government have kept the United Nations Security Council continuously informed of Indonesian acts of aggression. We do not ourselves contemplate any initiative at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will place in the Library of the House the texts of the official Press conferences he held in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

I regret that full transcripts of both Press conferences in Belgrade and Prague are not available. I should, however, be happy to answer any questions arising from them which the hon. Member may wish to put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further initiative he proposes to take within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation concerning the proposed Atlantic Nuclear Force.

As my hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House on 29th April, our proposals are now a matter for multilateral discussion with our allies in the Paris Working Group.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what discussions he had with representatives of the Federal German Government and other Governments during his visit to European countries on British association with the Common Market.

In the recent visits my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I have made to European countries, the question of British association with the Common Market was not discussed, though there was naturally discussion of relations with the European Economic Community generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now state the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the subject of de facto recognition of East Germany.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 25th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now propose to the United Nations that observers in the north of Israel and neighbouring Arab countries be asked to report on the construction work now being undertaken to divert the Jordan waters, in order to determine whether the 60 per cent. of water allocated to these Arab States under the Johnston Plan is likely to be exceeded by these schemes.

Such a proposal would best be put to the Security Council, which has not been asked by any of the States most concerned to consider the Jordan Waters dispute. If the Council were to do so, a proposal on these lines might well be helpful and I will bear it in mind. However, as I said in reply to a similar question on 26th April, while we will always be ready to consider any way in which we can help towards a settlement, I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by Her Majesty's Government taking an initiative at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what plans he has to make an official visit to Japan.

My hon. Friend will be aware of the standing arrangements for periodic consultations which are held in Japan and the United Kingdom alternately.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will make communication easier between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens by removing the separating railing.

I cannot agree to remove the railings as they serve as a boundary between Kensington Gardens, which are closed at dusk, and Hyde Park which remains open until midnight. I will, however, do what I can to improve communications between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will remove the red and brown waste-paper receptacles which now disfigure the Abingdon Street Gardens, shortly to be opened to the public.

No.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether, when completing the repairs to the Buxton Memorial, commemorating the anti-slavery campaign, in Victoria Tower Gardens, he will, in accordance with the Parliament Square Act, replace the statues which were recently stolen from the structure.

The cleaning and repairs have now been completed and the scaffolding removed. Replacement of the missing figures will be considered if details of the originals can be traced, and authentic replicas made.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps, if necessary by legislation, to prevent sub-standard imported drugs being prescribed for National Health patients.

Schemes are operated for testing the quality of drugs supplied by chemists under the National Health Service. I am considering what further safeguards are necessary as part of the current review of medicines legislation.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has to make available facilities for cytological screening and the training of laboratory technicians reasonably near to Cheltenham.

Cheltenham Hospital Group Management Committee provide a cytological service for women with symptoms. Additional staff are to be trained, both at Birmingham and locally, and a routine screening service will be introduced as these become available.

asked the Minister of Health what type of polio vaccine is now predominantly in use in this country; and whether he will make a statement on the progress made in fighting this disease.

Oral poliomyelitis vaccine is now predominantly used in England and Wales. Notifications of poliomyelitis in England and Wales have declined from 6,331 in 1955 to 51 in 1963, the lowest ever recorded. Provisional figures for 1964 suggest that the incidence in that year will prove to have been even lower.

asked the Minister of Health what facilities exist in Birkenhead for the detection of cervical cancer.

Birkenhead Hospital Management Committee provide a cytological service for women with symptoms. Additional laboratory staff are being trained and appointed and the service will be extended as these become available.

asked the Minister of Health when work will commence on the building of a new adult training centre for the mentally handicapped in Cross Grove Street, Huddersfield; and what is the estimated date of completion.

I understand that the local health authority expect work to start early in 1966 and to take about a year to complete.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider using cottage hospitals, which are being closed down, for use as hostels for mentally handicapped children in care in areas where no local hostel exists.

Any such proposal by a local health authority would receive careful consideration.

asked the Minister of Health how many more technicians would be needed to set up a cervical cancer test service for Wales; how many technicians are being trained at present; and at what date it would be administratively possible to establish such a service.

Seven technicians have been trained and are employed in hospitals on exfoliative cytology as part of the pathology services. On the best estimate the equivalent of 20 whole-time technicians would be required to provide a service for Wales. A further five technicians are being trained at present and the Board are going ahead vigorously with their training programme. I cannot estimate when a full cytology service might be established throughout Wales, but it will be introduced progressively area by area as soon as staff and facilities can be made available.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in the training of teachers for mentally handicapped children.

The Training Council for Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped, set up last year to promote training and approve courses, has approved four already existing courses organised by the National Association of Mental Health and five new courses at colleges of further education, of which three started last year and two will start this autumn. The Council hopes to arrange for others to start next year.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now announce the names of the members of the Committee of Inquiry into the Pharmaceutical Industry.

I hope to be able to make an announcement soon.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now announce his decision on whether to implement the recommendations of the Platt Report on the supply and training of nurses.

I have received the views of most of the hospital authorities whom I consulted, and I am about to consult professional and other organisations, including the General Nursing Council whose duty it is to prescribe nurse training. These consultations will take some time.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors were employed in hospitals in the Sheffield region at the latest available date; and what is the estimated number required for the year 1970.

About 1,275 in terms of whole-time equivalents at 30th September, 1964. The number of posts in 1970 will depend on the manpower available and no useful estimate can be made at present.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now give a date when the new midwifery block at the Montagu Hospital, Mexborough, will be fully manned.

I regret we cannot yet say when this unit will have a full complement of staff but every effort is being made to recruit them.

asked the Minister of Labour what records were destroyed at the Gateshead Employment Exchange following the recent fire outbreak; and what steps have been taken to reduce inconvenience to those attending the exchange and for the payment of benefit.

The recent fire at Gateshead Employment Exchange was confined to the section of the office dealing with disabled persons. Some records relating to work in connection with the administration of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, were destroyed. No serious inconvenience to the public attending the exchange has occurred and payment of unemployment benefit is not affected.

asked the Minister of Labour how many and which skilled workers have now transferred as a result of recent redundancy from the aircraft industry and the shipbuilding and other industries; to which other industries they have now transferred; how many are still unemployed; where they are; and what progress he is making in finding suitable skilled work for them.

The information at my disposal is not sufficiently detailed to enable me to answer the Question fully as not all placings are necessarily notified to our Department. We expect no seri- ous difficulty in finding other suitable work for the 155 workers still unemployed. Following is the information:

ANALYSIS OF REDUNDANT AIRCRAFT WORKERS TRANSFERRED TO OTHER WORK
Industry	In own occupation	In other occupation
Aircraft	95	25
Engineering and Allied	174	67
Transport	1	2
Professional and Scientific Services	34	6
Construction	8	2
Chemicals and Allied	1	1
Furniture manufacture	1	—
Public Utilities	2	3
Retail distribution	—	2
Wooden box manufacture	—	1
Ceramics	1	—
Insurance	1	—
Bank Note manufacture	1	—
Metal manufacture	1	—
Carpet manufacture	—	1
Rubber manufacture	—	1
Tape manufacture	—	1
Motor Repair	—	1
National Government service	3	1
H.M. Forces	—	1

asked the Minister of Labour what discussions he has had with representatives of the unions involved in the Severn Bridge demarcation dispute; and whether he will make a statement.

My officers met leading representatives of the two unions concerned for nearly three hours on Wednesday, 28th April. The unions were unable to reach agreement. However, the dispute was immediately after this reported to the T.U.C. by one of the unions and I hope that this action will result in a speedy settlement.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of people in Bristol and district who will lose their employment through the Government's decision to cancel the TSR2 project.

About 2,000, according to the announcement made by the firm chiefly concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he has taken with regard to the trade dispute resulting in the lightning strike of 1,500 busmen over two conductors at Wood Green who were suspended for refusing to carry out an inspector's order; what steps he proposes to take to secure industrial discipline; and if he will make a statement.

Some 600 busmen employed by the Eastern National Omnibus Company Limited stopped work on 28th and 29th April in protest against the suspension of three conductors who had refused to charge revised fares because they had not received longer notice of the revision. As normal working was resumed on 30th April following discussions between the management and the union it was not necesary for me to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to the Naval Gunnery School, H.M.S. "Cambridge", Wembury.

H.M.S. "Cambridge" is the only naval shore gunnery establishment in the United Kingdom with satisfactory range facilities for close and medium range live firing training. It fulfils a requirement which will need to be met for the foreseeable future. The ways in which we can meet the conflicting needs of the Navy for this establishment, and of Plymouth for a civil airport, are being urgently considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many are now employed in Army Workshops in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively; and what he estimates will be the level of employment in the future.

5,909 civilians in Command Workshops, including 410 in Northern Ireland. I estimate that by 31st March, 1966, about 5,700 civilians will be required, including about 270 in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an assurance that, as a result of the present defence review, there will be no cancellations of frigates to be built in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth.

I cannot anticipate the outcome of the defence review, but it seems unlikely that frigates already on order will be affected.

asked the Prime Minister what training facilities are provided by the Royal Navy for members of the South African Navy or shared between the South African and British Navies.

I have been asked to reply.South African naval personnel are accepted for professional and technical training in this country subject to the general policies applicable to all foreign navies and to the special requirements arising from the exchange of letters known as the "Simonstown Agreement". (Cmd. 9520.)Similarly, whenever suitable opportunities arise, the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America Station arranges for the joint training of British and South African maritime forces on his Station in fulfilment of his responsibilities defined in the annex to the exchange of letters on defence of the sea routes.All this training is directed towards joint defence of the sea routes around Southern Africa against external aggression, if the need should arise.

asked the Prime Minister how many members of the South African defence forces are undergoing training at naval, military or air force establishments in Great Britain; and at what cost to Her Majesty's Government.

I have been asked to reply. Twenty-five. The cost of their training is paid by the South African Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is to be the future of Chelveston Airfield.

Apart from the married quarters, the school and certain other buildings, the airfield is surplus to Government requirements and will be offered for sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in view of the duties recently undertaken by the Royal Navy in clearing large patches of oil discharged into the sea by a wrecked oil tanker, if he will take steps to have cleared the large quantities of oil waste and tar which, discharged from other ships, now disfigure Great Britain's beaches and spoil their use for bathers.

No, the cleanliness of beaches is a matter for the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are now in Malaysia.

As stated in the 1965 Statement on Defence Estimates our total defence manpower contribution in the Malaysian theatre including Gurkhas is over 50,000. It would not be in the public interest to break this figure down.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in many instances, Parliamentary and White Papers are not available for sale to the public in Scotland simultaneously with their availability in London; and if he will take steps to ensure that, in future, when such papers are published, Scotland is treated no differently from London.

Because of Parliamentary privilege and sometimes of security, Bills and certain other Parliamentary Papers cannot be released for distribution until the time fixed for publication. Within these limitations every effort is made to arrange for such of these documents as are of major interest to be available in other centres on the same day as in London. This was not possible in the case of the Finance Bill, which was published in the afternoon.I am, however, investigating the possibility of improving the arrangements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that major Government Bills such as the Rent Bill and the Finance Bill are not available in Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Edinburgh until the day after they become available to the public in London; what action he will take; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Sir M. Galpern).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a direction to Customs officers at London Airport that they are to deal first with travellers accompanied by small children and babies.

Customs officers are aware of the need for consideration in these cases, but complete priority for any class of traveller is not always practicable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum was paid to Members of the House of Lords as expenses on 13th April, 1965; and what were the comparable figures for 6th April, 1965, and 13th April, 1964.

This information is not available.

asked the Prime Minister if he will name those Ministers in the present Government who have written to the Press on matters within their official responsibility, the journals in which such letters have been published, and the dates of such publication.

Yes. The following is the information:

Minister	Journal, etc.	Date
First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs	The Times	22nd December, 1964
	The Daily Telegraph	6th April, 1965
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Financial Times	17th December, 1964
Financial Secretary, Treasury	The Spectator	19th February, 1965
Minister of State, Board of Trade (Mr. Mason)	The North Western Evening Mail	4th February, 1965
Secretary of State for Education and Science	All national Sunday newspapers	14th March, 1965
	The Daily Telegraph	16th March, 1965
	Times Review of Industry	April, 1965
	Grimsby Evening	10th March, 1965
	Telegraph Bristol Evening Post	31st March, 1965
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	British Hospital and Social Service Journal	12th February, 1965
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Public Building and Works	Visual Education	April, 1965 issue

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish an official history of the development of atomic energy, starting from the Declaration of Trust between the United States and British Governments in June, 1944, and the aide-memoire of September, 1944, and setting out the arrangements concluded between the two Governments, covering the consultations between 1945 and 1950, giving the expenditure for military and civil purposes in those years and the reasons for withholding informa- tion on expenditure from Parliament, and covering the activities of the Atomic Energy Authority from its setting-up until the present day.

The Atomic Energy Authority has already published a history of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Project between 1939 and 1945. Work is in hand on the preparation of a further volume but, until the material is studied by the historian, it is not possible to see what period it will cover or in what detail. The question of approving publication of this second volume, however, must wait until the text is available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek to convene a negotiating conference of the United Nations on the readoption of international regulatory powers for world sugar exports; and whether he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government gave full support to the decision of the International Sugar Council meeting in London on 29th April to invite the United Nations to summon a conference in the autumn of 1965 to initiate the negotiation of a new International Sugar Agreement and also, if it proved necessary, to make arrangements for a final conference to be concluded not later than 31st March, 1966.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that 7½ million broiler chickens originating in Denmark have recently been imported into the United Kingdom, of which some have been sold at 1s. 11d. per lb., cost, insurance and freight, and that the ruling wholesale price in Denmark is around 3s. 1d. per lb.; and what action he proposes to take.

I know that imports of poultry meat from Denmark have increased recently.If the British industry have evidence that these imports are dumped and are causing or threatening them with material injury, it is open to them to make an application to the Board of Trade under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the need for additional teachers, what action he will take to prevent the recurrence of lengthy delays on the part of his officials in dealing with applications from experienced married women teachers for part-time posts, similar to that brought to his notice by the hon. Member for Heywood and Royton, whereby four weeks elapsed before a Ministry leaflet was forwarded, and after seven weeks there is still no notification of a vacancy.

I have been assured by the agency which is handling replies to the Department's advertising campaign that a leaflet was despatched to the teacher concerned within five days of receipt of her application. I have written to my hon. Friend about the other matters connected with this teacher's employment which he brought to my notice.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the average length of time taken between the lodging of a planning appeal and the verdict in the County of Dorset.

34 weeks.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce fresh planning legislation in order to abate the frustrations and delays which now occur.

I am anxious to do all I can to eliminate delays, and I am now arranging to make a number of improvements in the system within existing legislation.A report by the Planning Advisory Group, which I expect to receive soon and to publish, will make an important contribution to discussion of possible improvements in the statutory framework of town and country planning.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is satisfied that adequate powers to deal with the problem of litter exist and are being fully used; and if he will make a statement.

The powers are, broadly speaking, adequate. More use could be made of them in some places and the Department from time to time give general advice to local authorities on this. Legislation by itself cannot solve the problem. A great deal depends on educating the public.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representation has been made to him with regard to an increase in the financial loss allowance under the Local Government Act; and if he will now amend the existing regulations.

Representations have recently been made to my right hon. Friend on this subject by the Association of Municipal Corporations and by the Urban District Councils' Association. Their views are now being considered.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will introduce provisions for appeals against the decision of the Pneumoconiosis Medical Board.

There is a right of appeal to a Medical Appeal Tribunal from a decision of a Pneumoconiosis Medical Board on the assessment of the degree of disablement and from a decision of the Tribunal to the Industrial Injuries Commissioner on a point of law. There is at present no appeal from a decision of the Board on the diagnosis question, that is, on whether a claimant is suffering from the prescribed disease. As my hon. Friend will be aware, this is a complex and difficult matter to which much thought has been given over the years; I am considering it, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Postmaster-General how many television relay stations are currently operating in Wales; and how many television licence-holders enjoy improved reception from each of these relay stations.

The television relay stations currently in operation in Wales, and estimates of the populations they serve, are given in the following table:

Table 1
B.B.C. Relay Stations
Carmarthen	…	…	12,000
Haverfordwest	…	…	67,000
Holyhead	…	…	11,000
Llanddona	…	…	84,000
Llandrindod Wells	…	…	23,000
I.T.A. Relay Stations
Arfon	…	…	163,000
Moel-y-Parc	…	…	342,000
Preseley	…	…	365,000

It is not possible without disproportionate effort to ascertain how many television licence holders enjoy improved reception from each of these stations.The B.B.C. tell me that, within the next 15 months or so, they expect to bring six more stations into operation. These stations, and estimates of the populations they should serve, are given in the following table:

Table 2
Cardigan	…	…	…	3,800
Dolgellau	…	…	…	2,300
Llangollen	…	…	…	3,100
Llanidloes	…	…	…	2,400
Machynlleth	…	…	…	2,000
Moel-y-Parc	…	…	…	330,000

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing a television relay station in Swansea.

None. The provision of a television relay station in Swansea would be a matter for the broadcasting authority concerned, in the first place.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people who could expect improved television service in and around Swansea if a local television relay station were to be established within the town;(2) what estimate he has made of the width of the area which would benefit from a television relay station in Swansea; and how many television licence-holders live within that area.

Improvements in the quality of reception of television services in particular localities are primarily the responsibility of the broadcasting authorities concerned. I understand that the B.B.C. are making a study of reception conditions in the valleys near Swansea; and the I.T.A. in the Swansea—Neath area. Until these studies are sufficiently advanced, no worth-while estimate can be made of the area or population which a relay station would serve.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the difficulties which will be caused in Perry Barr by the closure of the Birchfield Road sub-post office, if he will announce early plans for the opening of a post office at the Perry Barr precinct shopping centre, as has been suggested in negotiations over a period of four years.

Our present plan is to move the sub-post office in question to one of the new shops being built at the corner of Wellington Road and Birchfield Road.As the sub-postmistress will continue to provide service in the present premises until the new shop is ready, no difficulties should arise.The new premises will be only about 300 yards from the Perry Barr shopping precinct and we could not justify another post office in the precinct itself.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he is satisfied that the sub-post office and post office facilities in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham are adequate; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he is satisfied that the sub-post office and post office facilities in the Oscott area of Birmingham are adequate; and if he will make a statement.

Post Office facilities in the areas in question are generally up to standard and I have no plans for changing them. If the hon. Member knows of any special difficulty and will let me have details, I will gladly look into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone complaints and breakdowns have been reported and dealt with in the Long Sliddale valley, near Kendal, in each of the three previous six-month periods to the latest convenient date.

Ten between April and September, 1964; sixteen during the following six months. I am sorry that information is no longer available for the period before April, 1964.

asked the Minister of Power what was the reason for the shortage of certain grades of coal in Carlisle and Cumberland during the Easter week; and if he will give an assurance that this will not happen again, especially when the National Coal Board are stocking coal in various parts of the country.

I understand difficulties have been caused by the rundown of merchants' stocks and the increased demand in the recent cold spell but the N.C.B. came immediately to the help of the merchants concerned. The Board's policy is designed to encourage merchants to build up stocks, particularly during the summer months.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what factors in addition to the cash return from the sugar factory, are taken into account in assessing the profitability of beet-growing in Scotland.

Gross returns for sugar beet are usually taken as the cash payment for beet plus an allowance for the value of beet tops used for feeding. In assessing costs full account is taken of all normal production and overhead costs.

asked the Minister of Transport what grants have been allocated for improvement on trunk and classified roads per mile in respect of Somerset, Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, respectively.

The following are the estimates of commitments of Exchequer funds during 1965/66 for road improvements in these counties:—

		Trunk Roads		Classified Roads
		£'000	Miles	£'000	Miles
Somerset	…	472	125	1,322	2,391
Devon	…	4,140	191	153	3,593
Hampshire	…	4,738	167	3,022	1,901
Wiltshire	…	861	132	935	1,560
Dorset	…	155	55	238	1,130

asked the Minister of Transport what conclusion he has been able to draw from his experiment with overtaking markings on the Great North Road where it is three-way; whether he will apply those conclusions to the A.38 between Bristol and Gloucester; and whether he will make a statement.

It is still too early to draw conclusions from the markings on A.1, which are on a straight length of this road, whereas A.38 is winding. The current experiment with offset double white lines on A.4 near Reading will be much more relevant to A.38; but this experiment will not be concluded before the end of this year.

asked the Minister of Transport what revenue was received by his Department in 1963, 1964 and the first quarter of 1965 as a result of the confiscation of driving test fees, where no test had taken place due to accident or illness, and where notice of cancellation had been received within three days of the date of test.

No analysis is made of the reasons given by driving test candidates who fail to attend and who either give no notice of cancellation or do not give the required three days' notice. It is not possible, therefore, to say what fees were forfeited by candidates as a result of their inability to attend owing to accident or illness.The total amount received from all cancellations where the fees were forfeit amounted to:—

1963	(July/December)	…	£49,073
1964		…	£141,182
1965	(January/March)	…	£36,987

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on liner trains, and their introduction; and what response he received in his consultations with the railway trade unions in the matter.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Members for St. Albans (Mr. Goodhew) and Torrington (Mr. Peter Mills) on 28th April. The Executive Committee of the National Union of Railwaymen informed me that they were convinced that to proceed with liner trains on the basis of accepting sub-contracts from private road hauliers, which in their view is essentially what "open terminals" mean, would be against the best interests of the country and the proper integration of transport, and detrimental to British Railways. They accordingly declined to co-operate with the Railways Board in furthering a project which, in their opinion, would have these effects. They considered that a fair assessment of the position could be obtained were the Board to start the first route on the terms offered by the Union.

asked the Minister of of Transport in what bus undertakings British Rail have a controlling interest; and in what bus and other such undertakings they have a nominal interest.

The British Railways Board have agreements whereby certain bus services in Sheffield, Halifax, Huddersfield and Todmorden are run under the joint control of the Board and the local authority concerned. Costs and receipts are shared equally except in the case of one group of routes in the Sheffield area, where all the buses are owned by the Board.