asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will exclude from minor capital expenditure control and restriction those local education authority projects designed to replace seriously substandard outside lavatories and toilet facilities in schools.

No. My right hon. Friend thinks it best that local education authorities should themselves decide their priorities within their allocation for minor works.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many awards in the field of social studies have been made by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in the year 1964–65; and how this compares with previous years.

In 1964–65 the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research made 44 postgraduate training awards for work in social studies related to industry. This compares with 32 in 1963–64 and 13 in 1962–63. In other areas of the human sciences related to the needs of industry, the corresponding figures were 84, 52 and 33 respectively. In the same year my Department awarded 149 postgraduate State Studentships in social studies, compared with 61 in 1963–64 and 36 in 1962–63.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he intends to take to improve the primary schools, both as to buildings and general facilities.

The school building programmes already announced for 1965–66 and 1966–67 include about £64 million worth of primary school building.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware that children up to the age of five years are entitled to free milk, and that as the Staffordshire Education Authority is unable to accept five-year-old children at school until the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday, a hiatus exists in which a child slightly over five is for three or four months unable to receive any cheap milk; and if he will take steps to remedy this administrative defect.

My right hon. Friend is aware that children over the age of five years and one month are not normally entitled to welfare milk at a reduced price. He is also aware that in certain parts of the country a small number of children are not being admitted to school until the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. He could not, however, make arrangements within the existing law for free school milk to be supplied to such children.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for improving the educational work of symphony orchestras; and if he will consider the proposals of the Western Orchestral Society Limited which were discussed last year at a conference of local authorities held in Bournemouth.

It is Government policy to rely on the initiative of local education authorities to give school children in their areas the opportunity to hear and to learn to appreciate good music well played. It is for the authorities represented at the Bournemouth conference to take action.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the changes he proposes to make in the public school system.

I have nothing at present to add to the Answer which I gave on 6th May to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), and my hon. Friends, the Members for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Park), and Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton).

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what response has been made by local authorities to his proposals on the establishment of sporting and recreational facilities.

The proposals in the joint circular of August, 1964, on co-ordination and joint planning of facilities have been acted upon in a number of areas, but I am anxious to see a greater urgency throughout the country. The Sports Council is advising my right hon. Friend on further possible action.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with present standards demanded by his Department for private fee-paying schools; and if he will make a statement.

I have powers under Part III of the Education Act 1944, which, subject to a right of appeal to an Independent Schools Tribunal, enable me to impose certain requirements on such schools and, if they do not comply, to close them. I am examining the way these powers are used.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware that rebellions of apprentices against the official policies of their unions are being fomented at certain universities, including those of Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, by the staff as well as the students; and if he will seek power to enable him to investigate and control such activities.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Welsh College of Advanced Technology will receive its grant from the University Grants Committee through the Council of the University of Wales.

The Welsh College of Advanced Technology is not part of the University of Wales. The future of the college is being considered by the governing body and its academic advisory committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy regarding the employment of children under the age of 13 in any capacity; to what extent children under 13 have been employed under the provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1963, relating to the employment of children in entertainment under certain circumstances; and to what extent licences have been granted to permit the employment of babies in commercial television films under that Act.

My right hon. Friend's responsibilities are limited to the employment of children over the age of 12 in entertainment, and derive from the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the Statutory Instruments made under that Act and of the related documents of guidance issued to local authorities. Responsibility for administering the 1963 Act rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of children of Commonwealth immigrants in primary and secondary schools, respectively, broken down by the countries of origin of the parents.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what facilities exist in his Department for the study of the needs of young people in the fields of music and the theatre; and whether he will make a statement.

The needs in each neighbourhood can best be assessed by local bodies. Her Majesty's Inspectors keep under review the educational provision made by local education authorities both for music and drama. The hon. Member may also be interested to know that a Committee appointed by the Arts Council, on which the Department is represented, is at present making a special study of the provision of theatre for young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will now alter the regulations by which the earnings of re-employed retired teachers are assessed each quarter for pension purposes.

The quarterly basis of assessment is not in itself a serious obstacle to regular part-time employment. Most public service pension schemes are based upon the actual period of reemployment, and the quarterly basis for part-time teachers already represents a concession.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made with the implementation of the Henniker-Heaton Report; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster (Mr. Harold Walker) on 14th April. The Department has now received replies from most of the Regional Advisory Councils and I understand that the National Advisory Council on Education for Industry and Commerce will be reviewing the position at its meeting in July.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he proposes to take with regard to the shortage of dentists in the School Dental Service in Leicestershire; how the ratio of dentists to schoolchildren in Leicestershire compares with that elsewhere in the country; and if he will hold consultations with the Leicestershire Educational Authority on this subject.

The approximate ratio of School Dental Service dentists to schoolchildren in Leicestershire is 1:48,000 compared to an average of 1:5,700 in the rest of England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will now receive an all-party delegation from the Liverpool City Council to discuss education in Liverpool.

I hope to meet representatives of the Liverpool authority at the beginning of next month to discuss its published proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education. It is for the authority to decide the composition of its deputation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the uncertainties for pupils, staff and parents, he will announce his decision about the future of Starcross School, Kingsway Day College and Risinghill School at an early date.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware that the monitoring services of the Medical Research Council have reported an increase in the amount of radio-strontium found in the bones of young children in Glasgow; and if he will make inquiries into the matter.

Yes. The Medical Research Council report published on 6th May, 1965, deals with the findings of Strontium 90 in samples of human bone in the first half of 1964. The figures recorded for the Glasgow area are in close agreement with those for other areas of the United Kingdom. A general increase in the amount of radio-strontium in the bones of young children has been expected throughout 1964 as a result of the major nuclear tests carried out in the autumn of 1961 and 1962 but the levels found remain well within those specified by the Medical Research Council in 1960 as the maximum permissible. The matter is kept under continual review as part of the national arrangements for monitoring levels of radioactivity in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ensure that any regional organisations set up as a result of the Museums and Libraries Act will conform to the regional areas of the Regional Planning Councils and Boards.

I will bear this in mind in setting up these regional councils but there may prove to be valid reasons why the areas should not conform.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the danger to children involved in walking to school in rural areas, he will issue a circular to local authorities recommending them to take steps to reduce the statutory walking distance.

Local education authorities have recently been reminded of their discretionary powers in this matter and asked to review their school transport arrangements regularly, particularly in areas where traffic dangers are increasing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has taken the advice of the Council for Scientific Policy in regard to the participation by the United Kingdom in the proposed World Health Research Centre; and what is the policy of the Council towards this proposal.

As my hon. Friend will know, proposals for the establishment of a World Health Research Centre provide for (i) a laboratory centre for biomedical research, (ii) research on epidemiology and (ii) research in communications science related to medicine. The Council for Scientific Policy endorsed earlier recommendations of the Medical Research Council and the former Advisory Council on Scientific Policy against the first proposal, and approved the two latter proposals in general provided that the activities were pursued on a reasonable scale and carried out in close association with relevant work of the World Health Organisation in Geneva. The Government have accepted this advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the report on mathematics and science in a balanced system of education in Wales will be published.

I anticipate that this Report will be published about mid-September.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to promote the study of oracy in schools.

The importance of encouraging good oral expression is already well recognised by teachers, and was emphasised in the Newsom Report. Among the means being used to promote it are tape recorders and dramatic activities. A research project by Dr. Basil Bernstein, supported by my Department, is aimed at studying, among other things, the language pattern of children at school and at home.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the terms of agreement under which the Italian Government contributes to the cost of teaching Italian to Italian children in Bedford; if he proposes to extend this scheme to all non-English-speaking children in schools; how many such children he estimates there to be; and if he will make a statement.

This is a private arrangement between the parents and the Italian Government, and there is no question of extending it to all non-English-speaking children in our schools. I have no estimate of the number of such children.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library a copy of the leaflet on education recently issued by the local education authority in Birmingham, which was issued in 13 different languages.

The Birmingham local education authority has issued a leaflet, called "Learn to speak English", giving details of the special classes in English for adult immigrants provided in this area. The leaflet is in 5 languages—English, Arabic, Bengali, Hindi and Urdu. Copies have been placed in the Library. The authority knows of no leaflet in 13 languages.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the three nautical approved schools which have boats for training juvenile delinquents, indicating the number and nature of the practical difficulties which confront their management and the success of the methods adopted to overcome those difficulties.

Only about half of the boys in the nautical schools receive instruction in seamanship, but they all get other forms of training. Short sea cruises can be undertaken by small parties, but longer cruises by large parties would not be practicable without detracting from other aspects of approved school training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the reasons for the presence of police officers at the head office of the Universal Health Studios Ltd. on the afternoon of Monday, 12th April;(2) how many police officers were present and how their services were used at the incident involving four ex-employees at the head office of the Universal Health Studios Ltd., on the afternoon of Monday, 12th April.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that four police officers attended on the occasion of an interview between some employees and the management, as a result of information that a breach of the peace was apprehended. The officers called the attention of the employees to the legal remedies open to them, but otherwise took no part in the proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional recruitment and training proposals are contemplated to meet the acute shortage of child-care officers and the requirements of the Children and Young Persons Act.

Courses of professional training, which produced 187 qualified child-care officers in 1964, are being expanded to an estimated output of 235 in 1965, 300 in 1966 and 400 in 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now use his powers under the Consumer Protection Act to make safety regulations in respect of plastic toys, painted toys, carry-cots, life-jackets, and flammable nightwear, respectively.

Regulations on the safety of toys, including a restriction on the lead content of the paint used, are in course of preparation. My right hon. and learned Friend is not aware of any serious hazards presented by plastic toys or carry-cots which call for statutory controls, although he is at present considering whether regulations are necessary to ensure the safe design of carry-cot stands. The possibility of extending the scope of the Children's Nightdresses Regulations, 1964, to other kinds of clothing will shortly be considered by a Working Party which my right hon. and learned Friend is setting up for this purpose. The safety of life-jackets is a matter at present under consideration by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and my right hon. and learned Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long he proposes to wait for the relevant figures before deciding whether to supplement his measures to control the numbers of Commonwealth immigrants entering this country; what are the specific figures for which he is waiting; and if he will make a statement.

The measures which I announced on 4th February were designed to prevent evasion of the immigration control, and it will be some months before the statistical and other information available will enable me to form a reasonably accurate estimate as to how effective the measures have been in achieving that purpose. I also await the return of the Mountbatten Mission before further decisions can be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on whose authority two officers and two other ranks of the Basutoland police were flown from Basutoland to Cape Town at the end of March, 1965, to give evidence at a trial of members of the Pan-African Congress; why their evidence was given in camera and their presence kept secret; and whether he will make a full inquiry into the circumstances.

Three members of the Basutoland Mounted Police gave evidence at a trial at Cape Town on March 15th and 16th having been subpoenaed by the South African court. The subpoenas were served in Basutoland under the Basutoland Compulsion of Witnesses Proclamation which provides for the service on witnesses in Basutoland of subpoenas issued by courts in South Africa and the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The attendance of such witnesses in the court issuing the subpoena is compulsory. There is reciprocal legislation in the Republic of South Africa.I am not aware of the reasons why the evidence of the Basutoland police witnesses was heard in camera but it was not at the request of the Basutoland authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what action he proposes to take to assist Police Constable Childs, who has been sent to jail for two months in Bermuda, with legal aid for the conduct of his appeal;(2) why Police Constable Childs, who has been sentenced in Bermuda to two months imprisonment, has to wait nine months for his appeal to be heard.

A Court of Appeal for Bermuda was established on the 1st May, 1965. Hitherto the only appellate court in respect of decisions of the Supreme Court was the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. There is no reason to suppose that it will take as long as 9 months for an appeal to be heard by the new Court of Appeal.It is open to P.C. Childs to apply under the Bermuda Court of Appeal Act, 1964, for legal assistance on appeal.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he will appoint a representative of Gloucestershire local government to the South-West Regional Council.

No. I am sure that the Council for the South-West Region will take full account of the interests of Gloucestershire.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs which firm of consultants he intends to appoint to look into the affairs of Short Brothers and Harland; and what estimate he has made of the time to be taken in preparing their report.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make an announcement next week.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will refer the price of housing to the Wages and Prices Commission.

No. The Government are themselves taking steps to deal with this problem.

asked the Minister of Technology what expansion has taken place in the establishment of industrial liaison officers.

Since this scheme was introduced in April, 1964, 18 colleges have appointed industrial liaison officers, and 18 other colleges are in the process of making appointments. Four further colleges have the matter under review, and it is proposed very shortly to invite another 20–30 colleges to participate in the scheme.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that rheumatism is now costing the country £120 million a year in lost work and treatment, if he will formally recognise the study of the disease as a special field of medicine in its own right.

Recognition of a separate speciality is primarily a matter for the medical profession, but there are a number of consultant appointments in rheumatology in National Health Service hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health what was the amount of the annual contribution from his Department during each of the last five years for specific research on rheumatism and arthritis.

None specifically for this purpose. Medical research is primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Funds are allocated by me to hospital boards for locally organised clinical research but there is no central record of the amounts they devote to particular fields of research.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what grants have been made to British symphony orchestras giving performances overseas during the past five years; and whether it is his policy to publicise internationally the quality of British cultural institutions by facilitating overseas tours by eminent orchestras and artists.

In the past five years the British Council has assisted, by way of guarantees against loss, 25 overseas tours by British symphony orchestras and other major musical groups. It is the British Council's object to show the best that this country has to offer and it does so in so far as its priorities and resources allow.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the official response of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam to his request for information regarding the attitude of the parties concerned towards a negotiated settlement of the Vietnam question.

No. So far I have received only four replies of any kind and I think it would be a mistake to publish these in isolation. When I have had some more, I will consider the desirability of publishing them all together.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what decision was taken at the recent meeting of the Council of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation in response to the official request from Prince Sihanouk for the removal of Cambodia from the list of States according protection under the Protocol to the Manila Treaty.

The Secretary General replied to Prince Sihanouk's message assuring him that there was, of course, no question of any action being taken on Cambodian territory without the invitation or consent of the Cambodian Government, as paragraph three of Article 4 of the Manila Treaty makes abundantly clear.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what were the average county district rates for England and Wales, excluding London, and for Hertfordshire, and for London,

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what would be the average county district rate for England and Wales, excluding London, for Hertfordshire, and for London, respectively, if the general grant had been increased by £200 million for 1965–66.

It is impossible to say. If the aggregate of the general grant had been increased, a new formula would have had to be worked out for distributing the money and there is therefore no knowing what any individual local authority would have received.

asked the Postmaster-General if a Northern Ireland 4d. postage stamp will be available when letter rate changes are increased on 17th May.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 5th May to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Box), regarding the issue of 4d. stamps in the regional series.

The average rates weighted by rateable value, are as follows, the figures in brackets for 1962–63 being the estimated equivalent rates under the new valuation list:

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received from chambers of trade and chambers of commerce on the need to reduce Government expenditure; and what replies he has sent.

None.

asked the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made at the opening of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ministerial Meeting, of which I have placed a copy in the Library.

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the organisations and societies, active membership of which precludes civil servants, on security grounds, from continued employment on classified work.

No.

asked the Prime Minister what action he has taken to keep himself informed of matters involving security risks.

It is not the practice to reveal security procedures.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Security Commission has been invited to consider the security of individuals who have been members of proscribed organisations.

I would refer the hon. Lady to my statement on 10th May.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent Her Majesty's Government's policy on steel has been modified since the publication of the Steel White Paper.

Not at all.

asked the Prime Minister what has been the response to his efforts to end the conflict between India and Pakistan over the Rann of Kutch; and whether he will make a statement.

Efforts to bring about a settlement of this conflict are still continuing. I am hopeful that they will soon be successful but, in view of the delicacy of the situation, I would prefer not to add anything at this stage to my statement of 5th May. I shall of course make a further statement to the House as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will seek an early opportunity of visiting Rhodesia.

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave on 30th March to a Question by the hon. Member.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the declaration by the Action Committee of the United States of Europe, he will state the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the alternatives of seeking admission to the European Economic Community after appropriate discussions with Great Britain's partners in the Commonwealth and the European Free Trade Association, and building bridges between the European Economic Community and the European Free Trade Association.

As the right hon. Gentleman knows, the choice he describes is not in present circumstances a real one. There is at present no question of admission to the European Economic Community. But we are well aware of the dangers of the growing division between the two European economic groupings, and we are therefore about to discuss with our European Free Trade Association partners the possibilities of measures to reduce those dangers.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement in regard to his official conversations with leaders of the agricultural industry on Thursday, 6th May.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 11th May to a Question by the hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks. (Mr. Kitson).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has completed his inquiries into the cause of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Lamberhurst Farm, Dargate, near Faversham, Kent; and if he will make a statement about the results.

Yes. A detailed investigation into possible sources of infection has been made but we have not yet reached a final conclusion. It is not always possible in the case of a single outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle to establish the source of infection with any certainty, and it may be that in the final assessment of this case the origin will have to be classed as obscure.

asked the Minister of Aviation into which category of exceptions to Her Majesty's Government's incomes policy, as outlined in paragraph 15 in the White Paper on Prices and Incomes Policy, the increase in salary announced on 13th April for 1,100 pilots of British European Airways of 8·2 per cent., back-dated to last October, with provision for a further increase in 1966 of 42 per cent. and another increase in 1967 of 4 per cent., comes.

The last previous award to B.E.A. pilots, other than Comet pilots who received an increase in October, 1962, had been in September, 1961. The present settlement was in an advanced stage of negotiation and the terms on which agreement was reached had already been offered before publication of the White Paper. I understand that in return for the salary increases the pilots have undertaken to co-operate in a number of measures which together are expected to achieve an improvement of from 4 to 8 per cent. in productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will consult Lanarkshire Education Authority with a view to having courses of general education introduced into Coatbridge Technical College, for the benefit of married women and others, which could lead to teacher recruitment; (2) if, arising from the fact that O level standards are being demanded by more occupations than ever, he will consult Lanarkshire Education Authority with a view to introducing full-time courses leading to O level certificates in Coatbridge Technical College.

I understand that the present provision of some part-time courses at Coatbridge and a wider range of full-time and part-time courses at Langside College, Glasgow, for both ordinary and higher grades has so far proved suitable for Lanarkshire students. If, however, there is any evidence that married women aiming at teaching, or others, are unable to use these facilities, I shall be glad to examine with the authority what further provision might be made at Coatbridge.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now announce the date of the Whit Bank Holiday in 1967.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to announce this date shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to the United States and Canadian Governments regarding their decision to abolish tariffs on motor cars bilaterally and preferentially in contravention of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

British motor cars are already admitted duty free into Canada and the agreement to which the hon. Member refers would therefore not create any preference against them. It might, however, involve the grant of a new tariff preference for Canada in the United States. This, as has been made clear in a report by a Working Party of the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, would be inconsistent with Article 1 of the General Agreement.As I said in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Dell) on 3rd February, my right hon. Friend has already expressed to the Governments of Canada and the United States his concern about the possible effects of this agreement; and he has expressed the hope that the United States Government may be able to make their action consistent with Article 1 of the General Agreement by removing the tariff on imports of motor cars from other sources also.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of Her Majesty's Government's present campaign stressing the need for married women ex-teachers to return to teaching in the national interest, he will give the cost of a tax allowance where one cannot be claimed at present, for domestic help necessitated by the engagement of married women in school teaching.

I am afraid that there is not sufficient information on which to base an estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an analysis by currencies and countries of the £300 million defence expenditure spent across the exchanges.

In 1964, United Kingdom military expenditure overseas was estimated at £275 million and defence aid at £26 million. The following table shows the main countries and regions to which this expenditure relates, divided into sterling area countries and non-sterling countries. Part of the defence aid was gifts of military equipment. A detailed analysis of payments by the currencies in which they were made is not available. Broadly speaking, payments to non-sterling countries are in foreign currencies and impose a direct burden on the U.K. reserves, whilst those to overseas sterling countries are made in sterling. The burden on our economic resources and the balance of payments is the same, whether they are made initially in sterling or in other currencies, since all such transfers either increase our external liabilities or decrease our external assets.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps have been taken, consequent upon his inquiries into recent railway accidents, to deal with the problem of vandalism on the railways; and if he will make a statement.

I can assure the hon. Member of the Government's grave concern about the epidemic of wanton obstruction which has led to numerous incidents and to the loss of two lives in the recent rail crash near Elm Park. Government Departments are giving all the help they can to the Railways Board and other bodies concerned in dealing with this serious problem. The Railways Board, which has the immediate responsibility for preventive measures, is, I know, taking vigorous action in ways ranging from intensified police measures to the giving of special talks to schools, in close collaboration with local police forces and education authorities. In addition, both the Railways Board and the London Transport Board, in Bills now before Parliament, are seeking to increase the penalties for relevant offences under the Railways Acts: and both Boards are making revised byelaws which should take effect within the next few months and will also include raised penalties for relevant offences.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish the technical reasons which led him to open discussions for a new route of the M.4 motorway through Berkshire, in preference to either of the two alternative routes previously considered.

I explained why I had asked for the matter to be re-examined in my Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Francis Noel-Baker), on 17th February. I am now engaged in the usual preliminary confidential discussions with local authorities and hope soon to publish my proposed route, together with an explanatory statement which will enable those affected to understand the reasons for the proposals. There will then be the usual opportunity for the submission of objections or representations.