asked the Minister of Health what standards he insists upon where a general practitioner in the National Health Service provides his own consultation and waiting room accommodation.

General practitioners are required by their terms of service to provide proper and sufficient surgery and waiting room accommodation for their patients and executive councils and local medical committees have power to inspect premises.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take measures to protect National Health Service patients where the general practitioner is giving preference to private patients during surgery hours.

While I should deprecate any preference shown by a doctor for private patients during a surgery available to Health Service patients, I do not think it would be possible to lay down rules about the order in which patients should be seen.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will review the present position in relation to private medical certificates not required under National Health and National Insurance Acts with a view to ending the present two shillings charge.

I have no power to control such fees.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of doubt in the nursing profession about the curative effect of early treatment of cancer; and what information he has, including figures, to show the necessity for the earliest possible treatment.

I know that a local survey of a group of nurses indicated some pessimism about the curability of cancer, even when diagnosed early, but I do not think this view is common to the nursing profession as a whole. Modern methods of treatment enable many patients to be permanently cured, and, generally speaking, the earlier cancer is treated the better is the chance of cure. It is not possible to give figures which cover all circumstances but many well-authenticated studies agree about the value of early diagnosis.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many chemists are open all night in the city of Liverpool for National Health Service purposes;(2) if he will take steps to ensure the provision of all-night services by chemists.

No chemist provides an all-night service in Liverpool; other arrangements exist in the National Health service for the provision of urgently needed medicines.

asked the Minister of Health what representations have been made to him to introduce regulations governing the production, testing and sale of pharmaceuticals similar to those adopted by the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community.

None; but the implications of the first directive of the European Economic Community in relation to these matters are being studied in the course of the current review of medicines legislation.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department will inquire into the causes and growth of alcoholism in Great Britain.

I do not think a general inquiry of this kind is necessary at present, but I will keep the matter under review.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of typhoid have been notified this year; how many were of immigrants; whether they were all medically examined before entering this country; and if he will make a statement.

28 cases have been provisionally notified in England and Wales so far this year. Information is not available to show how many were immigrants or whether they were medically examined before entering this country.

asked the Minister of Health if he will appoint Her Majesty's inspectors for hospitals, similar to those employed by the Minister of Education.

I doubt whether such a system would be appropriate for hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health when a start will be made, under his latest plans, on the new general hospital at Dorchester.

Until the Hospital Board has reviewed its building programme and my right hon. Friend has considered their revised proposals he cannot make any forecast.

asked the Minister of Health what investigation he has made of the case of Mr. Breeze and the Watford Hospital, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Watford; and if he will make a statement.

I have fully investigated the case and written to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to ensure that general practitioners are regularly appointed to the advisory appointments committees for the filling of vacancies for consultants and hospital medical staff in the National Health Service.

General practitioners may be appointed to these committees but I would not wish this to be a requirement.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that, of the present total of 74 maternity beds in the Gillingham area, family doctors have a basic allocation of 10 only; and to what extent this basic allocation will be increased when the total number of beds is increased to the 103 promised by the end of April.

Yes. I understand that no request has been made to the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board to increase the allocation.

asked the Minister of Health if, before accepting the decision to build the 500-bed hospital for the mentally subnormal by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board at Bar Lane, Wakefield, he will call for an independent report on why the proposed hospital is not to be built contiguous to the present hospital at Oulton.

No. This scheme was approved in principle two years ago, after full consideration of alternative sites, and planning has progressed on this basis.

asked the Minister of Health if he will ensure that members of the constituency area of Heywood, Crompton, Royton, Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough, and Whitworth are represented on the hospital management committees of Rochdale and district, Bury and Rossendale, and Oldham and district.

Appointments to hospital management committees are the responsibility of the Regional Hospital Board. I have no doubt that the Board bear in mind the need to secure a suitable range of knowledge and interests, including local interests.

asked the Minister of Health how much of the estimated expenditure on the 10-year Hospital Plan was originally allocated for laundry services.

The original Hospital Plan and its two revisions in general did not specify separately the provision made for laundries, which either were part of larger hospital developments or were schemes costing less than £100,000 and not listed individually.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the latest available figures for the average weekly expenditure for households with incomes of £10 to £15 a week, and £15 to £20 a week in rural, small urban and large urban areas under the following headings, namely, food, fuel and light, clothing, transport and rented unfurnished accommodation.

The latest available expenditure figures for households analysed by these areas are in Table 5 of the Family Expenditure Survey Report for 1960 and 1961, copies of which have been placed in the Library. No information is available on the groupings of households by income within these areas, but information by household income in each of the three areas relating to 1964 will be published towards the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will arrange for copies of the Pilots' Workload Investigation reports to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

This investigation was undertaken in accordance with an agreement reached between British European Airways and the British Airline Pilots' Association in March, 1961. The reports of the investigating team have been made to the parties directly concerned, and not to my right hon. Friend. I regret, therefore, that I am unable to comply with the hon. Member's request.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement about the trade dispute at Messrs. Foyle's bookshop in Charing Cross Road; and if he will investigate the conditions of work there.

Employees of this firm were originally on strike in support of a claim for recognition of their trade union, reinstatement of a dismissed employee and improvement in wages. As a result of talks which took place between the parties, agreement was reached on a number of points and work was resumed on 25th May. Subsequently, however, there was disagreement over wage negotiations and this has resulted in a further strike. I understand that the parties will be meeting tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are registered at each employment exchange in Cornwall as seeking work in tin mines; and how many of these at each exchange are unemployed at present.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men now working in Cornish tin mines are foreigners to whom he has issued work permits; and how many such permits are now current.

Information about the number of foreigners working in Cornish tin mines is not available. Only one permit has been issued during the last four years for a mining engineer and he has now left this employment.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a paragraph on page 29 of Part I—Volume I of the recent Report on the Economic Survey of the South-West, prepared by Associated Industrial Consultants Limited for the Joint Committee for the Economy of the South West, towards which the Government made a contribution, draws attention to the shortage of skilled labour in the tin mining industry of Cornwall and states that the opening of any new mines could produce difficulties since the mining traditions of the past have been lost and the existing indigenous labour force is very small; and what is his policy in the matter.

I have seen the passage to which the hon. Member has referred. There is at present a shortage of underground labour in this industry and my local officers are discussing with the firms concerned how best it can be met. In the event of new mines being opened the full facilities of my Department would be available to any firm seeking to build up its labour force.

asked the Minister of Labour how many work permits have been granted to foreigners to work in Cornish tin mines in each year since 1946; and how many such permits lapsed because the men had been granted British citizenship.

One permit was issued in 1962 for a foreign worker who has now left the country and no permits have been issued since then. Figures for the earlier years are not available, nor is it known how many foreign workers in Cornish mines may have been granted British citizenship.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the number of persons, by categories, registered as unemployed at Huntly Employment Exchange at the latest convenient date.

On 10th May, 79 men, 3 boys, 32 women and 2 girls.

asked the Minister of Labour how many hours were lost through strikes, or in consequence of strikes, during the first three months of 1965; and how these figures compare with the same periods in the previous three years.

The number of days lost through industrial disputes at the establishments where the stoppages occurred was about 878,000 in the first three months of 1965. The corresponding figures for 1962, 1963 and 1964, were 4,072,000, 211,000 and 739,000, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish a table presenting the percentage increase in each wage settlement arrived at during the past six months in nationalised industries and State services.

Comprehensive information about agreements and awards affecting agreed rates of wages, including those in the nationalised industries and State Services, is published each month in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette". To list these simply as percentages could be misleading, except in those cases where the increase is itself expressed in percentage terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have now studied the Report of the United Nations Mediator on Cyprus; and if he will indicate the Government's policy on this Report, and in particular on the recommendations in paragraphs 170 and 172.

We have given the Mediator's Report most careful study. Our policy remains that we are prepared to assist in the promotion of any settlement likely to prove acceptable to all the parties to the dispute. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to comment on the proposals in paragraph 172 of the Report which deal with a hypothetical situation. Her Majesty's Government support the recommendation in paragraph 170 that there should be meetings between the parties concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now make a statement on the progress of Her Majesty's Government in promoting a conference of the relevant powers to find a way of resolving the problems concerning North and South Vietnam.

As the House is aware, Her Majesty's Government took two initiatives of an exploratory nature, the first being Mr. Gordon Walker's tour of the Far East and the second the message addressed to members of the Geneva Conference and the International Control Commission, asking for their views on a peaceful settlement. On 13th May my right hon. Friend informed the House of the results of Mr. Gordon Walker's tour. With regard to the other initiative, we have so far received direct answers by four of the Governments to whom our message was addressed, two of which were wholly negative. We must unfortunately accept that the Communist powers have not yet responded to any efforts to promote discussions, whether by ourselves, or by other Governments and world leaders. We refuse to be discouraged and my right hon. Friend has made, and will continue to make, every effort to explore ways to a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the result of the inquiry he has conducted into the statements of the British police officers employed in Vietnam.

Her Majesty's Ambassador at Saigon has looked into the matter and has talked to all the police advisers concerned. He has reported that the journalist whose story appeared on the 11th of May spoke to members of the Advisory Mission on a number of occasions, but they have all emphatically denied that they made any statements consistent with what was published or that they agreed to his writing a story about them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government propose to make, in their attempts to reach a settlement in Vietnam, to the United States policy as officially stated by President Johnson on 25th March and 9th April; and if he will make a statement.

I do not think that there can be any doubt about the United States Government's policy towards a peaceful settlement of the problems of Vietnam. President Johnson, as recently as the 13th of May, reaffirmed his readiness to enter into unconditional negotiations to settle the problems of the area and to make a major contribution towards the economic development of South East Asia. We are discussing with the United States Government how President Johnson's plans for economic assistance could be put into effect. Her Majesty's Government are continuing their efforts to persuade the Communist Powers to agree to negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what discussions he had with the Austrian Government during his recent visit to Vienna on the implications for the European Free Trade Association of the Austrian application for associate membership of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

The subject was not discussed. My right honourable Friend was the guest of the Austrian Government at a purely ceremonial occasion and it would not have been appropriate for him to raise the subject.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he will ensure that in the consultant engineer's examination of the Morecambe Bay barrage scheme consideration will be given to the possible indirect benefits that might accrue to the transport and power requirements of the region.

No. This is a technical examination of whether a barrage could be built, and how much water it would impound. Studies of benefits as a whole come later, if the technical study is reasonably promising.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will arrange for a car park for visitors to be provided conveniently near to the woodland garden in Bushy Park.

No. A car park and motor traffic would, in my view, spoil the amenities of this quiet area of the Park.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what Scottish firms were invited to submit tenders for the building of the naval stores costing £903,000 at the Polaris submarine base at Gareloch.

The tender list comprised nine firms, of which six were Scottish firms or national firms with offices in Glasgow. The list resulted from a review of 34 firms, which included twelve Scottish firms and five national firms with branches in Scotland.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works when the firm was awarded the contract for the construction of the naval stores at Gareloch costing £903,000 was registered in Scotland; when it was put on to the list of Admiralty contractors; and how it was selected to be given a schedule for this job.

The contract for the construction of the Naval Stores at Gareloch was let by the normal methods of competitive tendering from a selected group of firms on the Ministry's lists of approved contractors. The list was compiled after preliminary inquiries about willingness to tender.The successful tender was from a large building and civil engineering group which has been on the approved list for over twenty years. With the Ministry's agreement, the contract will be carried out by a newly-formed Scottish subsidiary which carries the full support and backing of the group.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether, when the Commonwealth flags are flying in Parliament Square at the time of the Prime Ministers' Conference, he will place in the Square for the information of the public a coloured or illuminated map or diagram to display those parts of the world from which the various Prime Ministers have come.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and my right hon. Friend favour this suggestion in principle, and we are considering the most suitable way of carrying it out.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works when the restoration of the Elizabethan wing at Hampton Court will be completed; and when it will be open to the public.

In time to open the rooms, suitably furnished, by the end of the summer.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will review the existing legislation and regulations relating to the payment of unemployment benefit, especially in relation to unemployment arising as a result of industrial disputes, and the part-time unemployment of night shift workers.

As my hon. Friend will know, the Government are conducting a major review of the National Insurance scheme which will certainly involve detailed examination of the provisions which affect the payment of benefit to workers on short-time. As regards unemployment benefit for people whose unemployment is due to an industrial dispute, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 24th May to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. William Yates) and to other hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the total direct costs of the Territorial Army for the last complete financial year, the total amount from a percentage of the Home Commands and the upkeep of training grounds attributable to the Territorial Army.

The total direct costs of the Territorial Army for 1964–65 are estimated at about £35 million which includes as much of the costs of the Command structure and training organisation in the United Kingdom as can be identified as directly attributable to the Territorial Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the last major reorganisation of the Territorial Army and of the county associations was carried out; and, in view of the rapidly changing conditions, if he is aware of the concern arising from the evidence that there is need for another review in order to ensure that the Territorial Army is brought more into keeping with modern requirements and that the maximum results are obtained for the public money expended in this connection.

The last major reorganisation of the Territorial Army was initiated in 1960. As has been announced, the rôle of the Territorial Army forms part of the current defence review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the Littlewood Report on Vivisection, he will introduce legislation to provide that the volume of vivisection currently taking place should be substantially reduced.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 20th May to Questions by the hon. Member for Gillingham (Mr. Burden) and my hon. Friend the Member for Renfrew, West (Mr. Buchan).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will set up an inquiry into the causes and extent of non-pharmacological progression from the amphetamine-barbiturate type of teenage drug addiction to that of classified dangerous drugs.

The Interdepartmental Committee on Drug Addiction is already considering certain aspects of the general problem and I propose to await its report before considering, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, whether further inquiry into the particular factors likely to cause drug dependence and addiction is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study he has made of the letter from Mr. T. M. Hope, Headmaster of Cardinal Wiseman Secondary Boys' School, Coventry, on the subject of objectionable picture cards distributed to schoolchildren; and what reply he has sent.

A reply is being sent, explaining that the enforcement of the law relating to obscene publications or other publications harmful to young people is the function of the police, to whom any complaint, together with supporting evidence, should be addressed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing separately the number of boys and girls in approved schools in England and Wales during the last year for which such statistics are available, and the totals of boys and girls in such institutions in 1960 and 1939, showing the percentage of those who have subsequently been convicted of further misdemeanours.

The numbers of boys and girls in approved schools in England and Wales on 31st December, 1964, and the corresponding dates in 1960 and 1939 were:

			Boys	Girls
1964	…	…	7,238	1,093
1960	…	…	6,653	1,117
1939	…	…	7,356	1,504

The percentages of boys and girls released during 1960 and 1939 who were found guilty of offences during the three years following their release were:

		Boys	Girls
1960	…	57 per cent.	15 per cent.
1939	…	27 per cent.	16 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish an inter-departmental committee, similar to the one set up in 1939, to investigate and bring up to date the facts on abortion, in view of the increasing evidence of a public desire to modernise and liberalise the law in this field.

I am not satisfied that a further inquiry into the facts would be useful.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will instruct the Medical Research Council to carry out research on the effects on man of the use of hormones in agriculture.

Several Government committees have considered the possible effects on man of the use of synthetic oestrogens in agriculture.The available evidence does not support the view that a special investigation, of the kind my hon. Friend suggests, is at present required.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for the allocation of money for research into possible alternative methods to vivisection, with a view to reducing the increasing amount of vivisection taking place.

Research workers continually have in mind the possibility of finding suitable alternatives to the use of animals in medical experiments, and other methods are already being used in particular fields of study. The Medical Research Council are always willing to consider support for promising lines of investigation into this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the proportion of children who obtain grammar school places is much lower in Ashton-under-Lyne than in Droylsden or Mossley.

Variations of this kind between different areas and also in the same area between different years are inherent in the selective system and it is not practicable to try and identify the reasons in particular instances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers and percentages of children obtaining grammar school places in each of the primary schools in the urban district of Whitworth for the last 10 years.

This information is not available. I understand from the local education authority that it does not publish it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the National Union of Students was not invited to present evidence to the Standing Advisory Committee on Grants to Students.

I understand that the National Union of Students submitted a substantial memorandum of evidence to the Committee and did not specifically request any opportunity to enlarge on this orally.The Standing Advisory Committee on Grants to Students is an independent body, and I am not responsible for determining its procedures for receiving evidence

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is taking to ensure the implementation, in the case of technical colleges, of the recommendation of the Standing Advisory Committee on Student Awards that students' union fees should be paid on the students' behalf by the grant awarding authorities.

Since 1962, all awards for first degree and comparable courses in technical colleges as in other cases have included subscriptions to students' unions where membership is obligatory. Awards for other courses are at the discretion of local education authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present number of staff employed in the Department of the Paymaster-General; to what extent it differs from the establishment; and by how much the total complement has been increased since the General Election 1964.

At 21st May, 1965, the staff of the Paymaster-General's Office was 618–31 below the authorised establishment and 17 fewer than the number employed on 15th October, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total expenditure incurred by the Department Of the Paymaster-General in the last six months; and what are the principal headings under which this expenditure falls.

In the six months ended 30th April, 1965, the expenditure of the Paymaster-General's Office on its pension services was as follows:

	£ million
From its own Votes	25
From the Votes of other Departments	57

In addition, the Office disbursed the following amounts from the Votes or Accounts of other Departments in respect of services other than pensions:

			£ million
Defence services	…	…	944
Other services	…	…	8,611

The cost of salaries and incidental expenses was £433,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of giving the same tax relief to totally disabled husbands and/or wives as is given to registered blind persons.

I regret that I cannot give a figure, but the cost would probably be small.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of giving an attendance tax relief of £200 to a single person maintaining in her or his home a dependent relative in receipt of a war disablement pension, industrial injury pension, retirement pension or National Assistance.

The precise information asked for by the hon. Lady is not available, but if all single taxpayers now claiming the dependent relative allowance were to be given the proposed attendance allowance in addition the cost would be about £20 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of allowing all people making interest payments in respect of mortgages on homes which they are buying to claim tax relief in respect of such payments to the same extent as they would be entitled to do if they were paying Income Tax at the standard rate, notwithstanding the fact that their incomes are not large enough to attract Income Tax at such standard rate.

About £45 million annually on the assumption that some form of direct financial assistance would be given where the extra relief on the basis suggested exceeded the taxpayer's net liability.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will introduce amending legislation to improve public service pensions immediately, pending her complete pensions review.

I have been asked to reply.As part of their review of public service pensions, the Government are considering the possibility of amending legislation. This review is being undertaken independently of any review of social security benefits generally.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent, in deciding what proportion of the national expenditure can be allocated to the building of motorways and other road improvements, he has taken account of the estimated saving in both public and private expenditure which will result from the reduction of accidents and of traffic congestion.

In considering the road programme, full account is taken of estimates prepared by the Ministry of Transport of the losses, in terms of delays and accidents, caused by congestion and of the reductions in these losses which are expected to result from new construction and improvement schemes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with the Civil Service claim to have unestablished service prior to 1949 counted in full for superannuation purposes; and when a final decision on this matter will be announced.

My right hon. Friend is considering the proposals made by the National Staff Side. I have no statement to make at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider placing Maybole in the Girvan area in his plans for the development of industry in South Ayrshire.

The development districts are based on employment exchange areas and take account of the normal pattern of travel-to-work. May-bole's links are with Ayr rather than Girvan.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the dispute within the British Antique Dealers' Association, and in view of its responsibilities for certifying exports on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, he will hold discussions with the officers of that Association on its future rôle.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the light of the recent resignations from the British Antique Dealers' Association, he will hold discussions with the officers of the Association on its future rôle.

The British Antique Dealers' Association does not certify exports of antiques on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. Certain overseas Governments accept certificates granted by the Association as evidence of the age of antiques for Customs purposes in order that duty-free importation may be allowed. These arrangements are outside the authority of Her Majesty's Government and while I see no need for discussing with the Association its future rôle in that regard I shall continue to follow the Association's activities with close interest.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is satisfied that enough waste paper is coming forward to meet the needs of the paper and board mills in this country; and what action he is taking in respect of this matter.

The supply of waste paper appears to be inadequate for some board mills in this country.The Economic Development Committee for the paper and board industry has agreed that it would be useful to set up a working party to consider with the various interests concerned how supplies can be increased. This is now being done.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are outstanding in Berwickshire; and what is the average delay before applicants are satisfied.

One, but this can now be met within two to three weeks. There are also thirty-nine orders in normal course of completion; in these cases, the average time to give service is three weeks, except when completion is held up to meet the convenience of the applicants.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications are outstanding for telephone service in Heywood; how long they have been waiting for such service; when they can expect their application to be dealt with; and if he will give the same information for Crompton, Royton, Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough and Whitworth.

Leaving aside orders in course of normal completion, there are no applications on the waiting list in Heywood or Whitworth.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will arrange for test match scores to be available to subscribers and from callboxes in the Faversham constituency area, by direct dialling, at least in the Faversham, Sheerness, and Sitting-bourne telephone exchange areas.

No. The revenue from calls to the Test Match Scores Service from towns of the size of Faversham, Sheerness and Sittingbourne would be quite inadequate to cover the costs of the special exchange and line plant arrangements that have to be made to provide the service.

asked the Postmaster-General what priorities in the supply of telephones are extended to exporting firms.

Where there is a shortage of telephone plant, business firms are, in general, given preference over residential applicants. If the situation were exceptionally difficult, particular regard would be paid to the needs of those engaged on production for export.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent Post Office regulations and Post Office equipment were responsible for the recent technical failures in the British Broadcasting Corporation programme, "Hot Line".

As regards equipment, not at all; as regards regulations, the B.B.C. was asked to arrange for the normal technical safeguards, which it was happy to do.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the reason for the delay in the delivery of magazines to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any general delay in the delivery of magazines sent by post from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; but if the hon. Member would let me have details of any delays which have come to his notice I shall gladly look into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the cost of advertising the increased postal charges; how many newspapers and periodicals carried the advertisements; and what was the total number of advertisements.

£105,000. 361 advertisements were carried in 130 publications. The additional revenue at stake due to the increased charges during this period amounted to over £1,000,000.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will specify, in any purchases of United States military aircraft which Her Majesty's Government may make, that British firms should be granted licences to manufacture any ancillary equipment.

We hope to have some equipment made in this country under licence for the American military aircraft we are buying, but for many items this will not be possible for reasons of cost and timescale. The granting of licences, in so far as they do not already exist, must remain primarily a matter for commercial negotiations between the British and American firms concerned, against the background of the arrangement between the two Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many privately-owned dwelling-houses have been improved with the assistance of Government grants in each of the last 10 years in the district council areas of Wemyss, Cupar, Anstruther and St. Andrews.

The following is the information requested:

HOUSE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS PAID BY FIFE COUNTY COUNCIL IN THE DISTRICT COUNCIL AREAS OF WEMYSS, CUPAR, AND ST. ANDREWS AND ANSTRUTHER
Year			Wemyss	Cupar	St. Andrews and Anstruther
1955	…	…	6	44	31
1956	…	…	8	28	30
1957	…	…	2	26	26
1958	…	…	5	25	20
1959	…	…	4	31	34
1960	…	…	9	58	39
1961	…	…	3	59	31
1962	…	…	5	50	23
1963	…	…	2	47	28
1964	…	…	5	38	22
			49	406	284

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the increases in electricity pylon and pole way-leaves which are applicable to England and Wales will also apply to Scotland; what the percentage increases will be; and when they will become effective.

I understand that the South of Scotland Electricity Board is discussing possible increases with representative bodies, but that the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board has no proposals for increases before it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the Halliday Committee set up to examine the report on conveyancing legislation was appointed in June, 1964; and since the Reid Committee regarded this as a matter of urgency, when he now expects to receive the Report.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for East Aberdeenshire (Mr. Wolrige-Gordon) on 26th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now considered the proposals of the Reid Committee, other than those which have been referred to the Halliday Committee for expert opinion; and if he intends to introduce legislation.

I hope to make a statement before the summer adjournment on the recommendations of the Reid Committee relating to registration of title.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new hospital buildings are now planned for the area served by the South Eastern Regional Hospital Board; what are the anticipated starting dates for construction; and what existing hospital buildings will become redundant as a result.

I would refer the hon. Member to the proposals set out in the Hospital Plan for Scotland (Cmnd. 1602) as amended by the revision published in 1964. The revised plan is at present under review and I shall be announcing the results in due course. Final decisions on the closure or future use of existing hospital buildings are not taken until fairly near the time when the new accommodation is due to come into use.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing separately the number of boys and girls in approved schools in Scotland during the last year for which such statistics are available, and the totals of boys and girls in such institutions in 1960 and 1939, showing the percentage of those who have subsequently been convicted of further misdemeanours.

The numbers of pupils in approved schools in Scotland at the dates shown were:—

			30th June,	31st March,	31st March,
			1939	1960	1965
Boys	…	…	1,251	1,187	1,321
Girls	…	…	307	225	261

Of the pupils released during the year ended 31st March, 1960, 57 per cent. of the boys and 18 per cent. of the girls were convicted of offences (some of them only of a minor or technical nature) in the three years following release. Records of the post-release conduct during the year ended 30th June, 1939 are not now available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the increasing traffic in sales of feu duties as between landowners, builders and speculators, and that such changes in ownership result in increased feu duties and unfair treatment as between owner-occupiers, even where the houses are exactly the same type and adjacent to one another; and if he will take steps to abolish the anachronism of feu duties.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the creation of feu duties in connection with new houses for owner occupation, and I would refer him to the replies which I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. McInnes) on 19th May and the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mr. Bence) on 26th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has recently decided to permit further imports of Charolais cattle into the United Kingdom, considering the risks of disease and possible adverse effects upon the Scottish export trade.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11th March by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Boston). My right hon. Friend and I are satisfied that the veterinary conditions and tests we shall require provide adequate animal health safeguards. We have no reason to believe that there will be any adverse effect upon our export trade.

asked the Lord President of the Council what action he is taking to ensure that all university charters at present being formulated should include a statute defining safeguards for students against arbitrary dismissal or discipline by the university authorities.

The formulation of draft university charters is the responsibility of the promoters and such charters do not come within my jurisdiction until a Petition has been formally submitted and referred by Her Majesty to a Committee of Council.Representations including the point mentioned by my hon. Friend have been submitted to my Office by the National Union of Students and others, in connection with the draft charter and statutes constituting the proposed University of Surrey, and will be considered in due course by the appropriate Committee of Council.

asked the Minister of Transport what provision he is making for feeder roads from Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Mossley to the Lancashire—Yorkshire motorway.

The local highway authorities concerned have plans for a new road linking Oldham with the motorway and an internal relief road in Oldham. These are expected to be in use by the time the motorway is opened and will benefit traffic between the motorway and the places mentioned.They also have plans for a Manchester outer ring road which will link up Droylsden and Ashton-under-Lyne with the motorway at Whitefield. But this is a longer-term project.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in the cause of road safety, he will institute a television film serial designed primarily to give safe-driving instruction to learners but of sufficient interest to command the attention of all motorist viewers of television.

It would be for the B.B.C. and the Independent Television Programme companies to decide on the institution of such a television serial. I would, of course, welcome any programme designed to increase the skill and care of drivers.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will issue a general direction to British Railways that, before proposing station closures, they should investigate the possibilities of converting stations scheduled for closure into unmanned halts.

No. The Railways Board already investigate possibilities of this kind before proposing the closure of stations to passengers.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the change in status of the Welsh College of Advanced Technology affects the rates payable by the college.

Yes. The College has been notified of the intention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government to make an Order which has the effect of depriving the College of its entitlement to 50 per cent. rating relief.