asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tenant farmers there are in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, respectively.

The latest available figures relate to 1960 when questions about tenure were included in the World Agricultural Census. The estimated numbers of rented holdings and holdings part owned and part rented at that date were as follows:—

		Rented	Part Rented and Part Owned
Cornwall	…	5,280	1,580
Devon	…	4,350	2,310
Somerset	…	3,300	3,030
Dorset	…	1,770	680

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the number of escalators which have been installed in airport terminal buildings in the United Kingdom in order that passengers may reach the aircraft, and the dates and places, respectively, of such installation.

The required information is as follows:

London (Heathrow) No. 1 Building—3 Installed in 1955; No. 2 Building—1 installed in 1955.

London (Gatwick)—1 installed in 1964.

Manchester—1 installed in 1962.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the number of lifts which have been installed in airport terminal buildings in the United Kingdom in order that passengers may reach the aircraft, and the dates and places, respectively, of such installation.

The requested information is as follows:

London (Heathrow), No. 3 Building—1 installed in 1961; 1 installed in 1962.

London (Gatwick)—1 installed in 1958; 1 installed in 1965.

The lifts at Gatwick are not for general passenger use but are for the invalid and infirm only.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will arrange for a further programme of research flying for the TSR2.

I have examined very carefully the possibilities of flying the TSR2 during the next few years in aid of our research programme, using the three aircraft with engines and spare parts which are now available. I have regretfully concluded, however, that the information we should be likely to derive from the flying would not justify the £2 million-£3 million which would be the minimum cost involved in maintaining and operating these complex aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of maintenance units in the United Kingdom with locations, size of staffs and area of land occupied in each case, together with the date when each was opened, and particulars of any proposed closures.

I understand that the maintenance units in which my hon. Friend is interested are the R.A.F.

			Number of staff		Area of land occupied	Date opened
			R.A.F.	Civilian
Carlisle	…	…	15	2,399	420 acres	April, 1939
Hartlebury	…	…	16	1,934	351 acres	Sept., 1938
Heywood	…	…	14	1,712	291 acres	May, 1939
Quedgeley	…	…	15	1,713	551 acres	April, 1939
Stafford	…	…	920	1,199	518 acres	Dec., 1939

As my hon. Friend knows, we have recently announced our intention to close Heywood.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in which neighbouring towns he anticipates being able to offer suitable jobs to the established civil servants on the staff of the maintenance unit at Heywood.

Alternative Government employment will be available for all the established civilians who are under 60, but I regret that I am unable to say at present where these posts will be. However, I am afraid that it is unlikely that

		Non Industrial Staff	Male Industrial Employees Skilled	Industrial Employees Non-Skilled	Non Industrial Staff	Female Industrial Employees Skilled	Industrial Employees Non-Skilled
21 and under	…	14	—	8	46	—	1
22–29	…	11	18	50	37	—	9
30–39	…	22	23	84	41	—	27
40–49	…	76	34	148	34	—	69
50–59	…	162	61	366	63	—	83
60 and over	…	15	27	253	2	—	4
TOTAL	…	300	163	909	223	Nil	193

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many acres of land are occupied by the maintenance unit at Heywood.

Two hundred and ninety-one acres.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the rundown of the maintenance unit at Heywood is not completed until all employees are offered suitable alternative employment and full compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an analysis by age, sex, category of work, and length of service, of all employees at the maintenance unit at Heywood.

The latest available figures which provided an analysis by age, sex and category were drawn up last year and they are given in the table below. An analysis by length of service is not immediately available but I will forward this information to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Terminal benefits will be paid to all employees at No. 35 MU Heywood who are eligible under the Superannuation Acts. All established employees under the age of 60 will be offered other Government employment. The proportion of staff who do not fall into either of these categories is small, and the Ministry of Defence is in close touch with the Ministry of Labour to ensure so far as is possible that opportunities for alternative employment are brought to the notice of all employees who will become redundant.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of students in the medical faculty in the universities of Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol who attended maintained secondary schools, grant-aided schools and Headmasters' Conference schools, respectively.

This information is not available centrally.

DATE OF OPENING OF MOST RECENT SCHOOL
Heywood	…	St. Margaret's Church of England Primary School (one form entry)	January, 1964
Royton	…	Our Lady's Roman Catholic Secondary School (three form entry)	September, 1961
Crompton	…	East Crompton Church of England Primary School (one form entry)	July, 1964
Milnrow	…	Rock Valley County Secondary School (six form entry)	January, 1965
Wardle	…	(No school built since before the war)
Littleborough	…	County Secondary School (three form entry)	September, 1963
Whitworth	…	County Secondary School (three form entry)	January, 1965
NEW SCHOOLS PROGRAMMED BUT NOT YET OPEN
Heywood	…	The Sutherland County Secondary School (four form entry)	1961–62 programme
		Heywood Grammar School (three form entry)	1965–66 programme
Royton	…	Luzley Brook County Secondary School (six form entry)	1963–64 programme
		Thornham: St. James Church of England Primary School (assembly hall and two classrooms)	minor project June, 1964
Crompton	…	St. Gabriel's Church of England Secondary School (Extensions)	1965–66 programme
		East Crompton: St. George's Church of England Primary School (one form entry)	1965–66 programme
		A County or Church of England Primary School (one form entry)	1965–66 programme

There are no current school building projects in the Urban Districts of Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough or Whitworth.

NUMBER OF PUPILS IN MAINTAINED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN JANUARY, 1965
Heywood	…	…	…	…	3,394
Royton	…	…	…	…	1,611
Crompton	…	…	…	…	1,313
Milnrow	…	…	…	…	773
Wardle	…	…	…	…	287
Littleborough	…	…	…	…	1,164
Whitworth	…	…	…	…	674

Estimates of the future maintained school population in each of the seven areas are being provided by the local education authority and I will send this

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the last school was built in Heywood; what plans exist for the building of new schools in Heywood; how many children are being educated in primary schools in Heywood; by what number it is anticipated that the child population in Heywood will grow over the next 20 years; and if he will supply the same information for Royton, Crompton, Milnrow, Wardle, Littleborough and Whitworth, respectively.

The information immediately available is as follows:information to my hon. Friend when it is received.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is aware that Mrs. Jean Owens, formerly employed as an untrained teacher at Chantry Infants' School, Luton, has left teaching because she can receive more from National Assistance than she can earn in teaching; how many similar cases have been officially reported to him; and what action he proposes to take to deal with this problem.

I am aware of this, though no other similar cases have been brought to my notice. Mrs. Owens was properly paid on the statutory scale for a full-time unqualified temporary teacher. It is for the Burnham Committee to revise these scales which may be increased following the current reconsideration of teachers' salaries.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many times inspectors at public inquiries over compulsory purchase orders, promoted by local authorities, have recommended that costs be granted to the objector, and on how many of these occasions the Minister has not granted costs, during each of the last five years.

This information is not readily available and I do not consider that the labour involved in obtaining it would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools in Manchester do not have an inside toilet, gymnasium and assembly hall; and how many were built before1914.

It would involve a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour to collect the information asked for.The following information about Manchester schools was obtained from the survey of school buildings carried out in 1962:

Number of schools:
with sanitation mainly out of doors	…	151
with no hall*	…	40
built before 1918	…	205
* Primary schools with less than 100 pupils are not required by the Department's Regulations to have a hall.
No information was obtained about gymnasia.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what propor- tion of schoolchildren in the City of Manchester are successful in obtaining grammar school places.

List 69, published by my Department, gives the relevant information. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. The figure for January, 1964, to be published later in the year, in 16·3 per cent., including pupils in direct grant grammar schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the loss of confidence of the National Union of Students in the review mechanism for student awards, what alteration he will make in the mechanism to ensure the confidence of all parties concerned.

I hope to meet a deputation of the National Union of Students shortly, when this matter can be discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why no provision is made in the current recommendations on student awards for an equipment and materials allowance for students of optics, architecture, art, domestic science and physical education, on a similar basis to those available to medical, dental and veterinary students.

The new rates of awards I announced on 24th May include for all award-holders an element of £35 a year for books, instruments, stationery and other materials, equivalent to a total provision for these items of £105 over a three-year course and £175 over a five-year course. The special provision for necessary expenditure on instruments by medical, dental and (from 1st September next) veterinary students is additional to these amounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the point at which the parental means test becomes operative in respect of student awards has not been adjusted in the current recommendations to allow for the increase in cost of living and the increase in national average wage since the last award in 1962; and what proportion of parents who were not contributing in 1962 at the time of the last assessment were contributing at the time of the reassessment by virtue of the increase in the national average income.

The improved rates of award which I announced on 24th May will increase total public expenditure on student support by £8½ million to about £100 million in 1966–67; and further large increases in public expenditure on awards cannot be justified at present.I regret that the information requested at the end of the question is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he sought the opinions of representatives of local education committees on his recommended increases in student awards; and why he refused requests by the National Union of Students to meet and discuss the matter previous to his announcements.

Awards to students are paid by local education authorities and proposals for increases are therefore the subject of consultations with representatives of the authorities. The request from the National Union of Students for a discussion was received too late to enable me to accede to it without delaying my announcement which was urgently necessary if the new rates of award were to be effective next September. I hope to meet a delegation from the union shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he did not accept the recommendations of the Standing Advisory Committee on Student Awards.

The understanding with the Committee is that their advice is tendered in confidence, and it would not accord with practice to give reasons for accepting or rejecting it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the composition of the departmental committee which considers vacation awards to students; why the topic was considered to be outside the realm of the Standing Advisory Committee on Student Awards, and why the National Union of Students was not given an opportunity of submitting written and oral evidence to that departmental committee; and whether he advised the National Union of Students of the existence of that committee.

There appears to be a misunderstanding here. Vacation awards were within the terms of reference of the Standing Advisory Committee and increases in the rates of these awards of 22½, per cent. for students in college or lodgings and of 75 per cent. for those at home were included in my announcement of 24th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what finance he plans to make available for research into educational methods and techniques in the current financial year and next year.

Provision has been made for the expenditure of £264,000 in 1965–66 on educational research, most of which is related to educational methods and techniques. I cannot anticipate the provision to be made in next year's Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent it is his policy that students should undertake long periods of paid employment during the college vacations.

It is for universities and colleges to consider what advice to give to students about the best way of using vacations. The Hale Report on University Teaching Methods published in August 1964 contains a full and valuable appraisal of the issues concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the basic recommendations of the report on student housing issued by the National Union of Students, a copy of which has been sent to him; and what action he intends to take to implement them.

This report has been noted by my Department and the University Grants Committee as a useful contribution to the problems involved in providing student residence.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what statistics he has which compare the examination performance of married students with unmarried students in the same age group.

None.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what qualifications are required for admission to courses for the training of technicians for a cervical cancer test service;(2) how many technicians are now needed to establish a national cervical cancer test service; and how many applications he has received for training for this service;(3) what measures have been taken to publicise the availability of training courses for technicians to be employed in the detection of cervical cancer.

Those nominated to attend the courses at the special centres, who will play their part in training others on return to their regions, are normally state registered medical laboratory technicians. Local training courses organised by Boards may also be attended by hospital laboratory staff in training for registration. On the latest calculations the equivalent of some 350 whole-time technicians would be required to screen all women aged 35 and over. 130 technicians have been trained or are currently attending courses at the special centres and a further 60 are already booked for courses this year. In addition nearly 200 have attended or are at present attending local training courses. Since cytology is a part of hospital pathology, many of the trained staff necessarily work part-time on other duties: the training programme will therefore be continued vigorously. The establishment of the special training centres was publicised in a departmental memorandum last September and since then by Hospital Boards and Management Committees in filling their places at the special centres and on locally organised courses.

asked the Minister of Health how many chemists are open all night in Birkenhead for National Health Service purposes.

None; other arrangements exist in the National Health Service for the provision of urgently needed medicines.

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to deal with the shortage of dentists servicing the areas covered by the Heywood and Royton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

I have no power to require dentists to practise in particular areas. The solution generally to the shortage of dentists lies in the expansion of dental schools which is progressing steadily. The number of students beginning their professional studies last year was the highest on record.

asked the Minister of Health when his Department will produce its memorandum on the care of the elderly; and whether it will be made available to hon. Members.

I hope to issue this memorandum shortly; I will arrange for copies when published to be available in the Library.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total membership of the 15 regional hospital boards in England and Wales, and how many of them were chosen from among nominations made by the Trades Union Congress.

Of the 400 regional board members 20 were recommended by the Trades Union Congress last November. Some of the other members had been recommended by the Trades Union Congress at the time of their first appointment.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total membership of the 378 hospital management committees in England and Wales, and how many of them were chosen from among nominations made by the trade unions.

On 30th June, 1964, of the 6,280 members of the 354 hospital management committees then in existence 295 had been recommended by trades unions or by local federations of trades councils.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total membership of the 36 boards of governors of the teaching, hospitals in England and Wales, and

Region	Hospital	Scheme
Leeds	St. James' Hospital	New accident, orthopaedic and out-patient department
	Royal Bath Hospital, Harrogate	Development
Sheffield	Doncaster Royal Infirmary	Upgrading of out-patient department
	City General Hospital, Sheffield	Operating theatres and central sterile supply department
	County Hospital, Lincoln	Maternity unit
	Nottingham City Hospital	Remodelling of ward units—phase II
East Anglian	County Hospital, Doddington	Out-patient, accident and X-ray department
	Fulbourn Hospital	Alterations to central block
South-East Metropolitan	Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton	Rebuilding—phase I
South-West Metropolitan	Tolworth Hospital	Geriatric unit
Oxford	Kettering General Hospital	Laundry
	Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading	Laundry
	Northampton General Hospital	Isolation ward
South Western		Regional Radiotherapy Centre, Bristol
	Exeter City Hospital	Redevelopment
	Torbay Hospital, Torquay	Ward unit
Manchester	Blackpool Victoria Hospital	Development—phase II
	Withington Hospital	(i) Plastic surgery and burns unit
		(ii) Laundry
	Christie Hospital, Withington	Development—phase I

Of the 934 members of Boards of Governors 38 were recommended by the Trades Union Congress last November. Some other members had been recommended by the Trades Union Congress at the time of their first appointment.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will list the hospital building projects costing more than £100,000 which the hospital boards, in October, 1964, had not planned to start in 1965–66 but which have now been advanced in the programme for starting during the year 1965–66.

There are no such projects.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will list the 20 hospital building projects costing more than £100,000 which the hospital boards expected in October, 1964, to start in 1965–66 and which have now been postponed.

The list is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a decision on the retention of the surface air raid shelter bordering Thetford and Turnberry Roads in Great Barr as a sector post; and if he will make urgent provision for fencing and general good order to prevent nuisance in the neighbourhood.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member as soon as they are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation making it a criminal offence to offer a witness a sum of money or other inducement, beyond reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, so as to persuade him to give evidence in a court of law.

I have no sufficient reason to think that such legislation is needed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications for licences to abstract water from all sources of supply have been received by the appropriate authorities to date; and how many he expects to receive by 1st July.

River authorities in England and Wales had received by 1st June rather more than 3,200 applications for licences to abstract water. No worthwhile estimate is possible of the number that will have been received by 1st July.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many times inspectors at public inquiries over compulsory purchase orders, pro- moted by local authorities, have recommended that costs be granted to the objector, and on how many of these occasions the Minister has not granted costs, during each of the last five years.

It has not been usual for inspectors of the Department to make a specific recommendation about the award of costs. The second part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government on what date the county borough of Gateshead suspended its home loan scheme; and on what date the scheme recommenced and became fully operational.

The Gateshead County Borough Council suspended its home loan scheme during the month of December, 1964. During 1965 the scheme has been in full effect.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the average floor area per house of one-, two-, and three-bedroomed houses, respectively, built by local authorities during the years from 1957 to 1964.

The average floor area of houses in tenders approved in England and Wales in each year was:

Square feet
		Average floor area including outbuildings other than garages
Year		One bedroom houses	Two bedroom houses	Three bedroom houses
1957	…	491	745	908
1958	…	487	740	903
1959	…	485	735	897
1960	…	483	741	897
1961	…	485	734	898
1962	…	479	733	907
1963	…	486	741	917
1964	…	483	743	920

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses in Manchester are without baths, inside toilets and hot water; and how these figures compare with the national figures.

The latest complete information is derived from the 1961 Census Returns. These show that 54,577 houses (26·92 per cent.) were without fixed baths and 39,915 houses (19·69 per cent.) were without a hot water tap. These figures compare with national average figures of 22 per cent. and 21·9 per cent. respectively. Since 1961 some 10,685 unfit houses have been demolished or closed, most of which will have lacked baths and hot water taps, and it is estimated that baths have been installed in 206 houses and hot water systems in 203 houses with the aid of standard improvement grants. It is not known how many baths and hot water taps have been installed without grant.The Census Returns do not show how many houses are without inside water closets and the figures are not otherwise obtainable.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of school leavers unemployed at the latest convenient date in each region of the United Kingdom.

The following table gives the number of school leavers who were still registered for first employment on 10th May, 1965, in each region of the United Kingdom:

Region	Boys	Girls	Total
London and South Eastern	257	159	416
Eastern and Southern	138	120	258
South Western	70	59	129
Midlands	216	180	396
Yorkshire and Humberside	244	169	413
Northwestern	335	149	484
Northern	461	126	587
Scotland	312	149	461
Wales	278	182	460
Great Britain	2,311	1,293	3,604
Northern Ireland	135	36	171
United Kingdom	2,446	1,329	3,775

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of vacancies for jobs, analysed into categories and sex, at the most recent date for which the information is available, within a reasonable travelling distance of the Royal Air Force maintenance unit at Heywood.

On 5th May the following vacancies were notified to employment exchanges covering areas within reasonable travelling distance of Heywood:

1. VACANCIES FOR MEN AND BOYS
Industrial Group			Vacancies
			Men	Boys
Engineering	…	…	255	81
Vehicles	…	…	71	8
Textiles	…	…	189	278
Paper, Printing, etc.	…	…	29	57
Construction	…	…	79	66
Transport	…	…	120	10
Distribution	…	…	53	176
Other Industries	…	…	265	286
TOTAL	…	…	1,061*	962
* These figures included 343 skilled jobs in certain engineering and allied trades.

2. VACANCIES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS
Industrial Group			Vacancies
			Women	Girls
Engineering	…	…	37	80
Textiles	…	…	701	449
Clothing	…	…	111	122
Distribution	…	…	168	159
Medical Services	…	…	149	15
Catering	…	…	39	2
Other Industries	…	…	225	321
TOTAL	…	…	1,430	1,148

asked the Minister of Labour on how many occasions during the past five years he has been called upon to intervene in disputes between employers and employees and has done so despite the fact that one of the parties has not abandoned its original demands.

This information is not available. My Department has conciliated in about 1,750 disputes during the years 1960 to 1964. When such conciliation action starts it is frequently the case that one of the parties to the dispute has not abandoned its original demands.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what guidance he will give to river authorities about hydrometric schemes.

The Water Resources Board issued a memorandum to river authorities on 19th May, 1965, drawing their attention to the provisions in the Water Resources Act, 1963, relating to hydrometric schemes; outlining what factors need to be considered in preparing such schemes; And giving guidance on the form in which those schemes should be submitted for the Board's approval.River authority engineers have been invited to meet the Board's director on 30th June to facilitate comments, and to give an opportunity for a fuller exchange of technical and engineering views, on the Board's memorandum.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the representations she received in the case of the Liverpool alderman, details of which were sent to her by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton, without disclosing the name of the individual concerned.

No. Even without mentioning the name of the individual concerned sufficient detail would remain to enable him to be identified and it would not be right for me to publish personal information about claimants in this way.The general point at issue was whether a member of a local authority could receive unemployment benefit for days when he attended council meetings. The original decision was that the claimant was not entitled to benefit for those days, but in the light of further evidence about the claimant's availability for work the insurance officer reviewed his decision and the claim was allowed.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are outstanding in Birkenhead; and what is the average delay in meeting applications.

Six, all of which will be met within two months when additional cables have been provided. There are also one hundred and twenty-six orders in course of completion; in these cases, the average time to give service is about three weeks, except when completion is held up to meet the convenience of the applicants.

asked the Minister of Power what amount of coal was produced by open-cast mining in Great Britain in 1946 and 1956 to 1964, inclusive; and what amounts are expected to be mined in 1965 and 1966, respectively.

Figures for 1946 and 1956 to 1963 are given in the Ministry of Power Statistical Digest, 1963 edition, table 37. Output in 1964 amounted to 6,809,500 tons; the National Coal Board expects a production in 1965 of about 7 million tons (including licensed sites). No figure is available for 1966.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is aware that there is now a 15 months' delay in the supply of plasterboard for building in Perthshire; and if he will make a statement on the progress being achieved, in so far as it will affect the situation in Perthshire.

The position in Perth does not differ substantially from that in other parts of the country. Increases in production capacity, which are already in hand, should lead to a progressive improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the Hunter Committee's remit covered an examination of the development in salmon fishing off Greenland; and whether he will make a statement.

The Committee's remit, to review the law relating to salmon and trout fisheries in Scotland and the Tweed, and to consider the extent to which fishing for salmon and trout there should be regulated, covered consideration of the development of the Greenland salmon fishery in so far as that development might affect Scottish salmon stocks and fisheries. I propose to present the Committee's final report to Parliament and to publish it next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the threat to the British salmon fishing industry arising from the rapidly developing fishing off the coast of Greenland; and what action he will take.

I am aware of the recent development of a salmon fishery off the coast of Greenland, but the evidence so far available does not enable us to assess the possible effects on the British salmon fishing industry. Investigations have accordingly been arranged to start this autumn, in co-operation with Danish and Greenland scientists, to secure further information to enable such an assessment to be made. It is necessary to have this fuller information before we can decide what further action, if any, is appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is intended to bring into force Section 2(2)(a) of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958; and if he will make a statement.

I do not think my right hon. Friend should bring Section 2(2)(a) into force until a fund has been set up under Section 2(6) to compensate harbour or conservancy authorities. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport that it has not been possible to find a basis for the fund acceptable to all interested parties.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now publish a report of the Minister of State's visit to Japan, particularly with reference to shipbuilding.

A report is being printed as a Board of Trade publication and copies will be available in about two months' time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the following information in the OFFICIAL REPORT covering Scotland during the period since 31st October, 1964, relating to development districts, namely, the number of firms that have given a definite undertaking to establish new factories, the total area involved in square feet, the number of males and females for whom employment is likely to be provided, the number of males and females likely to be employed at a later date following expansion plans, the num-

				Estimated additional employment
				Males		Females
		Number of Schemes	Area Square feet millions		thousands
Development districts	…	123	5·2	6·4		4·7
Rest of Scotland	…	29	0·7	0·9		0·6

The longer term employment prospects of these proposed developments are not known.Of the advance factories authorised for Scotland under programmes announced before the 31st October, 1964, three were allocated after that date. All those completed are occupied. Seven now under construction and one due to be started have not yet been allocated. None of the additional nine advance factories authorised for Scotland in November, 1964, has reached the construction stage. All these advance factories are in development districts.

asked the Minister of Transport whether it is proposed to extend the experimental double white line markings introduced on the three-lane section of the Great North Road, A.1, in Lincolnshire to other three-lane roads; and what investigations have been arranged to ascertain whether this will be a more effective road safety measure than the introduction of a 50 miles per hour speed limit on three-lane roads.

The experiment with the use of off-set double white line markings on straight three-lane roads already covers a number of roads, including sites on the A.1 besides the one in Lincoln-

Information in the exact form requested is not available. The figures below relate to new factory building—including extensions to existing premises—in Scotland for which industrial development certificates were issued from 1st November, 1964, to 31st May, 1965:shire. It is not proposed to extend the use of this system further until we have assessed the results of the trials; this cannot be done before the end of this year if we are to allow a reasonable time for observation.No special investigations have been arranged to ascertain whether the use of offset double lines on three-lane roads would he more effective than a 50 m.p.h. speed limit. When we have had experience with permanent 50 m.p.h. limits on three-lane roads we shall be in a better position to study the effects of the two measures—which are not mutually exclusive.

asked the Minister of Transport on what mileage of three-lane road it is proposed to apply a permanent 50 miles per hour speed limit.

About 155 miles.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will start the experiment to provide an increased number of pedestrian crossings in two towns and compare the effects on road accidents with two towns of similar size.

I hope to begin the experiment in one town next month; we are not yet ready with our plans for a second town, but we are proceeding as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied that the proposed acceleration and deceleration lanes on the A.2 between Marling Cross and the Laughing Water Restaurant will not create safety hazards in view of the proposed provision of a further petrol filling station; and if he will make a statement.

Permission has not yet been granted for a new petrol filling station on this length of road. In considering any application for such development referred to me by the local planning authority, I will have regard to the best means of minimising any conflict between the deceleration and acceleration lanes at this point.

asked the Minister of Transport how many times inspectors at public inquiries over compulsory purchase orders, promoted by local authorities, have recommended that costs be granted to the objector, and on how many of these occasions the Minister has not granted costs, during each of the last five years.

No such recommendation has been made.

asked the Minister of Transport when roadworks will start for the provison of a dual-carriageway for the section between Caterhatch Lane and Bullsmoor Lane on the trunk road A.10.

Work on diverting mains and cables in advance of the main contract commenced in March, 1965. Tenders for the roadworks are being examined, and I hope that work will he started in August or September.

asked the Minister of Transport how many hours of operational service were obtained from the 11 diesel rail-buses which are at present stored out of use.

The Railways Board tells me that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport when the 11 diesel rail-buses, which are at present stored out of use, were purchased; and what their total capital value was when new.

The Railways Board's fleet of diesel rail-buses was purchased in 1958 and 1959. The original capital cost of the 11 now in store was about £163,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the present safety regulations with regard to the conditions of tyres on motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

On 14th April I told my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) that I had circulated to interested organisations proposals to amend the Regulations in order to control the use of re-cut tyres.I am also considering how the present regulations can be strengthened to control more effectively the use of badly worn tyres.

asked the Minister of Transport what he estimates has been the net cost to the public of printing and publishing the Parking Places Orders up to, and including, Statutory Instrument No. 726/1965.

Since the introduction of the first parking meter zone in 1958: £2,400.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now introduce legislation to provide that the present discretionary relief in the cost of local transport to national retirement pensioners shall be extended to cover all such persons as a right, in view of the hardship caused in many areas by recent increases in bus fares from outlying areas to town centres.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the expenses of the premium bond scheme; and what proportion of the value of premium bonds issued the expenses represent.

The expenses of management for the Premium Bond scheme for the year ended 31st March, 1965, were £2,962,000. Expressed as a proportion of the mean months balance of Bonds issued this was 12s. 8d. per £100. These figures are provisional.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the terms of the original agreement made between Her Majesty's Government and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, now British Petroleum Company Limited; what changes have since been made in the terms of such agreement; and whether the changes were made by formal agreement or by an exchange of letters.

The terms of the original agreement dated 20th May, 1914, were published in Cmnd. 7419 of that year. No changes have since been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the names of the Government-appointed directors of British Petroleum Company Limited; how long they have served as directors; and what remuneration they receive.

The present Government-appointed directors are Mr. F. E. Harmer, C.M.G., and Lord Robbins, C.B. They have served as directors since 8th May, 1953 and 1st January, 1961, respectively. They are remunerated by fees from the company on the same basis as other directors.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions since the conclusion of the Agreement with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, now British Petroleum Company Limited, Her Majesty's Government have interfered in the affairs of the company for strategic or other reasons.

While Her Majesty's Government have at all times had very close contacts with the company, they have never interfered formally in its affairs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government-appointed directors on the Board of the British Petroleum Company Limited are entitled to participate fully in the commercial management and control of the company.

Yes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total payments made by his Department in respect of the services of the experts drawn from each of the national museums and galleries for the examination of objects on which exemption from estate duty is claimed, for each of the years 1963 and 1964.

For the financial year ended 31st March, 1964, £7,028; and for the year ended 31st March, 1965, £4,590.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of personal savings for the first quarter of 1965, expressed as a percentage of personal disposable income; and how this figure compares with that for the corresponding period of 1964.

Figures for personal savings in the first quarter of 1965 are not yet available. They will be published in the July issue of "Economic Trends", a copy of which will be in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how long the recent loan of 52,400 million from the International Monetary Fund will run; what rate of interest has to be paid; what other conditions are attached to the loan; how much has been used already in support of sterling; and if he will make a statement.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is 3–5 years; the rates of interest payable are variable; we have undertaken to hold consultations with the fund from time to time. I have nothing further to add to the last published statement on the reserve figures.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in terms of real

			Pre-Budget	Budget	Increase	Percentage Increase
			£	£	£
Up to 12 cwt.	…	…	12·0	18·0	6·0	50
12 cwt.—16 cwt	…	…	12·15	19·5	6·10	51
16 cwt.—17 cwt.	…	…	12·15	20·5	7·10	59*
17 cwt.—20 cwt	…	…	13·10	20·5	6·15	50
20 cwt.—22 cwt	…	…	13·10	21·10	8·0	59*
22 cwt.—25 cwt.	…	…	14·5	21·10	7·5	51
25 cwt.—30 cwt	…	…	14·15	22·5	7·10	51
30 cwt.—35 cwt.	…	…	15·5	23·0	7·15	51
* I explained why these percentages are higher than the rest during the Committee debate on 20th May (OFFICIAL REPORT, Col. 1682).

The figure published in May related to the Index of Retail Prices as at 13th April. The corresponding figure for May will not be available until mid-June. The figures for the value of the present retirement pension given in reply to the hon. Member's question on 28th May last are therefore still the latest available. They can be compared with the previous rates of pension of £3 7s. 6d. for single persons and £5 9s. 0d. for married couples.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the rate of duty on licences for farmers goods vehicles before 6th April, 1965; what is the present rate of duty; and what is the percentage increase in each category of weight, for vehicles up to 12 cwt., between 12 cwt. and 16 cwt., between 16 and 17 cwt., between 17 and 20 cwt., between 20 and 22 cwt., between 22 and 25 cwt., between 25 and 30 cwt., and between 30 and 35 cwt., respectively.

The following is the Answer; the percentages have been rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has received on the number of companies which stand to benefit, on their present pattern of profit distribution, from the introduction of corporation tax at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 per cent., and on the total amounts involved, at each level, for all companies so affected.

The accounts which the Inland Revenue receive for tax purposes are not analysed in such a way as to provide this information.