asked the Secretary of State for Defence why civil servants employed by his Department who retire voluntarily after the age of 50 years have their benefits frozen until they reach the age of 60 years.

Because that is what Section 34, Clause 2, of the Superannuation Act, 1949, provides.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what capital expenditure on land and buildings in Aden is provided for in the Defence Estimates for the current year.

About £5½ million in the Defence budget, but only £71,000 of this is in the Estimates for my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what quarters he is proposing to build to accommodate Army personnel to be stationed at North Weald when the airfield is transferred to the use of the Army.

No single accommodation is planned but it is expected that between 300 and 400 married quarters will be needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he is giving to the need for a communications satellite for defence purposes.

As the Prime Minister informed the House in February no long-term policy has yet been formulated in respect of communications satellites for defence purposes though studies are being carried out. Negotiations are in progress at the invitation of the United States Secretary of Defence, and have reached an advanced stage for participation by United Kingdom ground terminals in trials of an experimental satellite system for defence communications which the Americans intend to establish early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the composition of the technical mission which is to visit the United States to explore wider reciprocity on defence procurement.

The purposes of the mission are to learn about United States procurement procedures in general and to consider what more can be done to stimulate the formulation and study of proposals for sales.The mission is being led by the Assistant Under-Secretary of State who has been in charge of these discussions throughout. He will be supported by experts from the Navy Department, the Army Department and the Ministry of Aviation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why Her Majesty's Government have fixed United Kingdom arms expenditure at £2,000 million at current prices by 1970.

The Defence Review target for 1969–70 is £2,000 million at 1964–65 price levels. This should enable us to get the right balance between our defence needs and what the nation can afford.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations have been made to the Minister of Defence for the Army requesting that a housing loan scheme be introduced on lines similar to that recently announced for the Royal Navy;(2) what representations have been made to the Minister of Defence for the Royal Air Force requesting that a housing loan scheme be introduced on lines similar to that recently announced by the Royal Navy.

No representations have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, as a potential customer, he is satisfied with the progress on the F111 project; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. We are in close touch with the Department of Defense on the progress of the F111 programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities there are in Britain for obtaining basic weather data for altitudes at which the Concord will operate.

Information about the general wind and temperature structure at these altitudes is obtained by the use of radiosonde balloons launched from the ground and from ocean weather ships. There is co-operation between the United Kingdom, the United States and France in the acquisition by aircraft of information about turbulence and other meteorological hazards.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is now taking to ensure that Service men who have given long and loyal service to the Crown are adequately housed on retirement.

We encourage Service men to save during their service by a special scheme arranged with the building societies. When they retire they get terminal grants which can also help them buy a house. For the Navy, which has special problems of separation, I shall shortly announce details of a special scheme to help men re-engaging for further service to buy their own homes. Finally, to help Service men who would rather rent than buy, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government will soon be giving advice to local authorities about waiving residential qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the future of the military battle camp at Okehampton.

We have a continuing requirement for this camp at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what limitations are being experienced in the operation of existing aircraft carriers; what effect such limitations are having on the operational efficiency of naval air squadrons due to ageing propulsion machinery, catapults and other material; and if he will make a statement.

There are no serious limitations on the operation of the aircraft for which our carriers are fitted. We cannot get the most out of the latest aircraft in the oldest carriers in tropical conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the delay in the implementation of the British carrier replacement programme and of the unlikelihood of sufficient carriers being operational at the time when "Ark Royal" and "Victorious" finally go out of service, he will consider the technical feasibility of acquiring a carrier of the "Essex" class on loan and purchase from the United States of America.

Our carrier replacement programme is not being delayed: preparatory work is going on and we will be able to order CVAO1 on time if the defence review confirms that she should be built. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he will make to enable hon. and right hon. Members to be present at and to witness the visit to the Fleet by Her Majesty on 10th and 11th August.

The visit has been planned as a domestic occasion on which Her Majesty and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh can meet as many members of ships' companies as possible. We have not invited hon. and right hon. Members or other distinguished persons outside the Service. As the hon. Member knows however the Navy offers Members many opportunities to visit H.M. Steps and greatly welcomes such visits.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the next review of the pay and pensions of the fighting Services is due to be completed; and when its recommendations are likely to be implemented.

The pay and pensions of serving members of the Armed Forces are reviewed biennially. The results of the next review will be announced early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has yet received the study of centralised responsibility for motor transport in the three Services, which was mentioned in the statement on Defence Estimates 1965; and what conclusions he has reached.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans for granting additional facilities in British overseas bases to the United States of America.

When the United States ask for facilities in our overseas bases we naturally help them to the best of our ability. I have received no request for additional facilities on any large scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is aware of congestion along the route from Sutton Bridge to King's Lynn; and what action he intends to take to minimise the effects of consequent delays to Army and Royal Air Force transport.

I am aware that there is congestion on this route and that the attention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport has been drawn to it, but I know of no serious inconvenience to Service transport which has resulted.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the net direct annual costs and cost of overheads, respectively, of the following defence commands or sub-commands, namely, British Army of the Rhine, Aden, Malaysia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Cyprus, and other areas.

Here are rounded, budgetary figures for the direct annual costs for which the hon. Member asks:

			£ million
Germany	…	…	180
Middle East	…	…	60 (including £35 million in Aden)
Mediterranean	…	…	60 (including £25 million in Cyprus)
Far East	…	…	270 (including £15 million in Hong Kong

As the hon. Member is doubtless aware, these figures are inevitably an oversimplification; for example, the Fleet East of Suez is available for tasks in the whole area. We do not allocate overhead expenditure to geographical areas because we consider this would be misleading.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he is giving to the position of retired Polish regular officers and non-commissioned officers, now resident in Great Britain, in the general review of Service retired pay in which he is now engaged.

This question has been thoroughly and sympathetically reviewed by successive Governments since the war. I have no new proposals in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers and men of Her Majesty's Forces are now serving in Cyprus with the United Nations Forces; if he will give comparative figures for the three services; and what information he has from United Nations sources as to the number of United States Service men in these Forces.

About 1,000: 30 are from the Royal Air Force and the rest from the Army. There are no United States Service men in the United Nations Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has yet reached a decision regarding the feasibility of repairing moulded footwear for the Services.

No, but on the basis of our experience to date repair would be uneconomic.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the steps being taken to safeguard the defence interests involved as a result of the construction of platforms for oil-drilling around the coasts of Great Britain.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave this afternoon to his similar Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present state of the hull and engines of H.M.S. "Leviathan"; and what would be the cost of completing this vessel for service with the Fleet as a commando ship.

"Leviathan" has been laid up half-built since 1946, and has been on the scrap list since 1961. I could not say without a proper survey what it would cost to complete her as a commando ship but clearly it would be a great deal.

asked the Attorney-General whether the police inquiries with regard to the escape of four prisoners from Her Majesty's Prison, Wandsworth, are now complete; and whether he will now instruct the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate proceedings against those prisoners who assisted in the escape.

Police inquiries are still continuing. However, one man—not a prisoner—has been charged with conspiracy to aid the escape of the four prisoners. Three prisoners have been charged with assisting their escape.

asked the Minister without Portfolio if he will take steps to lighten the burden to the taxpayer of legally-aided divorce cases.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has considered various proposals for saving costs in legally-aided divorces. It is evident that the best way of making a substantial reduction in the costs of undefended divorce cases, whether legally-aided or not, is by conferring jurisdiction on the County Courts. My noble Friend, the Lord Chancellor, is actively considering measures to this end.

asked the Minister without Portfolio to what extent Commissioners of the Law Commission carry out similar functions; and why their rates of pay differ.

There is no dissimilarity in the functions carried out by each of the Law Commissioners. The Commission will be corporately responsible for its recommendations. Differences in salary reflect the aim of drawing Commisioners from a wide range of persons in the legal profession.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent, under his regulations, used cars imported into this country are subject to the five-year test, for roadworthiness, if they have already been in use on the roads abroad for five years or more.

Used cars not previously registered in this country become subject to compulsory annual test five years after being imported and registered in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take to implement the Report of the Geddes Committee.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Popplewell) on 22nd June.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of Her Majesty's Government's decision to subsidise London Transport to the extent of £3·85 million in the current financial year, he will take steps to provide similar subsidies for Scottish public transport with a view to improving the country's regional development.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport when he intends to make a statement to Parliament about the series of Reports which he has received from Lord Hinton with regard to the co-ordination of transport; and whether he will make a statement at the earliest opportunity so that the views of Lord Hinton can be compared with those of Lord Geddes and his Committee.

Since Lord Hinton has not yet completed his assignment I cannot yet say when I shall be ready to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Waterways Board to initiate a survey to establish which canals and inland waterways in England and Wales could be closed with advantage to the economy, to health, and to public safety.

No. The British Waterways Board is currently engaged in, and hopes to complete shortly, a review of the whole of its waterways system which will cover the particular aspects mentioned by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the London Transport Board to observe the Code of Advertising Practice laid down by the Advertising Association.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will extend the undertaking he has given in respect of public transport fares in the London Transport area to public transport services in the country pending the application of a balanced transport policy.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the desirability of ensuring that, as far as possible in the future, the fenders or bumpers of motor cars licensed in the United Kingdom should be of uniform width; and if he will introduce regulations to achieve this result in a reasonable number of years.

Because of the many different sizes of vehicles produced in this country it would be impracticable to make regulations fixing a standard width for all bumpers.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the number of motor vehicles in Great Britain in 1950, 1955, 1960, and at the most recent available date this year; and what he estimates the numbers will be in 1970 and 1980.

The numbers of motor vehicles with licences current in the July-September quarter of each year were:

1950	…	…	…	4·4 million
1955	…	…	…	6·4 million
1960	…	…	…	9·4 million
1964	…	…	…	12·3 million

The Road Research Laboratory has recently revised its forecasts of future numbers. The revised figures are:

1970	…	…	…	18 million
1980	…	…	…	27 million

asked the Minister of Transport what information he has from the Traffic Commissioners regarding the average fare charged per mile for journeys in municipal buses in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen and in the London area, respectively.

I am informed by the Traffic Commissioners that the average fares per mile on municipal bus services in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen are 2·90, 2·54, 2·61 and 3·08d. respectively. The London Transport Board's estimate of the average charge per passenger mile on its central buses, on a slightly different basis of calculation, is 3·36d.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what is his estimate of the number of accidents that have been caused on all roads as a result of the failure of motorists to dip their headlights when approaching oncoming traffic in each of the last five years to the nearest convenient date;(2) what is his estimate of the number of accidents that have been caused on motorways as a result of the failure of motorists to dip their headlights when approaching oncoming traffic in each of the last five years to the nearest convenient date.

This information is not available. Many accidents result from a number of factors and it is often impossible to identify a primary cause. The considerate use of lights is an important part of good driving, and this is stressed in the Highway Code and in road safety propaganda.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will seek to introduce a probationary period for newly-qualified drivers and specify a minimum period as full driving licence holders after they have passed the driving test before allowing them to accompany learner drivers.

No. I have no evidence that the suggested restrictions on newly qualified drivers would contribute to road safety.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to see that all cars used by driving schools for driving tuition are fitted with dual controls.

I can see no justification on road safety grounds for imposing this requirement.

asked the Minister of Transport how many people were waiting for driving tests in Swansea on 30th June, 1965; and if he will state the present average delay between applications for driving tests in Swansea and the time of testing.

About 2,470. The present average delay in Swansea is 16 weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now seek to provide that passenger-carrying vehicles will be covered by insurance in respect of personal injury liability through negligence on the part of the driver of such vehicles.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. and learned Member for Bebington (Mr. Howe) on 24th February. The complexities of this proposal are considerable and it is one of the subjects which is to be studied by the National Road Safety Advisory Council. Its findings will be referred to me as soon as possible but I do not expect to receive them for some months yet.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement about the experiment on checking parking outside schools and on the lessons he has drawn therefrom.

This experiment outside 10 selected schools in London began on 12th April. The Greater London Council, which is now the traffic authority for London, will be reviewing the experiment after a fair period of trial. But, as the results will be of interest outside London also, I have asked the Council to send me a report when the review is completed.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to restrict the use of, and so reduce the damage to, unclassified and minor roads by heavy vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will seek powers to enable him to close B class roads to heavy vehicles when it is in the interest of safety to do so, having regard to the accident rate on some B roads.

Local authorities already have powers to prohibit or restrict the use of roads, other than trunk roads, by heavy vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the death of children in collisions on the Winnick Road in Warrington between the Longford roundabout and Winnick Hospital, he will impose a speed limit for vehicles using the road.

I very much regret these accidents and I have asked for a report from my divisional road engineer. I will write to my hon. Friend when I have studied it.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider the feasibility of constructing a Bailey bridge or similar temporary structure across the River Ouse at King's Lynn, so as to provide interim relief to the heavy traffic congestion on the Sutton Bridge-King's Lynn road in the period before permanent improvements can be effected.

The construction of a temporary bridge would not be an economic proposition having regard to the cost and likely benefits.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the extent to which conditions and rules in the use of car parking meters vary in Cities like Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol, if he will take steps to bring about uniformity.

Valuable though uniformity might be, I am convinced that, if meter schemes are to be effective, the charges and conditions must be tailored to local circumstances.

asked the Minister of Transport, as the A.30 London to Basingstoke and A.33 Basingstoke to Southampton have now been designated as European road E.1, and, in view of the facts that these roads are narrow and congested, and run through towns, when they are to be replaced by motorways of European standard.

A.30 and A.33 have formed part of the International Route since 1950. A.30 will be replaced by the London-Basingstoke Motorway, which it is proposed to complete by the early 1970's. A.33 is to be progressively improved by sections of new road or by bringing the existing road up to dual-carriageway standard; the first of several schemes will start shortly.

asked the Minister of Transport what study he has made of the representations made to his Department by the hon. Member for Bootle, the Chief Constable of Bootle and others, relating to the dangers to children in the Dunnings Bridge Road area at Bootle; and if he will introduce a 40 miles per hour speed limit on this road, in view of the fact that this area has a high density child population.

The Bootle County Borough Council's application for consent to a 40 m.p.h. speed limit was carefully considered when it was submitted in 1961. The matter was reviewed in the light of views expressed last summer by my hon. Friend, the Council, the Chief Constable and others, but on the evidence the decision reached was that conditions on this road did not justify a speed limit. If my hon. Friend has any information to supplement that which was received by the Ministry a year ago I shall, of course, be glad to consider it.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the repairs and maintenance carried out on the M.1 since it was first opened, giving the dates and cost of each major repair project and the total cost of maintenance and repair year by year;(2) if he will give his estimate of the cost of repairs and maintenance to the M.1 for each of the next five years.

Maintenance of motorways includes snow clearing, salting, cleaning, grass cutting, hedge trimming and minor repairs. It is not readily possible to give separate costs for each individual item of work.Further, major repair works are in practice normally undertaken simultaneously with improvement works as part of the same contract; it is, therefore, difficult to arrive at an exact figure for repairs only. The repair element included in contracts carried out on M.1 since it was first opened is approximately as follows:

Year of Commencement	County	Approximate cost of each major repair included in contract
		£
1962	Bedfordshire	180,000
1963	Bedfordshire	205,000
1964	Northamptonshire	80,000
	Northamptonshire	115,000
	Buckinghamshire	50,000
	Hertfordshire	30,000

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the cost to the latest available date of repairs to each lane separately of the M.1 from London to Birmingham.

The approximate cost of repairs to both carriageways up to 31st March, 1965, was £675,000. Of this about 15 per cent. was spent on the middle lanes and 2 per cent. on the fast lanes. More precise figures are not available. An element of improvement is included in these repairs.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the cost per mile of repairs and maintenance each year for each motorway since it was opened to the latest convenient date.

It would require a disproportionate expenditure of time to calculate exact separate figures for repairs and maintenance mile by mile, as these two classes of work often overlap. Moreover, an average figure per mile for repairs is misleading. The following is the available information:

Motorway	Year	Total cost of repair	Cost of Maintenance per mile
		£	£
M.1.	1959/60	—	1,500
	1960/61	—	980
	1961/62	59,000	1,900
	1962/63	180,000	2,150
	1963/64	20,000	2,500
M.2.	1963/64	—	1,000
M.4.	1961/62	—	1,500
	1962/63	—	1,350
	1963/64	—	1,520
M.5.	1960/61	—	1,230
and	1961/62	—	1,720
M.50.	1962/63	—	1,940
	1963/64	—	2,580
M.6.	1958/59	5,000	not available
	1959/60	—	not available
	1960/61	—	1,740
	1961/62	—	2,200
	1962/63	—	2,300
	1963/64	6,500	2,280

asked the Minister of Transport why work on the footbridge over the Boothferry Road at Welton, East Yorkshire, has not yet started; and when he expects the bridge to be completed.

Certain design features of the proprietary steel bridge which it was proposed to erect were found to be unsatisfactory, and a new design had to be prepared. Tenders for this design have been called for by 4th August. If there are no unforeseen difficulties construction should be completed by next January.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the survey and preparatory work for the Beverley ring road and the new Hull-Beverley trunk road.

The East Riding County Council has been authorised to undertake survey work to fix the line of the new Hull-Beverley trunk road and of the Beverley southern by-pass. The survey is expected to begin later this year.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that goods consigned on British Railways this year have been subject to serious delays, sometimes amounting to several weeks, before being shipped from London Docks and that this interferes with the export trade; and whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Railways Board to overcome such delays.

A general direction would not be appropriate, but I am sure the Railways Board will look carefully into any specific cases of delay to export goods which the right hon. Member may bring to their notice.The movement of goods for export is being studied by the Economic Development Committee whose formation was announced by my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State on 3rd June. The Vice-Chairman of the Board is a member of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has completed his consideration of the advice of the West Midland Regional Economic Planning Council and the report on hardship of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee; and whether he will announce his decision on the proposed withdrawals of passenger train services between Birmingham, New Street, and Redditch, and between Birmingham, New Street, and Worcester.

I have nothing to add to the Answer given to the hon. Member on 30th June.

asked the Minister of Transport how many rail closures he has sanctioned in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, since October, 1964; for how many other rail closures applicacation has been made by British Railways; and if he will make a statement.

Up to yesterday I had given consent to 19 proposals for the closure of passenger services and stations in England, six in Scotland and one in Wales. I had also refused consent to five proposals in England and one in Scotland. Since 16th October, 1964, the Railways Board had given statutory notice of 23 proposals affecting passenger services and stations in England, three in Scotland and one in Wales.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Railways Board that adequate precautions should be taken when large sums of money are transported by rail.

No. Such a general direction would not be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has yet received the Report of the Road Research Laboratory on the alcohol factor in road accidents at Christmas and the New Year 1964; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Tom Fraser,

asked the Minister of Transport what was the capital expenditure on improvements in each of the docks owned by the British Transport Docks Board since 1948; and what is the projected total expenditure in each of those docks for the next five years.

The figures for the years before 1963 are not readily available. As regards the years 1963 to 1969, the figures are:

BRITISH TRANSPORT DOCKS BOARD CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON IMPROVEMENTS
Dock	Expenditure 1963 and 1964	Programmed Expenditure 1965 to 1969*
	£	£
Ayr	12,426	—
Barrow	207,223	110,000
Barry	129,293	920,000
Burntisland	120	85,000
Burry Port	—	—
Cardiff	197,893	2,000,000
Charlestown	—	—
Fleetwood	143,343	600,000
Garston	139,992	550,000
Goole	145,732	1,200,000
Grangemouth	307,171	9,400,000
Grimsby	125,323	8,040,000
Immingham	285,807
Hartlepools	184,419	390,000
Hull	1,329,852	14,500,000
King's Lynn	141,272	900,000
Lowestoft	23,729	580,000
Lydney	15,523	14,000
Methil	14,652	67,000
Middlesbrough	52,870	510,000
Newport	466,479	4,000,000
Penarth	17,578	—
Plymouth	86,929	95,000
Port Talbot	235,555	13,500,000
Silloth	—	—
Southampton	1,566,217	12,100,000
Swansea	387,200	4,500,000
Tayport	—	—
Troon	9,678	—
In addition:—
Estuarial dredgers for use by several docks	1,128,900	3,000,000
* The extent to which programmed expenditure will be implemented remains to be decided.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has now been made by the European Launcher Development Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Work on the Organisation's initial programme to develop a three stage satellite launcher is continuing in the countries of Member States. The flight trials of the first stage of the launcher (Blue Streak) have been satisfactorily completed. In addition to work on the initial programme, the Organisation is carrying out a series of project studies in order to define programmes that might be undertaken in the future.

asked the Minister of Aviation how much public money has been spent on improvements at Hurn Airport in recent years; and in view of the likelihood of the airport being run down in the foreseeable future, why this money has been spent.

Approximately £300,000 in the last five years. £91,000 was spent on the control tower, which had to be extended to house the Air Traffic Zone Control for the whole surrounding area and which also provides training facilities for the Ministry's Air Traffic Control School at Hum; and £200,000 on resurfacing the runway, which was necessary for safety reasons.Flying facilities at Hum will continue to be required for the Air Traffic Controly School and the tenants of the airport's industrial estate, even if civil transport flying there does for a period decline.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will institute a study, or indicate what estimates are available, of the revenue that would arise if the British Broadcasting Corporation, in all its services, were enabled to accept commercial advertising on a basis similar to the independent television service.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made to the House on 14th April in which I announced that the Government would be giving further study to the problem of broadcasting finance. The suggestion made by my hon. Friend in the debate on 13th May that the B.B.C. should be partly financed from advertising revenue is one of several quite different suggestions which have been put to the Government in the course of this study.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the increasing number of faulty connections on the automatic system which result in callers being connected to lines already in use, thus invading the expected privacy of other telephone users; and what steps he is taking to eliminate this unwitting telephone tapping.

My right hon. Friend is aware that the automatic telephone service is not as good as it should be in some parts of the country, notably London and the South East, and considerable efforts are being made to improve it. If the right hon. Member has any particular case in mind, and will give me details, I will gladly make enquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General why a parcel, sent by John Harris Limited on 4th June to Mr. H. H. Walker of Boscombe, had not been delivered by 16th June, thereby causing serious difficutlies; and if he will make a statement.

I understand this parcel was returned to the senders. I am looking into the reason for this and I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now give details of the designs for the special postage stamps to be issued on 13th September to mark the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

I hope to announce details of the designs shortly. Meanwhile, however, my hon. Friend might like to know that the 4d. value will comprise blocks of six stamps, each stamp with a different design. The 9d. and 1s. 3d. values will be issued in one design only for each denomination.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the rate of growth of the ten principal import-saving industries of the United Kingdom in the period October 1964 to June 1965.

Most industries are import saving, directly or indirectly, and most use imported supplies. Any ranking of industries would depend on how industries were defined, but generally the concept of import saving is too complex, and insufficient data available, to allow the chief import saving industries to be specified.The latest statistics giving rates of growth of production for industries included in the index of industrial production are shown in Table 44 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics for June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the latest available figures of the volume of United Kingdom exports and imports, respectively; how those figures compare with the monthly figures for the comparable month in 1964; and what is his assessment of likely trends during the remainder of 1965.

These figures are given on page 136 of the Board of Trade Journal for 16th July, a copy of which is in the Library. It is not the practice to publish estimates of future trends.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of the Finance (No. 2) Bill, 1965, were sold by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Belfast; and how this figure compares with sales of the Finance Bill, 1964.

194 copies compared with 37 in 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Premium Bonds cannot be purchased on behalf of a child by anyone other than a parent or guardian.

Anyone may buy a Premium Bond for a child provided that the parent or guardian has signed the application form and is registered as the purchaser of the Bond. The reasons for this are that some parents and guardians object to their children holding Premium Bonds, and that until the child reaches 16, Premium Bond prizes are payable to the purchaser on behalf of the child.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the chief constable to ascertain how many hours overtime have been worked by Dorset police in the 12 months to the latest convenient date in attempting to recapture absconders from Dorset borstals, on what was the cost involved, and on whom the extra charge has fallen.

I am informed by the Chief Constable of Dorset that some 1,100 hours' overtime were worked by members of the force during the 12 months up to 10th July as a result of boys absconding from borstals in Dorset. Compensation was given for nearly half this overtime by time off in lieu; and the estimated cost of payments in respect of the remainder amounts to about £490. This is chargeable to the local police fund and attracts 50 per cent. Exchequer grant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youths have absconded from the open borstal at Guys Marsh, near Shaftesbury, in the 12 months to the last convenient date; how many have absconded in the last 10 days; and what steps he is taking to protect householders in North Dorset from the damage and interference caused by these absconders while trying to prolong their freedom.

During the 12 months from 1st: July, 1964, to 30th June, 1965, 35 boys, absconded from Guys Marsh borstal. Eight have absconded in the last 10 days. We try so far as possible, by careful selection and supervision and by other means, to keep down abscondings from open borstals. Guys Marsh does not receive boys with records of severe violence or sexual offences. The police are informed immediately an escape is known to have taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of recent escapes, he will now amend the Prison Rules, 1964, especially those relating to removal from association and cellular confinement, respectively.

It is necessary to retain powers to segregate prisoners temporarily and it seems to me that the 1964 Prison Rules contain adequate safeguards against abuse.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many straitjackets are made each year in the workshops of Her Majesty's Prisons; and to which mental institutions they are supplied.

Since 1961, 102 loose canvas restraint jackets have been manufactured in prison workshops, of which 48 were used to supply new prison service establishments and 54 to renew stocks at existing establishments. None was supplied to institutions outside the prison service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of immigrants who had applied for vouchers under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act but who had not arrived in this country by 15th October, 1964.

Up to 30th October, 1964, 437,237 applications for vouchers for Commonwealth citizens had been received, and 84,115 vouchers had been issued. A voucher is valid for six months in the first place. Up to 31st October, 1964, 47,687 Commonwealth citizens had been admitted as voucher-holders. Figures for the period up to 15th October are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of dependants who might still be allowed to join immigrant common law husbands or reputed fathers at present resident in the United Kingdom.

No information is available on which such an estimate could be based.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases proceedings have been taken against motorists in each of the past five years for failing to dip their headlights in circumstances involving danger to other road users.

Failure to dip headlights is not an offence in itself and the statistics of proceedings for driving to the danger of the public do not show the number of instances in which it was part of the prosecution's case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give particulars of the three most costly fires of 1964, as mentioned in the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services, which accounted for a loss of £9,326,000, specifying especially their causes, and whether they obtained a good hold before the brigade arrived.

The fires in question occurred at Government-occupied warehouse and office premises at 90–94 Gosforth Street, Coventry, on 15th June, when the estimated loss was £2·9 million; at the British Railways Goods Depot, Bishopsgate, London, on 5th December, when the estimated loss was £5 million; and at Winthrop Laboratories, Edgefield Avenue, Fawdon, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on 10th December, when the estimated loss was over £1·4 million. In each case the fire brigade arrived four minutes after being summoned, but the fire had by then gained a strong hold. Enquiries have failed to establish the cause of these fires.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the main types and causes of the 829 fires in property, other than the three most costly fires, which accounted for 62·4 per cent of the total loss due to fires in 1964, referred to in the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services.

I regret that an analysis of the causes of these particular fires, and of the types of premises in which they occurred, is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give examples of the carelessness and negligence which caused fires in 1964, as referred to in the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services.

Examples of carelessness and negligence are as follows:Careless disposal of smoking material.Inadequate control over the burning of rubbish or failure to extinguish such fires before leaving.Insufficient maintenance of heating appliances and flues.Insufficient maintenance of electric wiring and electrical equipment; the use of "temporary" electric wiring and defective equipment.Introduction of potential sources of ignition into flammable atmospheres, or the escape of flammable vapours to reach a flame or spark.Storage of combustible materials in too close proximity to a source of heat (steam pipe, flue pipe, space heating appliances, etc.).Carelessness and misuse of blow-lamps and of cutting and welding apparatus near unscreened combustible materials.Failure to remove combustible waste and packing materials to a safe place pending disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Police Research and Planning Branch of his Department in its inquiry into the policing of main trunk roads and motorways; and whether he will make a statement.

The Police Research and Planning Branch recently completed the first part of an inquiry into the basic standards of policing for motorways and major through routes on behalf of a working party representative of police authorities and chief constables, the Ministry of Transport and the Home Office. This consisted of an examination of the special problems presented by motorways and included a field experiment on the M.6 motorway last year in co-operation with the police authorities and chief constables of Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. Much useful information was obtained and the detailed report made is under consideration by the working party.The Branch has started to work on the second part of its inquiry, into the problem of through routes other than motorways and the possible application to them of some of the preliminary conclusions reached in regard to motorways.This is to include a full-scale field experiment in the West Country. With the support and agreement of the police authorities and chief constables concerned, for which I am grateful, a combined traffic squad will be set up for a period of five months, beginning on 1st August, composed of officers drawn from the forces of Bath, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Exeter, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Somerset and Wiltshire.The period of the experiment is designed to cover variations in the density of traffic on the main roads in the area.The results will be evaluated as quickly as possible after the conclusion of the experiment with the object of providing guidance for police authorities and chief constables, after discussion with the representative bodies concerned.

asked the Minister of Health by what criteria he refused to meet a deputation from the County Borough of Brighton to discuss the new Accident Centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, the building of which has been deferred, when he agreed to meet a deputation from Worthing to discuss extensions to Worthing Hospital; what is his policy with regard to meeting such deputations; and if he will now agree to meet the Brighton deputation.

I am always ready to receive deputations from local authorities when some useful purpose would be served. Since, however, the decision to postpone the first phase of redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, due to start this year was one taken by the South East Metropolitan Hospital Board, and there could be no question of my intervening to alter it, it would not be appropriate for me to receive a deputation. The circumstances at Worthing are entirely different.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he now expects any delay in the start of the building of a hospital for Basildon New Town;(2) when the building of a hospital for Basildon New Town is to begin;(3) when the building of a hospital for Basildon New Town is to be completed.

No: I understand the Regional Hospital Board expect building to start early in 1967 and to be completed about four years later.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that local health authorities are playing their full part in the rehabilitation of the alcoholic; and whether he will make a statement.

The local authority mental health services are available to alcoholics as to other psychiatric patients. In several areas the authorities work closely with voluntary associations specially concerned with alcoholism. I expect the local authority services to develop in conjunction with the hospital and voluntary services.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a resolution was passed at the recent scientific session of the British Medical Association, calling for a Government grant towards a special campaign to help alcoholism and those in danger of becoming alcoholics; and if he will take steps to make such a grant.

Yes; the proposal is being examined.

asked the Minister of Health when the payments reimbursing opticians for the cost of lenses and frames supplied under the National Health Service will be increased to cover present production costs; and whether the increases will result in increased charges to patients.

A new scale of payments will operate from 1st August following agreement with the representative organisations. Only the few patients who have to pay for repairs or replacements because of the lack of care or who choose to have, on payment of the extra cost, certain lenses which are more expensive than those prescribed will have to meet the increased charge. In all other cases the increased charge for both lenses and frames will be met by the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of men and women, respectively, who are qualified physiotherapists in the National Health Service how many of these have left the profession because of inadequate salaries in each of the last five years, respectively; and what steps he is taking to ameliorate this situation.

Separate figures are not centrally available; the reasons for which individuals leave the profession are not classified but the latest staffing figures in September, 1964, show a net increase over September, 1963, in whole time equivalents, and salaries, increased last year, are again under review by the Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he is aware of the pleasure which was given to all by the flying of flags of the nations of the Commonwealth in Parliament Square recently; and if he will make arrangements for them to be flown continuously in future during the months of July, August and September.

I am aware that the flying of these flags has given widespread pleasure. Our normal practice is to fly these flags only on some special Commonwealth occasion such as a meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers. It seems to me that any extended period of display should have a special purpose and I am prepared to consider flying them for a longer period on any such future occasion.

asked the Secretary of of State for Education and Science if he will now make a statement on the establishment of a commission to integrate the public schools into the State system of education.

My preparations for setting up a Public Schools Commission to advise on the best way of integrating the public schools into the State system of education have reached an advanced stage. Meanwhile Dr. Royston Lambert has just published some preliminary findings of his research project (which is financed by my Department) into the wider aspects of boarding education in both the private and the state sectors. I shall now study these findings which clearly may have a bearing on the appropriate terms of reference of the Commission. I expect to establish the Commission in the next session of Parliament.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the United Kingdom was represented at the Second Asian Maritime Conference of the International Labour Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The Second Asian Maritime Conference of the International Labour Organisation was held in Tokyo in April. The United Kingdom, in view of our world-wide shipping interests, sent a delegation comprising representatives of the Board of Trade, the Ministry of Labour and the shipowners' and seafarers' organisations.Among the subjects discussed were vocational training; wages, hours of work and manning; social security; welfare; medical facilities; methods of recruitment of Asian seafarers; and recognition of Asian seafarers' organisations. In all these matters useful progress was made and I understand that valuable contributions were made by members of the United Kingdom delegation.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when she anticipates that the Commissioner will determine the appeal of the insurance officer against the decision of the local appeal tribunal on 27th January, 1965, in favour of Mrs. D. M. Hill, 23 Rindleford Avenue, Wolverhampton; and what action she took on the request of the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West on 2nd July for an urgent decision.

The Commissioner is an independent authority not subject in any way to my directions. I am informed, however, that Mrs. Hill was notified on 14th July that the hearing of her case has been fixed for 4th August.

asked the Minister of Power on what dates the Energy Advisory Council has met.

On 8th February, 1965, and 13th May, 1965.

asked the Minister of Power why he approved the increase of nearly 10 per cent. in the charges of the Southern Electricity Board, when the Central Electricity Generating Board have only increased their charges by 1·4 per cent.

The increase in the charges of the Southern Electricity Board which took effect last April, was on average about 7 per cent. It took account not only of the increased charges introduced by the Central Electricity Generating Board in April, 1965, but also of other increases in costs since the previous tariff change in May, 1963.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will make a statement about economic aid for Gibraltar.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assistance is being given to Gibraltar.

pursuant to her reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 20th July, Vol. 716, c. 1330–31), provided the following information:At a meeting this morning with Sir Joshua Hassan, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, and Mr. Isola, Deputy to the Chief Minister, the Colony's economic problems were discussed. I informed the Chief Minister that the British Government had been deeply concerned with the special difficulties of Gibraltar and had decided that, subject to the Overseas Development and Service Bill receiving the Royal Assent, £1 million in Colonial Development and Welfare grants would be made available for development in Gibraltar over the next three years and also a further £200,000 in Exchequer loans should they be required.This allocation compares with one of £400,000 for the current three years and takes into account the urgent need for the Colony to re-organise its economy and to provide more housing to meet the needs of British subjects who have been obliged to leave Spain.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a breakdown of the figure of £40 million for the scheme for the eradication of brucellosis.

My estimate of £40-£50 million was based on compensation for slaughter of some 14 per cent. of female cattle which in present circumstances might be expected to react to diagnostic tests.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take action so as to enable fish to compete on more favourable terms with meat and other farm products, which are already subsidised.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave to his similar Question on 7th July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that fish stocks in the North Sea are menaced by poaching by foreign fishing vessels; and what steps he is taking to protect British fishing rights and prevent the depletion of fishing stocks in the North Sea.

Vessels of the Fishery Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy are on constant patrol to protect our fishery limits against illegal fishing by foreign vessels. Her Majesty's Government, through the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, will continue to support the adoption of all appropriate measures to conserve the fish stocks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the conference held in Oxford under his chairmanship between 8th and 12th July to discuss the future of the remaining Colonies Territories.