asked the Minister of Labour how many trade unions wage claims made since 27th May are within a 3½ per cent. increase; how many workpeople this figure represents; how many trade unions have asked for increases of more than 3½ per cent. since 27th May and been successful in their claims; and how many workpeople this represents.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Fisher).

asked the Minister of Labour how many Commonwealth trainees sponsored under technical assistance schemes are receiving instruction in Government training centres; and what plans are being made for increasing their numbers in view of the shortage of facilities for practical training in private industry.

None at present; one application was received in the last two years and the trainee concerned has completed his course. The centres provide training only in basic skills which students under technical assistance schemes have usually acquired before they come to this country. Such students normally get their further training in industry; discussions are in progress with the industrial training boards about the provision of more opportunities for them.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is satisfied with the progress being made in recruiting training officers as part of the implementation

NUMBERS UNEMPLOYED
				Stornoway	Barra	South Uist	North Uist	Benbecula
July, 1965	…	…	…	1,154	69	133	90	32
				(20·4 per cent.)
July, 1964	…	…	…	1,113	60	126	86	23
				(19·5 per cent.)

There is some evidence that industry is showing greater interest in the recruitment and training of training officers, but I feel that there is still need for greater realisation in industry that firms at least of medium size, should have on their staffs persons qualified to organise training within the firm.Courses for the initial training of training officers have been provided at technical colleges and colleges of advanced technology and I have arranged to provide financial assistance to firms taking advantage of approved courses, but so far industry has failed to make full use of them.

asked the Minister of Labour when firms in the engineering industry paying the Industrial Training Board levy will be informed of their eligibility for and time of payment of any rebate to which they may be entitled.

I understand that the Engineering Industry Training Board will send information on these points to firms early next month.

asked the Minister of Labour, what is the number and percentage of persons unemployed at the latest count in the Stornoway area, and the numbers in Barra, South Uist, North Uist and Benbecula, respectively; and what were the corresponding figures at the corresponding count last year.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will seek to impose a levy on those firms which fail to employ their full quota of disabled workers.

No. Many firms do not fulfil their quota obligations because of circumstances over which they have no control. The availability of registered disabled people having the necessary skills and experience the job requires, the suitability of the job vis-à-vis individual disability and working potential, mobility of the individual disabled person, are all relevant factors.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will seek to publish in the local Press the names of those firms which

			Number of workpeople employed in firms with a quota obligation	Number of registered D.Ps employed in the same firms	Average percentage counting towards quota	Total number of registered D.Ps required to satisfy a 3 per cent. obligation	Number of additional registered D.Ps required to give an average level of compliance of 3 per cent. (Col. 4-Col. 2)
			(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
Great Britain		…	14,906,975	410,423	2·75	447,210	36,787
Wales	…	…	390,510	12,836	3·3	11,715	Already exceeds 3 per cent.
Swansea	…	…	26,493	762	2·9	795	33

asked the Minister of Labour how many firms in each Welsh county borough are failing to employ their full quota of disabled workers.

The information requested is not readily available. The following table shows the latest available information (as at 1st July, 1964) in respect of the employment exchange areas in which the Welsh county boroughs are situated:

Employment Exchange areas	Number of firms failing to satisfy 3 per cent. quota
Cardiff	167
Newport	72
Swansea	63
Merthyr Tydfil	7

asked the Minister of Labour how many firms in Great Britain are failing to employ their full quota of disabled workers.

An inquiry undertaken as at 1st July, 1964, revealed that of 64,760

No. I regard information which comes into the possession of my Department about individual firms as confidential. Moreover, I am not satisfied that publication of the information the Member has in mind would be either equitable or in the public interest.

asked the Minister of Labour how many more jobs would be created for disabled workers in Great Britain, in Wales and in Swansea if those firms which do not at present employ their full quota of disabled workers were to fulfil their quota obligations.

The following table, which has been compiled from the results of the inquiry undertaken as at 1st July, 1964, gives the required information:firms in Great Britain to which the quota provisions applied, 29,271 were failing to satisfy the 3 per cent. quota obligation imposed by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons aged over 18 years were earning £12 a week or less at the latest convenient date.

The figures for 1964 will be available in a week or two and I will send them to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate is available of the number of family wage-earners whose earned income is below the current National Assistance Board scales, and of the number of children so involved.

As my right hon. Friend explained in reply to Questions on 22nd February, the figures available are based on a very small sample and are subject to wide margins of error. The number of families seems to be between 150,000 and 250,000. The average number of children in these households is probably something over three.My hon. Friend will remember that since his last Question the Board's scales have been raised.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to encourage an increase of applicants for scholarships for Royal College of Nursing occupational health courses.

I will review the arrangements, including publicity, in time for the next application date, namely, April of next year.

					Numbers registered as unemployed at the Gateshead Tyneside Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Office Group
Date					per rent.*
					Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total	rate
July, 1965	…	…	…	…	763	62	120	32	977	2·1
July, 1964		…	…	…	1,002	104	132	20	1,258	2·8
July, 1963	…	…	…	…	1,397	177	183	67	1,824	3·9
July, 1962	…	…	…	…	1,148	77	183	32	1,440	3·1
Percentage changes between:
1962 and 1963			…	…	+22	+130	—	+109	+27
1963 and 1964			…	…	-28	-41	-28	-70	-31
1964 and 1965			…	…	-24	-40	-9	+60	-22

					Numbers registered as unemployed in the Northern Region
Date
					Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total	per cent.
July, 1965	…	…	…	…	20,392	1,152	5,554	688	27,786	2·1
July, 1964	…	…	…	…	26,258	1,761	7,376	1,111	36,506	2·8
July, 1963	…	…	…	…	36,306	3,755	9,503	2,201	51,765	4·0
July, 1962	…	…	…	…	30,218	2,277	7,900	1,206	41,601	3·2
Percentage changes between—
1962 and 1963			…	…	+20	+65	+20	+83	+24
1963 and 1964			…	…	-28	-53	-22	-50	-30
1964 and 1965			…	…	-22	-35	-25	-38	-24
*A separate percentage of unemployment cannot be quoted for the area of the Gateshead Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Office which form part of the Tyneside travel-to-work-group.
There were on 7th July, 1,098 unfilled vacancies notified to the Gateshead Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Office and 16,928 to Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices in the Northern Region.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will investigate the Welt System which has been operating at certain docks since the end of the war, whereby half the labour force go home for a couple of hours, then return to relieve the other dockers who do likewise,

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons, male and female, and persons under 18 years of age, male and female, respectively, were registered as unemployed at the July, 1965, count at the Gateshead Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Office, and in the Northern Region; what were the comparable figures for each of the years 1962, 1963 and 1964; what percentage of the total figures for each of the years represents unemployment; what was the percentage decrease or increase between each of the years 1962 to 1965; and what was the number of unfilled vacancies at the latest convenient date in Gateshead and in the Northern Region.

The following table gives the information:and both gangs then go on overtime; in which ports this system is operated; how much it increases dock labour costs; how far it holds up exports; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that detailed evidence on this subject has been submitted to the Devlin Committee. In the circumstances I think that we should wait and see what the Committee has to say in its report, which my right hon. Friend expects to receive very soon.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to advise industrial training boards to include courses on industrial relations as part of industrial training.

Training in industrial relations is particularly relevant to the training of managers and supervisory staff. I have no doubt boards will bear this in mind in their recommendations about training for these occupations.

asked the Minister of Labour how many agricultural workers in Norfolk are employed in agricultural gangs; and what proportion that is of the total agricultural labour force in the area.

No precise figures are available. Inquiries suggest that there are probably fewer than 2,000 workers in agricultural gangs in Norfolk.The total number employed in agriculture and horticulture in the area in mid-1964 was over 29,000.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will arrange that factory inspectors should give due consideration to the current work on a possible link between benzene and chromosome abnormalities.

The Medical Branch of H.M. Factory Inspectorate have been associated with the study of this problem from the outset and the Inspectorate will continue to collaborate in the further studies which are to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what criteria at present govern the issue of temporary travel documents to citizens of the German Democratic Republic applying to the Allied Travel Office in West Berlin for permission to visit Great Britain;

Visas, which are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, are granted to East Germans only if Temporary Travel Documents have first been issued by the Allied Travel Office in West Berlin. The criteria governing the issue of Temporary Travel Documents by the Allied Travel Office are agreed in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will instruct Her Majesty's Government's representative at the United Nations Organisation to make a statement condemning the use of torture and the public shooting of prisoners during the course of hostilities.

Her Majesty's Government deplore all illegal and inhumane acts inflicted upon prisoners. Our attitude to such atrocities is well known and I am grateful for this opportunity of restating it. I will certainly bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind about a further statement at the United Nations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the British Council will again begin to function in the Republic of Somalia; and what teachers or cultural literature are being sent out at present.

The British Council cannot function in the Somali Republic without the consent of the Somali Government. British Council Representation was withdrawn when diplomatic relations were broken off in March, 1963, and the Somali Government have given no indication that they wish the Council to return. The British Council does not, on principle, recruit British teachers for countries where there is no Council Representation or British Mission and none have been recruited for Somalia since March, 1963. The supply of periodicals and other literature previously presented to Somali schools has been continued by post.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will take action to widen the area of recruitment into the foreign, colonial and diplomatic services.

As I said in a Written Answer on 19th July, efforts are continually being made to widen the area of recruitment to the Diplomatic Service, which incorporates the former Foreign Service. I am not responsible for those serving in colonial territories overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the numbers and functions of the staff of Her Majesty's Consulate-General in Hanoi.

The home-based staff of the Consulate-General in Hanoi is three. Her Majesty's Consul-General, Mr. Ponsonby, is assisted by a Vice-Consul and a junior officer who acts as Archivist and accountant. There are also four locally-engaged Vietnamese who are employed on translating, driving and cleaning duties.The Consulate-General performs normal consular functions in the consular district. The Consul-General is, as usual, responsible for the safety and protection of British subjects in his district and for the maintenance of relations with the local authorities in it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reduction there has lately been in the propaganda directed from Cairo Radio against Great Britain and her territories, friends and interests; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what change has been noticed in Cairo Radio, particularly its incitement to kill British personnel in Aden, since the visit of the Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation from Egypt to London.

Since the visit of the United Arab Republic Parliamentary Delegation there has been no great change in the output of Cairo Radio, though there seems to have been some reduction in incitement to violence against British personnel as such; but it is a little to early to make a final assessment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Her Majesty's Government will now ratify the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Her Majesty's Government intend to ratify this Convention, as I have informed the House. An Order-in-Council to amend the British Protectorates, Protected States, and Protected Persons Order, 1949 must, however, first be made. I regret that the drafting of the Order has proved more complicated than was expected and there are still a number of technical difficulties to be solved. I would like to apologise to my hon. Friend that it has not proved practicable to complete this work as quickly as had been hoped when I replied to him on 8th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many applications he has received from victims in Nazi concentration camps and dependent relatives for compensation out of moneys received from the German Federal Government; and when the claims will be dealt with.

Between 24th July, 1964 and 23rd July, 1965 approximately 2,000 applications had been received. As was announced in the Press also on 23rd July, it has been decided to extend the period for registering applications from 31st July, 1965 to 31st March, 1966 since it appeared that there was still people who had not realised that they might be eligible to register an application. A payment will be made next month to those persons whose eligible applications have already been investigated and registered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will open a passport office in Birmingham.

No, Sir. The London Passport Office is to be partially dispersed during the next 2–3 years, as part of the Government's policy of dispersal of Government offices from London. New Branch Offices will be established at Newport (Mon.) in 1967 and Peterborough in 1968. As a result the country will, for passport purposes, be divided into five areas. The choice of sites for the two new offices was determined in part by the need to cover respectively the South West and the Midlands and East, and in part by planning considerations and the desirability of the Government setting an example in the spreading of office employment.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, if he is aware that the latest available Ordnance Survey sheets for Montgomeryshire are the 1901 and 1902 editions and that farmers, owners of woodlands and others have difficulty in operating from obsolete sheets; and what action he will take in the matter.

While the latest 1/2500 scale Ordnance Survey sheets of Montgomeryshire are the 1901 and 1902 editions, the county is, however, covered by post-war mapping at scales of six inches to one mile and smaller. I know that the absence of up to date 1/2500 scale sheets causes difficulties to farmers and others, and a comprehensive review of the work and resources of the Department is being carried out to see what can be done to accelerate the programme of remapping at this scale.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many access agreements under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949, have been made in respect of each county in England and Wales to the latest available date; and what acreage is covered by such agreements in each case.

I am responsible for access agreements made in respect of areas within the boundaries of National Parks in England. Agreements have been made as follows:

National Park	Number of Agreements	Acres Covered
Dartmoor
Devon	1	5
Lake District
Lancashire	1	16
Cumberland	3	10·25
Peak District
Derbyshire	14	32,040·3
Yorkshire, West Riding	3	6,536
Cheshire	1	9,238
Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire, West Riding	1	2,349

Agreements in other parts of England are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government. I understand that agreements have been made as follows:

County	Number of Agreements	Acres Covered
Devon	1	0·95
East Sussex	1	*
Hampshire	1	*
Lancashire	7	*
Surrey (In area of outstanding Natural Beauty)	1	261·2
West Suffolk	1	230
* information not available.

In addition one access order has been made in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Agreements in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales. I understand that no agreements have been made in Wales.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he will take into consideration the recreational needs in the countryside in his proposed amendment of the National Parks Act.

Provision for countryside recreational facilities will form an important element of countryside policy.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources when he proposes to make a policy statement on the future of national parks and the preservation of the countryside.

I am afraid that I cannot give a date, but I hope that a statement will not be long delayed.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with the law relating to compensation payable in the case of compulsory acquisition of private dwelling-houses; and whether he will institute an inquiry into the present effect of such law.

Owners of private dwelling houses receive the full market value for their property when it is purchased together with all necessary expenses which they incur as the direct result of the purchase and I am satisfied that this is an equitable principle on which to base compensation. However if the hon. Member has any particular cases in mind where the considers injustice to have been done I shall be glad to examine them.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what action he is now taking to relieve the acute shortage of cement in Dorset.

The situation is similar to that in the country as a whole. I have asked the suppliers to give priority to local authority housing and essential work. If the hon. Member has details of any particular complaints, I will bring them to the attention of the suppliers. Shortages have been reported virtually from all parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works when the pay claim in respect of fire surveyors and fire officers was submitted; and when the claim was settled.

I hope that negotiations will shortly be concluded.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what proposals his Department has, or has under consideration, for the use of the present site or building of the Patent Office in the event of its transfer elsewhere.

This question has not yet been considered.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will take steps to further increase the retirement pension before the end of the year.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Torquay (Sir F. Bennett) and to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 12th July.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will now take steps to link the retirement pension to the cost of living and backdate it to 1st April, 1965.

No. The increases of retirement pension and other benefits recently made went very much beyond what would have been required to make good their loss of purchasing power since the previous occasion on which they were raised.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what are the statistics of absence from work due to sickness of workers in the King's Lynn area for industrial workers, and for agricultural workers, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will state for the latest available date the number of cases when National Assistance has been withheld because of the wage stop in respect of applicants unemployed and, separately, of applicants temporarily incapacitated because of sickness.

The information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will state for the latest available date the number of applicants for National Assistance affected by the wage stop, the number of children consequentially involved, and the average amount of the reductions expressed in terms of the number of children in the family.

At the end of June. 1965, there were 14,710 unemployed persons receiving assistance whose allowances were restricted by reference to their usual earnings. The approximate number of children involved is estimated at 60,000. Up-to-date information as requested in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what her estimate is of the total sum which the National Insurance Fund is liable to pay in graduated pension benefits by virtue of graduated contributions paid to the fund by March, 1965; how much of this total sum remains unpaid; and over what period payment will fall due.

The total sum is estimated at about £1,100 million, almost all of which remains unpaid, and which will fall due over a period of about 80 years. The current capital equivalent of this liability is lower to an extent which depends on the rate of interest assumed.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what her estimate is of the excess of graduated pension contributions paid in, over graduated pensions benefits paid out, in each of the next five financial years;(2) what her estimate is of the amount that the National Insurance Fund will become liable to pay as graduated pension benefits by virtue of graduated contributions paid in each of years 1965–66, 1966–67 and 1967–68, assuming that average earnings will increase at the same rate in the next three years as they have in the past three years.

Making the assumption stated by the hon. Lady and applying it over the next five financial years, it is estimated that income from graduated pensions contributions will exceed expenditure on graduated pensions by the following amounts:

	£ million
1965–66	288
1966–67	307
1967–68	327
1968–69	346
1969–70	363

On the same assumption, the total amounts of pension which will become payable by virtue of graduated pensions contributions paid in 1965–66, 1966–67 and 1967–68 are estimated at £380 million, £400 million and £430 million, respectively. The current capital equivalents of these pension liabilities are lower to an extent which depends on the rate of interest assumed.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when the report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on the provision for widows under the Industrial Injuries Act may be expected; and whether she will expedite this report, in view of the fact that the widows' 20 shilling pension under the Industrial Injuries Act has remained unchanged since 1948.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave the hon. Member for Wells (Lieut.-Commander Maydon) on 12th July. I am afraid I cannot go beyond what I said then.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when she expects to receive the report of the National Assistance Board on its study of the problems of old people.

The study is an inquiry into the circumstances of retirement pensioners which my Ministry undertook in co-operation with the National Assistance Board. I expect to have some preliminary results quite soon but the full findings, which are being analysed by computer, will not be available until the autumn.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons are being interviewed in the sample check to ensure that those in need are receiving the aid to which they are entitled in each of the islands of Barra and Vatersay, South Uist and Eriskay, Benbecula, North Uist and Grimsay, Harris and Berneray, and the Isle of Lewis, respectively.

Out of some 10,000 pensioners in the sample taken from the six million retirement pensioners in Great Britain, about one thousand were in Scotland. It is known that four of these were in the Outer Hebrides but their distribution between the islands is not readily available. My hon. Friend will appreciate that the inquiry investigated the circumstances of pensioners as a whole, and does not aim to differentiate between particular places.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will now institute compulsory health checks on immigrants, in view of the recommedations received by him from local authorities and the medical profession;(2) if he is aware that a Pakistani immigrant, details of whom have been sent to him, was admitted on or about 23rd April suffering from severe and advanced tuberculosis; and what action he has taken in this case.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the promised statement and White Paper on immigration. The individual to whom the hon. Member refers had been resident in the United Kingdom before he returned temporarily to Pakistan; he was, therefore, entitled to readmission to this country as a returning resident, and was not required to undergo a medical examination at the port of entry.

asked the Minister of Health what rehabilitation service is offered for amputees, particularly in regard to psychological readjustment: and if he will make a statement.

Amputees have available the full resources of the hospital service to assist in their rehabilitation and a close liaison is maintained with the Disablement Resettlement Officers of the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many nurses have been recruited in England and Wales per 10,000 of the population; and what information he has, through the World Health Organisation, on recruitment figures for the United States of America and for other European countries;(2) what is the proportion per 10,000 of the population of trained nurses, nurses in training and auxiliary staff, respectively in England and Wales; and what information he has, through the World Health Organisation, on recruitment figures for the United States of America and for other European countries.

The figures are not comparable, because the current figures for England and Wales are for nursing staff employed only in the National Health Service and the World Health Organisation figures, for dates ranging from 1960 to 1962, purport to include all nursing staff, with wider definitions than are used in my Department's statistics.The numbers of nursing staff employed per 10,000 of the population are as follows:

A.—ENGLAND AND WALES. 31ST MARCH, 1965
						Qualified Nurses (Registered and Enrolled)	Nurses in Training (Students and Pupils)	Unqualified Nursing Staff	Total Nursing Staff
Hospital and Local Health Authority Nursing Staff per 10,000 of Population	…	…	…	…	…	24·3	13·6	13·3	51·2

B.—EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(Extracted from the World Health Organisation publication "Annual Epidemiological and Vital Statistics, 1961")
							Nursing Personnel per 10,000 of Population (Note 1)
Country							Date	Fully Qualified and Certificated Nurses (Note 2)	Other Nursing Personnel (Note 3)	Total
Albania	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	18·1	—	18·1
Austria (Note 4)			…	…	…	…	1961	24·1	—	24·1
Belgium	…	…	…	…	…	…			No data available
Bulgaria		…	…	…	…	…	1961	16·8	—	16·8
Czechoslovakia			…	…	…	…	1962	35·9 (Note 6)	7·6	43·5 (Note 6)
Denmark	…	…	…	…	…	…	1960	37·4	8·7	46·1
Faroe Islands	…	…	…	…	…	…	1960	18·0	6·0	24·0
Finland		…	…	…	…	…	1962	42·1	12·5	54·6
France	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	18·4	—	18·4
Germany (Federal Republic)				…	…	…	1962	25·9	4·7	30·6
West Berlin		…	…	…	…	…	1962	55·6	7·8	63·4
Gibraltar		…	…	…	…	…	1961	14·2	52·9	67·1
Greece	…	…	…	…	…	…	1960	3·4	6·2	9·6
Hungary	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	21·9	2·3	24·2
Iceland	…	…	…	…	…	…	1960	14·0	5·0	19·0
Ireland (Note 5)		…	…	…	…	…	1961	52·5		52·5
Italy	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	7·7 (Note 6)	(Note 7)	(Notes 6 and 7)
Luxembourg		…	…	…	…	…	1962	22·6	8·7	31·3
Malta and Gozo			…	…	…	…	1961	5·0	10·9	15·9
Netherlands (Note 4)			…	…	…	…	1961	11·4	6·9	18·3
Norway	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	29·0 (Note 6)	(Note 7)	(Notes 6 and 7)
Poland	…	…	…	…	…	…	1962	19·6	(Note 7)	(Note 7)
Portugal		…	…	…	…	…	1962	3·8 (Note 6)	3·0	6·8 (Note 6)
Roumania		…	…	…	…	…	1962	16·8	7·9	24·7
Spain	…	…	…	…	…	…			No data available
Sweden	…	…	…	…	…	…	1961	90·5	—	90·5
Switzerland		…	…	…	…	…	1961	31·3		31·3
Yugoslavia		…	…	…	…	…	1961	4·6 (Note 6)	10·6	15·2 (Note 6)
United States of America				…	…	…	1962	42·4	22·4	64·8
Notes
1. Nursing personnel are not always classified in the national statistics in accordance with the headings in the W.H.O. table and it is possible that some categories of personnel are not in their correct place. For this reason it is not always possible to obtain exact and comparable figures for the different countries.
2. "Certificated nurses" are defined as persons who though having obtained a certificate, did not receive a professional education and training as complete as the fully qualified nurses. For certain countries, nurses without a State Diploma, but whose exact qualifications were not clearly stated, have also been included here.
3. "Others" are said to be for the most part auxiliary staff (examples are—assistant nurses, hospital assistants, nursing aids, ward attendants, medical orderlies). Where student nurses were mentioned specifically they have been included in this column.
4. Hospital Nursing personnel only.
5. Includes Midwifery personnel.
6. "Certificated nurses" not included: data not available.
7. Details of "other nursing personnel" not available.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking in the autumn to improve the recruiting to the nursing profession; how much is to be spent on the campaign; and whether the campaign is designed to encourage recruiting to the domiciliary services as well as to the hospital service.

I plan to launch a national publicity campaign in September. It will have two main objects: to bring up to date the image of nursing in the public mind and to improve public knowledge of the status and training of the State Enrolled Nurse. The campaign, will cost about £110,000 in the current financial year. Since it is designed to attract new entrants into the profession the domiciliary services also should benefit.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the appointments held by nursing members of the General Nursing Council.

Yes.PRESENT NURSE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL NURSING COUNCILA.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps, by way of sample inquiries or otherwise, to ascertain from time to time the approximate number and value of prescriptions uncollected from dispensing chemists.

I do not think this would be worth the effort involved.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the bad effect on health of industrial and aircraft noise at Rugeley, Staffs; what examination he has made of the correspondence sent to him in this connection by the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth; and what action he is taking.

The Committee on the Problem of Noise found no evidence that noise of this kind normally met with domestically, as distinct from occupational exposure to high levels of noise, produces any direct and measurable physiological effect on the average person or on mental health, although it can cause much annoyance. Any action on the correspondence to which my hon. Friend refers is for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Defence or the Minister of Aviation.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has for the improvement of the mental health services in Nottinghamshire; and if he will make a statement.

On hospital provision I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 12th July.Nottinghamshire County Council plan substantial development of their services both for the mentally ill and subnormal; details were published in the Revision to 1973–74 of "Health and Welfare: the Development of Community Care".

asked the Minister of Health if he will employ independent organisation and methods consultants to advise him on ways and means of reducing the cost of the hospital service; and if he will make a statement.

I am continually seeking, in collaboration with hospital authorities, ways and means of making the best use of the resources of the hospital service. Advice is obtained from a range of resources and independent management consultants have been and are being employed.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will now release the Report of the North-West Study Group; and if he will make a statement.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs when he expects to publish the report on the North-West Study.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs when the Report of the Study Group for the North-West will be published; and if he will make a statement.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs when the report of the West Midland Study Group will be published.

The Stationery Office is publishing the report on the North-West tomorrow and the report on the West Midlands on the following day. I am arranging for copies to be made available in the Vote Office on the days of publication.These reports are the results of studies undertaken by officials; they are not statements of Government views or policy, and do not commit the Government in any way. They will, however, be of use to the Economic Planning Councils. Boards and Local Planning authorities of the two regions in their future planning, and publication has been arranged so as to facilitate the consultations involved. The findings in the reports and any proposals for action will of course have to be considered in the light of the National Economic Plan, with particular reference to competing claims on the nation's resources; the size of the housing and road programmes agreed for the country as a whole; and the Government's general policies on regional development, the distribution of industry, agriculture, land-use and related matters.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what increases in income were attributed to wages, to salaries and to dividends in the 12 months after the wage and dividend freeze was inaugurated by the publication of Command Paper No. 7321 in February, 1948; and if he will give comparable figures for the 12 months from February, 1949.

The figures are given in the table below. They relate to the changes between the calendar years 1947 and 1949 since figures for years commencing in February are not available. During this period total payments of wages and salaries were increased by the return to civil employment of people demobilised from the Forces; figures for Forces' pay have been given as some indication of the effect of this movement.

	Change from 1947 to 1948		Change from 1948 to 1949
	£ million	%	£ million	%
Wages	+440	+12	+245	+6
Salaries	+215	+12	+155	+8
Pay of the Forces	-162	-41	-10	-4
Payments of Ordinary and preferred dividends*	+18	+4	+10	+2
* Adjusted to exclude changes due to nationalisation.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what is the percentage of women membership of the National Economic Development Committee and the individual Economic Development Committees and the Central Training Council; and whether he will increase this percentage as a gesture of encouragement to industry to appoint more women to top managerial posts.

The table below sets out the percentage of women members of the bodies concerned.

	Per cent.
National Economic Development Council	Nil
Economic Development Committees:
Building	Nil
Chemical	Nil
Civil Engineering	Nil
Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery	Nil
Distributive trades	27
Electrical Engineering	Nil
Electronics	6
Food Processing	Nil
Machine Tool	7
Mechanical Engineering	Nil
Movement of Exports	6
Paper and Board	Nil
Rubber	Nil
Wool Textiles	Nil
Central Training Council	10

Members of these bodies are appointed with regard to their suitability, position and qualifications and not according to whether they are men or women. Only when industry increases the number of women in its top managerial posts can this be reflected in the membership of these bodies.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs when he expects to publish the first reports from the regional planning boards and, in particular, that of the Yorkshire and Humberside Board.

Advice from regional Economic Planning Boards to Ministers and to Economic Planning Councils will normally be confidential and will help us carry forward our regional planning on a continuing basis.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will now announce their conclusions on the South-East Study; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave on 15th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Boston) and the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Sir J. Fletcher-Cooke).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Senior Depute Director of Education, a principal legal assistant from the Town Clerk's office, the Depute City Architect and a representative of the architect commissioned for the College of Nautical Studies project, who accompanied the deputation of three members from Glasgow Corporation Education Committee invited to meet the Joint Under-Secretary of State in London on 15th July to discuss the delay in starting the erection of the college, were excluded from the meeting, as the purpose of the talks was of a technical nature involving the question of the cost of the building obtained by tender; and what was the outcome of the meeting.

On 15th July my hon. Friend entertained to lunch three members of the Glasgow Education Committee in order to have an informal discussion with them, at their request. She was not aware until later that any officials of the Corporation were also in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified physiotherapists are employed in the National Health Service in Scotland; what is his estimate of the total number required; and what steps are being taken to recruit trainees.

As at September, 1964, there were 580 physiotherapists employed in the National Health Service in Scotland. This provides adequate cover, but about 90 more would be required to fill all vacancies. The physiotherapy schools have no shortage of applicants for training and the immediate problem is shortage of physiotherapy teachers. Steps are being taken to remedy this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland by what means opportunities for, and conditions in, overseas service under the auspices of Voluntary Service Overseas and the Ministry of Overseas Development, respectively, are made known to senior pupils in Scottish schools.

I would refer the hon. Member generally to the Answer given on 20th July by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Overseas Development to my hon. Friends the Members for Ealing, North (Mr. Molloy), Carlisle (Mr. Ron Lewis) and Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renée Short). Besides making the opportunities for Voluntary Service known through the Head Teachers' Association of Scotland and the Association of Headmistresses of the United Kingdom, V.S.O. has two local committees who also provide information on voluntary service. Visits to Scottish schools are made by representatives of V.S.O. as frequently as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that young children at Hacklet, in Benbecula, have to cross wet bogland, a dangerous open drain and rough ground on their way to and from school and whether he will invite and assist Inverness County Council to provide an access road to the main island road, in view of the hardship suffered by the children and other residents in the township.

The education authority has recently altered its transport arrangements so that the children's walk to the main road is reduced to about three-quarters of a mile. I understand that a proposal for an access road to Hacklet is on the county council's list of possible future township road schemes, but it is for the council to decide its priority on that list. In so doing it will no doubt take account of the nature of the walk the children still have to make.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that Scottish farms provide adequate living standards for both sexes for Irish workers on potato harvesting; and what steps he takes to protect their standards of living and conditions of work.

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1950, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that adequate living standards are provided for workers engaged in potato harvesting. I have no reason to think that the requirements they lay down are not being generally observed, but any representations I receive will be brought to the notice of the authority concerned. As regards conditions of work, the regulations made under the Agriculture (Safety, Health, Welfare Provisions) Act, 1956, apply to Irish workers as to all other agricultural workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much lime has been aplied under the Agricultural Lime Scheme 1964 to the most recent date for which information is available; how much of this lime is produced in Scotland, England and Ireland; and how much subsidy has been paid in respect of each of these sources.

The information is, I regret, not readily available precisely in the form requested by the hon. Member. In the period from 1st August, 1964, when the 1964 Scheme came into operation, to 30th June, 1965, subsidy has been paid on 4,306,000 tons of lime. The following table shows where this tonnage was produced, the tonnage delivered in each part of the United Kingdom and the subsidy paid on those deliveries.

	Production	Deliveries
	Tons	Tons	Subsidy Paid
			£
England and Wales	3,712,000	3,382,000	4,778,000
Scotland	279,800	613,000	1,344,000
Northern Ireland	315,000	311,000	446,000

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce regulations providing for the control of motor rallies in Scotland; and when he will do so.

I have decided, after consulting the Association of County Councils and the Chief Constables (Scotland) Association, that motor rallies in Scotland should be subject to the same control as in England and Wales, and the Royal Automobile Club have offered to act as the controlling body for Scotland also. After further discussion with the Royal Automobile Club, I have decided that Scottish regulations need not be introduced until next year when some experience of working the system in England and Wales will have been gained. I am glad to say that few rallies in Scotland have led to serious public complaint so far.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for setting up a central agency to facilitate mutual transfers between municipal tenants in different local authority areas; where the agency will be located; how many staff will be employed; and if he will make a statement.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a recent circular letter to local housing authorities announcing arrangements under which Paisley Town Council will operate a register of persons seeking exchanges of tenancies between different local authority areas.I am most grateful to the Town Council for generously providing this useful service which will contribute to the Government's efforts to secure greater mobility of labour in the economy. The work will be undertaken by the Burgh Factor without additional staff.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what steps she is taking to bring to the attention of Commonwealth Governments the latest developments in the effective treatment of leprosy; and what measures of direct financial aid is given to Commonwealth countries for specific leprosy campaigns.

My Department does not directly inform Commonwealth Governments of developments in the treatment of leprosy; but this information is contained in the Tropical Diseases Bulletin, towards the cost of which my Department contributes, and to which all these Governments subscribe.With regard to the second part of the Question, my Department is not at present assisting any specific leprosy campaign in a Commonwealth country. It is, however, contributing approximately £15,000 towards three leprosy research projects within the Commonwealth.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what contribution her Department makes, or intends to make, towards voluntary organisations or societies that are engaged on specific leprosy campaigns.

The main function of my Department is to offer such capital and technical assistance to the developing countries as is requested by their governments. It does not normally give financial assistance to voluntary organisations.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will approve the scheme submitted to him by Surrey County Council for the proposed Old Oxted by-pass on the A.25.

I am ready to make grant available for an approved scheme when the Surrey County Council has received the necessary planning consent from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to improve the signposting of roads leading to motorways to ensure that repeater directions are erected at all junctions or roundabouts on the approaches to motorways.

The first section of the Traffic Signs Manual, published last December, dealt comprehensively with the use of all directional signs. It stressed the need for local highway authorities to ensure that all routes leading to motorways are well signed.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on his plans for speeding up the improvement of connections between the M.1, M.5, and M.6, to reduce the serious congestion which exists at the present time.

These links are expected to be open to traffic by 1970–71 on present plans, with the link between M.5 and M.6 being completed before the end of 1969. All possible steps will be taken to finish these connections quickly but the practical problems involved in land acquisition and construction make it unlikely that these dates can be much advanced.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will instruct local highway authorities to use a mist spray for verge markings on second and third class roads as an aid to movement and safety, and in view of the facts that it has proved to be long lasting and relatively cheaper than conventional paint marking.

The Road Research Laboratory has in hand a study of the use of various types of material for the edge marking of carriageways. When its report is available I will certainly consider what recommendations I should issue to local highway authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport what were the estimated numbers of licensed road vehicles in Ross and Cromarty county and in the island of Lewis, respectively, at the most recent convenient date; and what were the corresponding figures at the corresponding or nearest date five years ago.

The estimated number of vehicles in Ross and Cromarty with licences current at any time during the quarter ended 30th September, 1964, was 12,990, of which 2,690 were in the Isle of Lewis. The corresponding figures for the equivalent period in 1959 were 9,250 and 1,540 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that a higher limit than 50 miles per hour would be more satisfactory as the third tier for a permanent speed limit, in view of the difficulty of overtaking commercial vehicles at 50 miles per hour; and if he will now introduce such a higher speed limit.

I do not think that speeds of more than 50 m.p.h. would be justifiable on the rural roads with bad accident records which have been chosen for the introduction of this road safety measure. The effects of the 50 m.p.h. limits on traffic flow and safety will be studied when they have been in operation for a sufficient time.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has to secure the improvement of public transport services in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to make a statement shortly with reference to the recent local inquiries and experiments in rural areas.

asked the Minister of Transport how many cases of sabotage on British Railways have involved the saboteurs using loose railway property left near the line; and if he will give a general direction to British Railways to prevent such property being left unattended in the future.

I understand from the British Railways Board that this information is not available. The Board is responsible for the security of railway property; this is not a matter on which a general direction from me would be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make an estimate of the quantity of straw wasted annually for which no agricultural or industrial use can be found; and whether his Department will conduct research into the possibilities of putting this straw to profitable use.

No returns on the utilisation of straw are available and there is no rational basis for estimating the quantity of this commodity which might be put to more rewarding uses than it is. It is thought that out of a total annual supply of 6–6½ million tons, 250,000 tons may be used off farms in paper making and in packing. The remainder is largely used on farms for feeding and bedding animals, for covering clamps and for composting or ploughing in.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the contribution nurses and other personnel from the Commonwealth and Eire are making towards the successful running and maintenance of hospitals in this country, he will give an assurance that the recruitment of such people will not be impeded by legislation to control immigration.

The Government intend to announce their policy for immigration before Parliament rises for the recess, and I must ask my hon. Friend to await the announcement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the current report of the Scottish Anti-Vivisection Society, a copy of which has been sent to him, includes a picture entitled Scottish Vivisection Experiments on Dogs, which shows a simultaneous experiment being carried out on a number of dogs; whether he is satisfied that this multiple experiment was necessary, and that no cruelty was involved; and if he will make a statement.

This picture is a copy of a photograph published in 1932 in a medical journal as part of a report on experiments. The report, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member for information, shows that the experiments were for a purpose allowed by the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876. At this date it is not possible to say what pain, if any, was caused to the animals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are currently in the care of local authorities and registered child welfare organisations; how many of these it is considered desirable for adoption; and, on the basis of previous years' experience, how many it is expected will be adopted.

At the end of March 1964, the number of children in the care of local authorities was 66,281. The number of children who in each year go out of the care of local authorities because they are adopted is about 2½ per cent. of the number in care. The number of children in the care of voluntary organisations at the end of March 1964 was 12,904 (excluding children in the care of local authorities who were being looked after by those organisations). I regret that the other information asked for in the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the figures for the past three years for the number of children in care considered desirable for adoption, the number of applications received from prospective adoptive parents, the number of children who have been adopted, and the number of those still awaiting adoption.

The number of children in the care of local authorities who went out of care because they were adopted was as follows:

Year ending 31st March
1962	1,502
1963	1,643
1964	1,660

I regret that the other information asked for in the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he is giving to reducing the prison population by imposing other forms of penalty on those convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment or less;(2) if he will allow suitable prisoners serving 18 months or more to be released on licence to an increasing extent.

The Royal Commission on the Penal System is considering, amongst other things, whether any changes are desirable in the penalties and methods of treatment available to the courts. In the meantime my right hon. and learned friend has it in mind to propose certain changes in the administration of medium and long-term sentences of imprisonment, but he is not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for improving the mental health services of the Prison Department.

I cannot at present add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 4th February.

asked the Postmaster-General what additional areas outside London are being affected by the strike of telephone operators.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a further statement on the industrial dispute involving telephone operators.

I am glad that the unofficial action by certain night telephone operators which took place last week was called off on Friday. I greatly regret the inconvenience to the public in Bradford, Leeds, Hemel Hempstead and parts of London and Northern Ireland.

asked the Postmaster-General what is his policy with regard to the compulsory sharing of private exclusive telephone lines when the line is one on which confidential, professional conversations are necessarily held, even though the line itself is not a business line.

We try, whenever possible, to give people the type of service they want, but where plant is short we have to insist, firmly and impartially, that all new and removing residential subscribers share their lines if called upon to do so in order to provide service for a new applicant. Many people use their home telephones for confidential or professional conversations and in deciding who should share it would be impossible to differentiate fairly between the many varying claims. If I am to meet the present heavy demand for telephones, I must retain for the time being the fullest use of shared service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that practically all other telephone administrations in the world have changed or are changing to a wholly numerical numbering system; how this country will be able to enjoy the full benefits of international dialling under its present system; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The telephone numbering system at present used in this country is incompatible with the full development of international dialling. Moreover, it is no longer adequate to meet the expected growth of telephones in London after about 1970. The time has now come to replace it by a wholly numerical one. New arrangements will, therefore, be introduced gradually, starting early next year. For the convenience of hon. Members, I am sending each one a Paper explaining the changes in detail: copies of this Paper are also being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Minister of Aviation, in view of the congestion of passenger handling facilities at London Airport and the growing demand for suitably timed direct flights from the Midlands to Continental destinations, if he will consult operators with a view to providing such services from Elmdon airport.

The development on a sound economic basis of international services from Elmdon and other provincial airports is highly desirable. Such services cannot, however, be mounted against the commercial judgment of the airlines.My Department is currently conducting a Survey of points of origin and destination in the United Kingdom of air passengers on routes between London and the Continent and this information will be made available to help operators judge the strength of potential demand from points outside London. I shall be happy to consult with interested operators in regard to particular services.It will remain necessary for intending operators to satisfy the Air Transport Licensing Board and procure the appropriate licences and in some cases for my Department to secure traffic rights.