asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in view of the fact that the present Government has increased arms expenditure by £121 million per annum, if he will now reduce that expenditure by more than his promised £100 million; since the nation is getting deeper into debt, if he will appoint an all-party Committee to investigate and recommend what further cuts may be possible; and if he will make a statement.

Estimates for 1965–66 were greater by £46 million, or 2·3 per cent., in real terms than those for 1964–65 and I explained in the Statement on the Defence Estimates how much smaller this increase was than that planned by the previous Administration. To the remainder of the Question, the Answer is "No".

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will introduce legislation to ensure that National Assistance Board payments to retirement pensioners or others should include an additional payment in areas where concessionary public transport fares are not in force.

No. The grants made by the National Assistance Board are related to individual requirements, and it would be inappropriate for the Board to make general additions to large numbers of old persons' grants solely because they live in an area where there is no concessionary fares scheme.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will give the dates of the meetings of the National Economic Development Council which have taken place since 15th October, 1964, indicating which members of the Council attended each meeting.

The following are the dates:

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (1) in view of the near bankruptcy of the nation, if he will introduce emergency legislation freezing wages, salaries, rents, dividends, and all other forms of personal incomes for a period of two years, and drive for lower prices, so as to help those living on small fixed incomes and the exporting industries; and if he will make a statement;(2) if, in order to shock the nation into a realisation of the state of the economy, he will give instructions for the printing of food and clothes ration books similar to those used after the war, in case the country is unable to pay for the food imports, which in 1964 cost £1,624,586,227 and rationing has to be reintroduced; and if he will make a statement.

No. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer informed the House on Tuesday of the measures which the Government judge it appropriate to take in our present economic situation. We shall have an opportunity to debate these matters on Monday.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether that part of the North-West Study Group's Report which applies to Westmorland and Cumberland will be made public; and when.

Not at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will now make a statement on teachers' pensions.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement on public service pensions made by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in a Written Answer to the hon. Member for Belfast (South), on 22nd July.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of business colleges which have been opened for management and supervisory courses during 1965.

The new Business Schools at the Universities of London and Manchester will open later this year. Additional accommodation recently provided at technical and other colleges maintained by local education authorities is enabling more provision to be made for management and supervisory courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what will be the total capital cost of the business college constructed in Manchester;(2) what will be the total capital cost of the business college constructed in London.

The Working Party under the Chairmanship of Lord Norman-brook estimated that the total capital cost of constructing a Business School at Manchester was not likely to exceed £1 million, but that, due to the higher cost of a site in London, the capital cost of the London Business School would be something between £1,180,000 and £1,430,000. It is not possible to give more precise estimates until the sites of the two schools have been finally settled and detailed plans prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what will be the annual cost of running and maintaining the new business college in Manchester;(2) what will be the annual cost of running and maintaining the new business college in London.

The Normanbrook Report estimated that the net recurrent cost of running and maintaining the new Business Schools in Manchester and London would be about £101,000 each in the first year, rising to £166,000 when they reached full capacity in the eighth year. I understand that the Business Schools have prepared fresh estimates of cost in the light of current salaries and prices and that these are being examined by the University Grants Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what is the gross expenditure allocation for 1965–66 for the training of management.

Courses in management education are provided in universities and in technical colleges and colleges of commerce run by local education authorities. The total expenditure on these courses is not separately identifiable.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the annual cost of the training of management and supervised courses by local education authorities for the years 1963 and 1964.

Separate figures are not available for these courses as distinct from other ones in the same colleges.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students are taking part in the courses provided for the Diploma in Management Studies; and what is the total annual cost for these students courses.

In the 1964–65 session there were 3,245 students enrolled in 95 courses leading to the Diploma in Management Studies. Information about the total annual cost of these courses is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the average amount of weekly broadcasting time in each of the last 10 years to the nearest convenient date in each of the languages in which the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services broadcast, specifying the countries concerned.

The average amount of weekly broadcasting time by the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years, as at 31st March each year, is shown in the table which I am arranging to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The languages in which the broadcasts are transmitted are listed; I have not specified the countries concerned since certain language broadcasts are heard in more than one country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the total cost of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years.

The total cost of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

	£
1955–56	4,830,000
1956–57	5,234,000
1957–58	5,487,000
1958–59	5,639,000
1959–60	6,111,000
1960–61	6,019,000
1961–62	6,742,000
1962–63	6,879,000
1963–64	7,383,000
1964–65	8,753,000

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which of the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services have been cut; which have been expanded; which have been abolished; which have been started over the past 10 years to the latest convenient date; and if he will give the countries concerned as well as the languages.

Cuts and increases in the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services over the past 10 years, as at the 31st March of each year, are shown in the table annexed to the answer to your Question No. 1. In the details given below I have not specified the countries concerned as certain language broadcasts are heard in more than one country.In the past 10 years the following services have been abolished:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the total average amount of weekly broadcasting in the British Broadcasting Corporation's External Services in each of the last 10 years.

The total average amount of weekly broadcasting in the B.B.C.'s External Services in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

	hours	minutes
1956	559	45
1957	605	30
1958	564	45
1959	575	30
1960	601	00
1961	596	15
1962	603	45
1963	610	00
1964	617	15
1965	638	45

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the refusal of training hospitals on the grounds of their agnosticism of applicants wishing to train for nursing, what representations he has received on this matter; and what reply he has sent.

The Havering Humanist Society wrote to me recently about a case which occurred some years ago. I will send my hon. Friend a copy of my reply in which I say that I deprecate discrimination of any kind.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that the visiting hours of hospitals in Clapham have been fixed so as to provide the maximum amount of visiting time at convenient hours, taking into account all medical considerations; and if he will make a statement.

At the South London Hospital for Women and Children adult patients may be visited each afternoon and evening and children at any time from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; at the Weir Maternity Hospital patients may be visited each afternoon and evening; at the Jewish Home of Rest patients may be visited at any time between 3 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., except on the Sabbath; these arrangements seem to me to be reasonable.

asked the Minister of Health what amount was spent on improvements to the hospitals in Clapham in each of the last three years; and what proposals he has for further improvements in the next three-year period.

£8,200 in 1962–63, £17,000 in 1963–64 and £26,000 in 1964–65. In 1965–66 about £42,000 will be spent on the completion of the new maternity unit at the Weir Maternity Hospital; in addition an extension to the Jewish Home of Rest will be completed at a total cost of £34,000 from non-Exchequer funds.

asked the Minister of Health what is the shortage of nurses in each of the hospitals in Clapham; and what steps he proposes to take to recruit more nurses to these hospitals.

At 30th June last the South London Hospital for Women and Children required 26 nurses, the Jewish Home of Rest two and the Weir Maternity Hospital eight. The South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board have a continuing recruitment programme for nurses for these and other hospitals in the Region where vacancies exist.

asked the Minister of Health what functions in connection with aid for the developing countries have been transferred from his Department to the Ministry of Overseas Development; and what reductions have been made in the establishment of his Department as the result of such transfer.

None; the second part of the Question does not, therefore, apply.

asked the Minister of Health if he will review the existing salary gradings of registration officers; and whether, for the avoidance of doubt, he will introduce legislation to define their legal employer.

I am informed that a claim on behalf of registration officers was recently submitted to the National Joint Council which negotiates their salaries. In the circumstances I think it preferable not to pursue, for the time being, the proposal for an inquiry into their pay and conditions of service. I do not consider that the legislation suggested in the second part of the Question is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the latest cuts in Government expenditure will lead to substantial unemployment, if he will now seek to ban all immigration into this country, and so reduce the danger of social unrest arising from competition for jobs between newly-arrived immigrants and those already here and the British workers; and if he will make a statement.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the forthcoming statement on the Government's policy for Commonwealth immigration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the Question about a Pakistani immigrant put to him by the hon. Member for Oxford for answer on 27th July.

The Question was answered on 29th July.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he has now reached a decision on the application by the Irthlingborough Urban District Council to develop a site in Addington Road, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire as an industrial estate.

My right hon. Friend has called the application in for decision, and a public local inquiry will be arranged as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now give the date upon which he will complete his review of the Berkshire County Map.

This depends upon the outcome of the review of the South-East Study.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress has been made with the slum clearance programme in Wandsworth, and in particular in the Clapham division, in the last three years; what is the planned number of slum houses which it is proposed to demolish in the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

The number of slums cleared by the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was 63, 29, and 21 for 1962, 1963 and 1964, respectively. These figures do not include unfit houses cleared by the L.C.C. whose practice was to submit comprehensive figures for the County of London. Figures for future slum clearance programmes have not been submitted for individual years, but the joint clearance programme for the London Borough of Wandsworth, submitted by the Borough Council and the G.L.C., proposes the clearance of 459 unfit dwellings during the period 1966–70. Separate figures for the Parliamentary division are not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many council houses were completed in the borough of Wandsworth, Clapham division, in each of the last three years; and how many will be completed in 1965 and 1966.

Details of council houses built are not recorded by reference to Parliamentary divisions. The number of houses built by the Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough Council was 316, 339 and 640, for 1962, 1963 and 1964, respectively. The Council of the London Borough of Wandsworth have submitted a programme proposing the building of 597 and 855 dwellings in 1965 and 1966 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what specific grants he has made for management training in various industries, and to which industries.

None. Industrial Training Boards are empowered to pay grants in respect of management training for persons employed or intending to be employed in their industry; and the Construction, Engineering, Wool, and Shipbuilding Boards have announced their intention of doing so.

asked the Postmaster-General how many people are awaiting the connection of telephones in Clapham; and when he expects that these connections will all be made.

Nine people are awaiting the provision of private coin box lines in the three exchange areas mainly serving Clapham, and have declined an offer we made to provide temporary residential lines in the meantime. Special coin box equipment is necessary at the telephone exchange for the type of line required. This is planned, but is unlikely to be ready before September, 1966.There are no other applications for telephone service on the waiting list in Clapham, but a number of residential subscribers are also waiting for coin box facilities.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will arrange for details of the individual trunk numbers called to be shown on the subscribers' accounts.

No. To provide this detail for all calls would add substantially to the cost of the telephone service. Details about individual calls made via the operator are given freely on request, and details of all such calls can be had as a regular arrangement for a small charge. Dialled trunk calls are recorded on subscribers' meters in chargeable units and no details of individual calls are available, but meters rented from the Post Office and installed at subscribers' premises may provide a useful check.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the difficulties of television reception in areas, such as Clapham, where the population live mainly in flats; and what proposals there are for improved reception in the Clapham area.

The B.B.C. and I.T.A. tell me that reception in Clapham of their services should be generally satisfactory if suitable receiving aerials are used.Reception in blocks of flats can often be improved by the use of communal aerials.

asked the Minister of Power what was the duration of each of the two meetings of the Energy Advisory Council which took place on 8th February, 1965 and 13th May, 1965.

About three quarters of an hour and one hour and a quarter respectively, but the quality of discussion is not measured by the clock.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in future, he will arrange for the publication of the monthly balance of trade figures to be published only on a full balance of payments basis.

The only figures of the trade balance officially published are on a balance of payments basis. The crude balance obtained as the difference between the value of exports and re-exports (f.o.b.) and that of imports (c.i.f.) is misleading in that the import valuation includes insurance and freight which, in so far as they are paid abroad, are included in the invisibles account in the balance of payments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he is aware that when Mr. George Whyte of Lablanc Limited of London made direct representation to his Department by cable from Perth, Australia, no reply was received by Mr. Whyte from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for three weeks; and if he will look into this situation and ensure that similar delays do not occur in future;(2) if he is satisfied that the Export Credits Guarantee Department is sufficiently flexible in its approach and that its decisions are based upon proper commercial considerations; what consideration is given by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to opportunities to gain a foothold in new markets by the extension of special credit facilities; and what research facilities are available to the Export Credits Guarantee Department to evaluate such opportunities;(3) why Mr. George Whyte, of Lablanc Limited of London, was refused a five-year credit cover by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to enable him to obtain a contract in Perth, Australia, which, as confirmed by the High Commissioner, would have enabled this company to open up an export market in Western Australia with great potential;(4) if he is aware that the Export Credits Guarantee Department was only willing to grant Mr. George Whyte, of Lablanc Limited, the required five-year credit cover if he could prove that any of this country's competitors were extending similar terms; and to what extent his policy in this regard is dictated by the need to follow other countries.

I have written to the hon. and gallant Member about this case. A telegram from Mr. Whyte to E.C.G.D. dated 27th May was answered by telegram on 28th May. A second telegram from Mr. Whyte addressed to me personally on 6th June was never received.Mr. Whyte wished to offer seven years' credit on an Australian order for hotel furnishings worth approximately £48,000. E.C.G.D. offered to cover three years' credit, which was as favourable a credit offer as the buyer received from anyone, and a rather long period of credit for such materials. E.C.G.D. was in touch throughout with the British Government's commercial officers in Australia.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will reconsider his decision to turn down an application from the urban district council of Potters Bar for a pedestrian crossing adjacent to The Elm's Clinic, High Street, Potters Bar, bearing in mind that the latest pedestrian census by the urban district council showed that on 12th May, 1965 a total of 1,040 people crossed the road at the point of the proposed site between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

I think that a pedestrian crossing would not be the right answer to the problem at this site, but I will consider whether other measures can be taken to improve conditions here for pedestrians, and I will write to the right hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the formation of a voluntary road safety group in Clapham called the Clapham Road Vigilantes Committee; what official aid is available for such voluntary groups; and if he will make a statement.

Advice or assistance for voluntary groups seeking to promote road safety is usually a matter for their local authority. Guidance for local authorities generally on matters of publicity and training is provided by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. While I am always glad to learn of voluntary groups whose work is directed towards improving road safety the powers which I have for financial assistance are extremely limited, and I am afraid they would not apply to this organisation.

asked the Minister of Transport how many driving examiners are available in the Swindon area; how many persons are now waiting to take driving tests; and what is the length of time such persons now have to wait for a test after applying.

There are normally five examiners. About 2,150 people are waiting for tests and the waiting period is 15 weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of local authorities granting concessionary public transport fares to retirement pensioners or others.

This information is not available to me. Local authorities which run transport undertakings may introduce concessions under the Travel Concessions Acts at their discretion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to arrange that Her Majesty's Stationery Office will make available for sale to the public all Bank of England publications including the Quarterly Bulletins and Annual Report.

The Annual Report is presented to Parliament. It is subsequently put on sale by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. It can also be obtained direct from the Bank. The Quarterly Bulletin is issued by the Bank's Economic Intelligence Department. It is available free of charge on application to that department. These are the Bank's only two regular publications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the size of foreign and Commonwealth investment in Great Britain, the trading profits accruing from these investments in the last recorded year, the tax paid on these profits to the British Government, and the sum reinvested in Great Britain from after-tax profits.

The following is the information available. It relates to overseas direct investment in the United Kingdom, excluding investment by oil and insurance companies.

	£ million
	Commonwealth Countries	Other Countries
Net book value of direct investments in the U.K. at end 1962*	155	1,345
Total earnings, net of U.K. tax, 1963	13	155
Re-invested profits, 1963	8	82
* Excludes also banking investments.

Figures of gross earnings and of United Kingdom tax paid are not available, but the tax may be approximately estimated as a little under one half of gross earnings or, consequently, a little less than the figures of net earnings given above.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures have been introduced to enable him to deal with the problem of tax avoidance mentioned in paragraphs 108 to 111 of the Third Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1961–62; and what increase to the Inland Revenue has accrued.

Inspectors of Taxes have been authorised to call for returns under Section 20, Finance Act 1956, of payments made to sub-contractors, and arrangements have been made within the Inland Revenue Department for the prompt following up of individual cases. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of these arrangements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the measures relating to the control of municipal house purchase schemes will apply to Scotland; and what will be the estimated effect.

As my right hon. Friend said in his statement on 27th July, lending by local authorities on mortgage for house purchase will, with their co-operation, be restricted to the average of the three years ended 31st March, 1965. In Scotland, lending by local authorities is already running at about this average rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for dealing with the shortage of administrative class civil servants.

Full use will continue to be made of manpower resources within the Service by class-to-class promotions to the Administrative Class. In addition, the Civil Service Commission have this year extended the scope of the competitions for direct entry Principals; there are two current competitions, one for candidates between the ages of 30 and 35 and the other for older candidates up to the age of 52. These measures alone will not, however, make good the immediate shortage. In these circumstances a number of industrial and commercial organisations and the universities have been asked to consider releasing able and adaptable people for temporary employment in the Civil Service. Those chosen will mostly be aged between 30 and 40 and they will serve as Temporary Principals for about two years. They will bring valuable experience with them and I hope in due course it will be possible to further the exchange of experience between the Civil Service, the universities and industry by arranging temporary secondments of Civil Servants on a reciprocal basis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the recent borrowings of £950 million from the International Monetary Fund and Central Banks are in terms of gold, dollars and other hard currencies; if they are repayable in those currencies; if he will take still harsher action to restrict home consumption so as to avoid devaluation of sterling which would increase the burden of repayment of these loans; and if he will make a statement.

The drawings on the International Monetary Fund and the parallel Swiss loan, amount together to £900 million, and are repayable in convertible non-sterling currencies. The second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what impact the building of the Severn Bridge has had on predictions of the distribution of the population of South Wales.

I am confident that the building of the Severn Bridge will increase the potential for economic growth not only of the South-Eastern part of Wales but of South Wales as a whole.