asked the Secretary of State for Wales what further recommendations he has received from Richard Thomas and Baldwins Limited with regard to the iron ore ports; and whether he will make a statement.

None. My right hon. Friend has at present nothing to add to the information given during the Welsh Grand Committee debate on 14th July.

Perhaps I may first refer to the fact that there are hon. Members from both sides of the House receiving bardic honours at the Welsh National Eisteddfodd today—the first time that this has ever happened to so many Members of Parliament. I am sure the House would wish to congratulate them.

I feel sure that there will be an opportunity for a debate, as we recognise that this is a very important matter. I can assure the hon. Member that Richard Thomas and Baldwins want to decide as soon as possible, but it is not likely to be before October, although we hope that it will not be delayed long after.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the report of his consultants on the proposed new town in Mid-Wales.

By 31st December next.

In view of the news given last Tuesday, does the Secretary of State still consider this as a feasible project, or does he think that in the circumstances in which we find ourselves, plans for a new town in Wales are virtually pie in the sky?

I cannot agree with the hon. Member. I think that we are quite confident that a new town will be established in Mid-Wales in the near future. As the hon. Member knows, the matter is in the hands of consultants, and we hope to get some definite report by 31st December.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the road programme in Wales.

My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to make an announcement about the Welsh road programme as a whole up to 1971. The Chancellor's statement will not affect schemes already started. Nor will it affect schemes due to start in the next six months but which are for development districts or areas of high unemployment, or for providing access to ports, or are needed to complete or extend projects already started.

I thank the Under-Secretary of State for that information, which is slightly encouraging. One recognises that there are economic factors that may cause delay in the further programme. Will the hon. Gentleman ensure that his right hon. Friend keeps the situation very much before his Cabinet colleagues, as the road programme has considerable significance for the future economy of Wales?

I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's remarks, and I can assure him that I will keep in close touch with my right hon. Friend and watch these developments as much as possible. If the hon. Member has any scheme particularly in mind and will communicate with I will endeavour to answer him.

Can the hon. Gentleman say anything specific in regard to the road programme east to west? Has he any particular announcement to make about this?

No, I have no statement to make at the moment. As I have said, the whole programme up to 1971 is under consideration. No doubt, if the hon. Member puts down a Question for Answer after the Summer Recess, we shall consider it.

How much of the road programme has to be postponed in Wales because of the Chancellor's statement? Are there to be any postponements at any particular time in Wales?

It may be postponed, but at present that will not affect present plans. It is impossible to say, at the moment, what may be postponed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for giving increased information in the future about Welsh affairs and the work of his Department.

The former Welsh Office of the Central Office of Information has become the Information Division of the Welsh Office and my right hon. Friend has asked it to give the fullest possible information about the work of his Department and about Welsh affairs generally.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that many people feel that Wales is faring worse rather than better since the appointment of his right hon. Friend? For example, is the hon. Gentleman aware that a day for discussion of Welsh affairs for the first time for many years has been relegated to the dregs of this Session? Is this not derisory treatment of the new approach to Welsh affairs which we were promised prior to the election?

We used to have complaints at one time because Welsh affairs were debated at the end of the Session before the Summer Recess and left to the fag end of the Session, but now we shall have a day to debate them as soon as we come back before the Session ends. On the general point, if there is any information that we can supply to the hon. Member. we shall do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it a condition of the next grant to the Arts Council that they should require the accounts of the Royal Shakespeare Company to be set out in such a manner as to show the profit and loss of their theatres in Stratford-on-Avon and London, respectively.

No, Sir.

Is the hon. Lady not aware that this company has been producing excellent Shakespeare plays at Stratford-on-Avon year after year and that only since it opened in London has a subsidy from public funds been paid—£40,000 last year doubled to £80,000 this year? With this in mind and the necessity to reduce public expenditure, is it not reasonable that Sir Fordham Flower should prepare his accounts to show where the taxpayers' money is going? Will the hon. Lady ask him to do so?

I agree that there must always be public accountability for public funds, but I would not dream of interfering in the slightest extent with the way in which the Arts Council allocates its money and the companies it chooses to support.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of direct grant schools, in view of his policy of achieving an integrated system of state and public schools.

I have already made suggestions in my recent circular on secondary education which I hope will encourage a closer integration of direct grant schools with local schemes of comprehensive organisation.

Is it not the right hon. Gentleman's avowed intention eventually to destroy direct grant schools? Would it not be better to end this double-talk so that those responsible for the administration of direct grant schools may know exactly where they stand?

My avowed intention is clearly set out in the circular, which states:

"The Secretary of State looks to both local education authorities and the governors of direct grant schools to consider ways of maintaining and developing this co-operation in the context of the new policy of comprehensive education."

Does the reference in the circular to changes in curricula mean that the Minister has in mind nonselective direct grant schools as to the level of education? Will he bear in mind that many people who are by no means diehards on secondary school organisation none the less feel real difficulties about keeping grammar school traditions if all the very finest of the grammar schools are to disappear as separate institutions, and that the anxieties are particularly strong in the case of direct grant schools?

I have taken the view from the start that it is quite impossible to lay down a single national policy for the future of direct grant schools partly because they vary enormously—some are large and some small, some are denominational and some are undenominational—but, as the right hon. Member is almost certainly aware, discussions are going on to see whether the direct grant schools by certain changes, for instance in age of entry and standards of attainment, might be able to fit in with the reorganisation.

Will my right hon. Friend not agree that in many direct grant schools the range of ability is very much broader than in maintained grammar schools and that therefore they are appropriate to provide some sort of comprehensive education?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the recent decision of the Football Association not to allow live televising of any football matches next season except the Football Association Cup, if he will reconsider his decision to make a grant from public funds to certain Football League clubs for World Cup matches.

No, Sir. The purpose behind the Government aid to the Football League clubs in question is to ensure that the accommodation and facilities at the grounds of those clubs are up to the required standard for the World Cup matches. The grants have no relation to the policy of the Football Association in relation to live television. In any event, the World Cup games themselves will be televised live and there is an understanding to this effect between the Government and the football authorities.

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether he will informally request the Football Association to reconsider this question of televising football matches? As there are long-term benefits which the Football Association will receive from a grant from public funds, would it not be in the interest of the public, particularly old-age pensioners, the sick and infirm, if they could enjoy the benefits of seeing football matches on television?

This is a matter for the Football Association, but one cannot escape the fact that when events of this kind are televised live it has an almost catastrophic effect on the gates. And the question of maintaining the gates and the atmosphere of sporting occasions is very much in the mind of the Association; but this is the Association's problem, not mine.

Has my hon. Friend any information to give the House about the degree of foreign interest in these events, particularly on the advance sales of tickets?

Yes, there is a tremendous amount of interest. The Football Association has already sold a quarter of a million tickets, and it is particularly heartening to find the tremendous amount of inquiry from the U.S.A., Canada, Central America and South American countries. It rather looks as if this will be a winner in attracting visitors to this country.

Does not my hon. Friend agree that one of the reasons for the decline in attendance at football matches is the standard of facilities provided, especially sanitary facilities, which very often are inadequate and out of date? Is this not the reason for a decline rather than the televising of matches?

There is a lot of truth in that. These are exactly the sort of problems to be looked at in deciding how the seven grounds in question should raise their accommodation standards.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests he has had from sailing and yachting clubs for financial assistance; and what action he has taken.

Since January 1964, 33 applications for grant have been received from sailing and yachting clubs. Twenty-three grants have been made, totalling £44,581. One application has been rejected and nine are under consideration.

Would my hon. Friend consider whether enough publicity is given to the fact that grants are available, particularly as sailing and yachting on the Thames in the Gravesend area has a great local appeal?

Not for the next six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the provision for the education and training of deaf children in east Kent, in particular in the Faversham constituency area; and if he will make a statement.

The general shortage of teachers of the deaf impedes the full development of services for deaf children in many areas. I am not aware of special difficulties in east Kent, where there is a boarding school for deaf pupils. Officers of the Department will be meeting representatives of the universities of Manchester and London later this year to discuss the need for more teacher training places.

Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the difficulties is that, whilst residential training may be needed for some severe cases, it is nevertheless important, particularly for psychological reasons, that the children should be near their home environment? Will he therefore see whether there is a case for extending day facilities, especially since the residential facilities are a long distance away from some places?

Fortunately, the small numbers of deaf children make it imperative that they are given specialist training together, which very often rules out day school training. The educational advantages of giving them whole-time specialist education are overwhelming, although I am happy to tell my hon. Friend that there is increasing co-operation between these schools and ordinary secondary modern and other schools in their localities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to modify the teachers' superannuation scheme so as to abolish or relax the earnings rule for teachers over 70 years of age who continue teaching.

No, Sir. The present arrangements are in line with those that apply to other public service superannuation schemes.

Does not the Minister of State recognise that this operates as a very considerable disincentive to older teachers continuing to teach in the profession? Their services are very valuable in reducing the size of classes, particularly in primary schools. Does not the hon. Gentleman recognise also that the public pension provision is way out of line with what applies in most private pension schemes, where no reduction is made in pension if the employee goes on working after pensionable age?

Yes, I have much sympathy with that point of view, although, if one were going to make a change, one would make it at retirement age, presumably, not at 70, as suggested in the Question. Even if a change were made, there would still be a difficulty in that this would have implications for public service pensions in general.

Would not my hon. Friend agree that most teachers, if not all teachers, who have reached the age of 70 do not wish to do any more teaching? What they want is a decent pension scheme which has some approximation to the cost of living.

Yes. This relates to the question of reviewing public service pensions, which is rather wider than the Question on the Order Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied that enough places will be available at technical colleges to accommodate the additional students who will be taking courses as a result of the Industrial Training Act; and if he will make a statement.

In so far as it is possible to foresee the additional demands for further education courses which will result from the establishment of industrial training boards, I think that it will be possible to meet them.

Has the Minister of State had an opportunity of studying the resolution passed at the Annual Conference of the Association of Education Committees stressing the importance of ensuring that adequate building resources are available to meet the developing needs of technical colleges in relation to industrial training? Therefore, does not the hon. Gentleman think that the restrictions recently imposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of capital expenditure should not apply in this sector?

I have seen the resolution and agree with it. Clearly, the restrictions recently announced are serious restrictions which will have some effect, although we are of the opinion at the moment that they will have less relative effect on this sector than perhaps elsewhere. Technical college building as a whole has increased recently. There is some difficulty in actually getting the projects started on the ground, so that the impact of the Chancellor's announcements will have less effect here in practice than one would think at first sight.

Following our debate 30 hours ago on this matter, may I put this question to the Minister of State? If in the case of some authority there is likely to be very heavy pressure of numbers following the Industrial Training Act, I ask the Minister of State not to rule out the possibility of advancing one or two individual starting dates before the six months has come to an end. Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that constantly in the past when a case for "roofs over heads" has proved overwhelming, whether in the case of schools or technical colleges, this has been done by advancing a project from one programme to another? It would be rather absurd to take too rigorous a view of this merely on economic grounds, bearing in mind that this is the aspect of education which most directly affects economic efficiency.

I do not think that the right hon. Gentleman will expect me to make a unilateral departure from the Statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in answer to a supplementary question. It is true that the impact of demand for day release places resulting from the Industrial Training Act will vary locally. Therefore, the general confidence we have over the country may not be reflected in every locality. We shall watch this situation very carefully and do anything we possibly can.

Would my hon. Friend consider another way of helping in this matter? In certain areas, instead of initiating new building schemes, could not the Ministry encourage the technical college authorities to purchase or to lease disused or for-sale factory premises and the like, bearing in mind that the Statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer was on this score directly related to the existing strains on the building industry and this would obviate the difficulty?

Yes. The kind of arrangements my hon. Friend mentions clearly are second-best arrangements, but they will be necessary in relation to technical colleges and perhaps other educational institutions, and we rely on the authorities concerned to explore all these possibilities carefully in relation to the demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will review the provisions governing religious education in State schools.

No, Sir.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the widespread dissatisfaction which exists among both modern churchmen and humanists at present regulations governing religious education in schools, which often result in teachers being placed in the position of teaching what they do not themselves believe? Is he aware that in some schools it would be impossible to carry out the requirements of the system if all the teachers who desired to do so availed themselves of the conscience clause? Does not my right hon. Friend recognise that this can do considerable damage to religious education, if it is being taught by people who do not themselves accept what they are teaching?

I thought that my hon. Friend was referring in his Question to the actual statutory provisions. If he is referring to the content of courses, I entirely agree with him that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction, and indeed a great ferment of argument, as to the content, both in the denominations themselves and in the teacher-training colleges and elsewhere. As far as I am aware, this discussion which is going on has not yet led to any consensus view as to particular changes which might be made. Until some consensus view has emerged out of the discussion which is now going on, I do not think that any action on my part would be called for.

Whilst recognising the difficulty of dealing with this matter in question and answer, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman if it is not a fact that very great efforts are being made by the denominations involved to work out a sensible and cohesive view on this matter? Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that no change will be made until he has had the fullest possible consultation with all concerned?

I can certainly give that assurance.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that teachers, pupils and parents are very disturbed that the teaching of religion in schools is not in conformity with what children need? I appreciate that this is a very ticklish matter, but will my right hon. Friend tell the House what he can do to induce the various denominations to give some practical effect to bringing in a new curriculum and a better way of teaching religion than is being done at present, which is much more for the form than what is actually needed?

There is nothing that I can do or wish to do in this matter. The fact is, as my hon. Friend mentioned, that a great deal of thought is being given to the question of the curriculum. Almost everybody agrees that as now taught the subject is unsatisfactory in relation to the modes and ideas of today. A great deal of thought is already being given to this. Until this has emerged in some kind of consensus, I would not myself take any initiative in the matter.

Is it not a fact that a very wide range of opinion, both Christian and humanist, is concerned with the importance of religious instruction and the agreed syllabus justifying itself as a curriculum subject and also the agreed syllabus being suitable for older teen-agers? A great deal of thought is being devoted to this at the moment. Would the Secretary of State accept that we on this side fully agree that it would be wrong to take decisions on this subject until these thoughts have matured more than they have at present?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers of students attending universities in Scotland during each of the past five years.

As the information requested involves a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The figures rise from about 18,500 in 1960 to over 22,600 in October 1964.

Would the Minister accept that there are increasing worries on both sides of the House that if this is the rate of increase we shall be turning away large numbers by 1970? Is he aware that these worries have been increased by his noble Friend in another place when he indicated yesterday that the Robbins estimate for 1975 would be achieved by 1970? Could the right hon. Gentleman give some indication of the extent to which Scotland will be exempt from these cuts? Will it be only those universities which are actually in the development areas that will be excluded?

On the last part of the supplementary Question, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee will be totally exempt from the cuts. On the first part of the question, there is, of course, bound to be anxiety whether we can accommodate not just the Robbins figures but people be- yond those figures who fulfil the Robbins criterion and are qualified and wish to have higher education. All I can say is that we are determined to fulfil this requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, following the issue of the appropriate circular, he will now estimate the cost of introducing a system of comprehensive education throughout England and Wales.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave the hon. Member on 1st July.

Will the right hon. Gentleman recall that when he gave me that Answer he replied that he would hope to be able to give the figures as soon as his circular had been issued? It has now been issued. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that among those of us on this side of the House who are not altogether unsympathetic to comprehensive schools it is considered preposterous to say that they cannot be costed? Either we must have some order of priorities or some knowledge of what this gigantic scheme will cost. Is he aware that it will do nothing to help his policy to seek to conceal the figures?

On the first point, one cannot give figures a few weeks after the comprehensive circular has gone out, because it asks the authorities to produce schemes for going comprehensive. The time which it will take for a number of authorities to do this will be considerable and until replies come in we will have nothing based on the comprehensive circular. Even so, I must stress the point once again that one cannot isolate the cost of comprehensive organisation from other costs in the educational system. For example, when a local authority decides to replace two small slum schools by one large comprehensive school, is that cost to be put down to comprehensive reorganisation or to the normal process of improving the schools system? One cannot isolate the one from the other.

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that a more appropriate investigation would be into the cost of not applying comprehensive education?

I entirely agree, I made the point on the last occasion when we discussed this matter that the cost of going comprehensive, such as it is, even if it cannot be measured, will be certainly less than the cost to the country now of the wastage of talent due to maintaining the 11-plus examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now make a statement concerning the future move of the John Innes Institute to Norwich; whether the terms of the original bequest are being carried out in respect of the giving of direct horticultural training to student gardeners; and what he intends to do with the laboratories on the existing site which were completed four years ago at a cost of £150,000 of public money.

The matters to which the hon. Member refers were fully discussed in the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill which is reported in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 4th August. I do not think I can usefully add anything to what was said then.

Will the Minister of State realise that he did not mention the reply to this Question at all when he replied to the debate 30 hours ago? Would he now do so? On the question of the cost of the laboratories and glasshouses there, can he give an assurance to the House that when these are sold they will be used properly and if possible for research, employing the equipment which was given and which was very expensive?

As I understand, the trustees have put up for sale the premises which will be vacated. I have no further information on that point. I promised to write to an hon. Member who raised this subject in debate on the night before last, and give him what information I could obtain on that aspect.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will seek to make provision for the children of part-time teachers to be accommodated and supervised whilst their parents are engaged in teaching.

My right hon. Friend has asked local education authorities to give priority for admission to their nursery schools and classes to the children of qualified married women teachers where this would enable them to return to service. Neither he nor local education authorities have power to make provision for children too young to attend nursery schools or classes.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there are many places where there are schools but there are no nurseries? With a view to ensuring that we have as many part-time teachers as possible, will the hon. Gentleman consider providing some financial incentive where married teachers have to leave their own children with personal friends?

I am not quite sure what the hon. Gentleman means, but I have said repeatedly, and so has my right hon. Friend, that local authorities should be encouraged to establish nursery classes with priorities for teachers' children if this will bring married women back to teaching. Anything that we can do to that end will be done.

Will the hon. Gentleman please answer my question? Will financial assistance be given to teachers to enable them to remunerate friends who will look after their children?

Certainly not. We could not give extra financial assistance to married teachers with children. It would be completely contrary to all the principles of administration.

Is not that a rather complacent reply, having regard to the fact that we are desperately short of teachers and we can only recruit them from among married teachers? As the shortage is really desperate, will my hon. Friend look at this matter again? It may be against some administrative principle, but we need to educate our children and we need teachers to do that.

There is nothing complacent about urging married women to return to teaching and urging local authorities to provide special classes for their children when this can be done, but when we are dealing with teachers' salaries, one cannot ask the House of Commons for something to be done which completely undermines collective bargaining. This is what my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham (Mr. Maxwell) and the hon. Member for Aldershot (Sir E. Errington) are asking.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy towards part-time teachers, who have children below school age, having those children with them in classrooms whilst they are teaching.

My right hon. Friend regards this as a matter for the local education authority.

Are the Government prepared to give some guidance in a matter of this importance.

It would be almost impossible to give generalised guidance, but I am prepared to go a little further and say that if a local education authority feels that such arrangements would not interfere with the general teaching of the class, the Government would be very happy to accept the local authority's assurance on that point.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a series of posters designed to promote better racial understanding for use in schools within areas of high immigrant population.

No, Sir. There is a great variety of information material, including posters, already available to the schools about the Commonwealth and about particular Commonwealth countries.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that my Question related not to the Commonwealth but to race relations? Is he aware that on a recent visit to the United States I and a number of other hon. Members saw a number of posters very effectively used in the city of Philadelphia to this effect? Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that while sometimes it is difficult to persuade older people to change their attitudes of intolerance and prejudice it is most important that similar attitudes should not be allowed to develop among the younger generation? This is what I am asking the hon. Gentleman to do.

I was not aware that the hon. Gentleman recently visited Philadelphia. I am glad to hear it, and if he brought back anything useful I should certainly like to see him and talk it over with him. Generally speaking, it is felt by people engaged in education that posters of this sort might conceivably have the opposite effect of what it is intended. I assure the House that the entire teaching profession, so far as I can see, are determined to encourage the right attitude of mind among all their pupils, irrespective of colour or race.

Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that most children are quite unconscious of the existence of racial distinctions until the idea is put into their heads by their elders? Without knowing exactly what my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley (Mr. Hunt) has in mind, may I say that my own instinct is rather to agree with what the hon. Gentleman has said about the undesirability of attracting attention to distinctions of this kind?

I entirely endorse those sentiments, which are borne out by my personal experience with my own children who attend a school where there is a large number of immigrants. There is absolutely no racial prejudice in such cases until it is injected from outside.

But, whatever one's views on the merits of this particular suggestion, what efforts is the hon. Gentleman's Department making to ensure that it has knowledge of all that is being done in the United States on this subject? Is it not most important that we in Britain should be well advised of every type of effort made to solve this problem in countries overseas?

Certainly. My right hon. Friend and I recently had discussions with people from the United States concerned with the problem, and the question which the right hon. Gentleman has asked will encourage us to make further inquiries in this regard.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he has made in promoting the increased use of programmed teaching machines in school for those subjects for which the use of such teaching aids is appropriate.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 24th June to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Warrington (Mr. W. T. Williams).

I thank the Minister for that reply, but will not he agree that there is an increasing place in education for the use of teaching machines, particularly in those subjects in which it is simply a matter of learning by rote and there is no question of attempting any sort of aesthetic understanding or knowledge of a sense of values? Cannot subjects like primary mathematics, elementary science and so forth, with great advantage, be taught well and more swiftly with teaching machines?

I agree in general terms with what the hon. Gentleman says so long as we bear in mind that this has to be done against the background of proper research, which we are now financing in a number of centres, and, of course, with the consent of the teaching profession. Teachers must themselves be involved in it and introduce the use of teaching machines as an aid to teaching in a way which fits in with other established principles of teaching. This we are encouraging, and expansion is taking place for the reason which the hon. Gentleman has indicated.

Does not my hon. Friend consider that the suggestion made by the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth (Sir E. Boyle), with reference to Question No. 26, about watching American experience is thoroughly appropriate here as well and we might well do more to study what is being done in this matter in the United States?

Yes, Sir. We have established a research and documentation centre for programmed learning in Birmingham which is studying, among other things, what is being done in the United States and other countries where progress has been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what progress has been made with the comprehensive inquiry into the future of football and the problems which beset it; if the inquiry will be in public; whether, in addition to the Football Association and the Football League, all bodies and persons interested in the future well being of football will have the opportunity to present evidence; and if he will make a statement.

The proposed inquiry had to take second place to the problem of organising facilities for the World Cup games, but I am consulting the various football authorities on the desirability of an inquiry and upon its form if one is established. I have not contemplated a public inquiry, which would be unusual in a case of this kind, but all bodies and persons interested in the well-being of football would have the opportunity to give evidence if the inquiry is set up.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but is he aware that many Association Football clubs are anxious to make representations to such an inquiry, and will he ensure, in spite of the difficulties in relation to the World Cup to which he refers, that there will be no undue delay in instituting an inquiry?

I am in communication with all the bodies concerned about the possibility and desirability of such an inquiry. I was not aware that a lot of people were anxious to give evidence—one or two have written to me—but, of course, if an inquiry is established, it will be possible for anyone to give evidence who wishes to do so.

There is also the Parliamentary Sports Committee. Could my hon. Friend get in touch with that?

I am constantly receiving advice from the Parliamentary Sports Committee. Should it wish to give advice also to an independent body, I could arrange for that to be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions the Mountbatten Mission, which is discussing with Commonwealth governments means of regulating the flow of immigrants into this country, has come as to the feasibility and desirability of making health checks in the country of origin.

The report of the Mountbatten Mission will not be published. As regards health checks in the immigrant's country of origin, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on Monday and to the White Paper, Cmnd. 2739, published the same day.

I thank the hon. Lady for that reply. She will realise that this Question has been overtaken by events. It was put down originally because it seemed absurd, if a health check was necessary at all, that it should not be made before a man set out on his journey.

I understand that, and I appreciate what the hon. Gentleman has said. He will now know what the position is.