asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he is taking to increase public access in 1966 to historic buildings in his charge.

Measures to make visits to monuments more interesting and enjoyable are constantly under review by a committee under my chairmanship.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many official motor cars were available for the use of Ministers of the Crown on 15th October, 1964 and 15th October, 1965, respectively.

Forty-five cars were allocated for the use of Ministers in October, 1964; 53 in October, 1965.

asked the Minister of Labour, what proportion of the total population of the United Kingdom is engaged in productive industry; and what are the comparable figures for West Germany, France, Japan and the United States of America.

For persons employed in manufacturing, mining and quarrying, construction and agriculture (including forestry and fishing), the estimates are:

	Percentage of total population
United Kingdom	23·2
U.S.A.	13·5
France	21·2
West Germany	23·0
Japan	28·3

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals Her Majesty's Government have in regard to compulsory transferability of private occupational pension rights on change of employment.

A committee of my right hon. Friend's National Joint Advisory Council is at present considering how wider provision might be made for the preservation of occupational pension rights on change of employment. He will consider what action should be taken in the light of the committee's report.

asked the Minister of Labour, what proportion of the total population of the United Kingdom is employed in the Civil Service, excluding the Armed Forces; and what are the comparable figures for West Germany, France, Japan and the United States of America.

In July, 1965, estimates for the United Kingdom were:

Non-industrial civil servants as percentage of total population
Including General Post Office	Excluding General Post Office
1·5	0·8

Comparable figures are not available for West Germany, France, Japan and the United States of America.

asked the Minister of Labour, how many shipbuilding workers were registered as unemployed in Scotland in October, 1964, and in October of 1960, 1962 and 1963.

1,598 persons whose last employment had been in the shipbuilding and ship repairing industry were registered as unemployed in Scotland at 12th October, 1964. Corresponding figures for October, 1960, October, 1962 and October, 1963 were 5,377, 3,650 and 3,383 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour how many people in Scotland were employed in the shipbuilding industry in October, 1964 and in October, 1960, 1962 and 1963.

Estimates of the numbers of employees in employment in Scotland are available only for mid-year. The numbers employed in shipbuilding and ship-repairing in Scotland at mid-1964 were 33,100. Corresponding figures for mid-1960, mid-1962 and mid-1963 were 43,700, 39,600 and 33,600, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men, women and school-leavers were registered as unemployed at the Crook Employment Exchange at the latest available date; and what were the totals for the corresponding date in 1963 and 1964.

371 men, 44 women and 12 school-leavers were registered as unemployed at the Crook employment exchange and youth employment office at 11th October, 1965. Corresponding figures for October, 1963 and October, 1964 were:

	Men	Women	School-leavers
14th October, 1963	640	91	31
12th October, 1964	393	49	10

asked the Minister of Labour whether grants made by the Engineering Industry Training Board to individual firms for approved training will cover the cost of training courses for shop stewards.

The Board's grants to employers are related, in the main, not to training costs, but to numbers under training; the latter will include persons being trained as shop stewards.

asked the Minister of Labour when it is proposed to ratify the International Labour Office Recommendation on Discrimination in Employment, 1958.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Park) this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of unemployed persons in Batley and Morley, respectively, at the latest convenient date; what percentages these were of the work- ing population; and how these percentages compare with the national average.

The numbers of persons registered as unemployed at employment exchanges and youth employment offices in Batley and Morley at 11th October, 1965, were 128 and 102 respectively. The percentage rates of unemployment were 0·9 for Batley and 0·7 for Morley compared with 1·4 for Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether he will make a statement about Remploy Limited.

Yes. Since the commencement of the present five year programme in April, 1961 Remploy has increased the number of its severely disabled employees by some 500. The present figure of 6,870 is the highest for any year in the company's history. The major part of the additional costs incurred in employing the increased number of disabled has been met by an increase in production and sales and by higher productivity. I am sure that hon. Members would wish to join me in congratulating Mr. Bingen, the Chairman of Remploy, and the directors and staff on this achievement.I have asked Remploy to make plans for a further substantial expansion during the three years ending April, 1969. These plans will be kept under review from year to s year and, each year, plans will be made for a further year ahead. Broadly speaking, the objective is to increase production and sales so that the numbers of severely disabled employees can rise to about 7,650 by 1968–69, priority being given, where possible, to areas of high unemployment.In order to assist Remploy to achieve this object, and to continue to increase its productivity, the Government are prepared to make £1,715,000 available over the next three years by way of loan to cover capital expenditure on new plant and buildings and essential replacements. This represents a substantially higher rate of capital expenditure than in the current programme. The company will also be given additional assistance in meeting its running expenses. It is estimated that during the financial year 1966–67 the grant required for this purpose will be £3,536,000, an increase of £190,000 over the estimate for the current year. The amounts to be provided in subsequent years have been provisionally estimated at £3,644,000 in 1967–68 and £3,564,000 in 1968–69, but the precise level of grant will be reviewed annually.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what representations he has made to the United States Government about their military activities in South Vietnam, including the bombing of villages and the use of irritant and asphyxiating gases.

Her Majesty's Government's representations to other Governments have concentrated on persuading both sides in the Vietnam war to leave the battlefield for the conference table, on the grounds that the only way to end the horrors inherent in modern war is to end the war itself. As the House knows, the United States have said they are ready for unconditional discussions. There has been no official change in the negative response from the other side.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy in the United Nations to treat the seating of the representatives of the Chinese People's Republic, in place of those appointed by the de facto authorities in Formosa, in all the organs of the United Nations as a procedural question to be resolved in accordance with the rules regarding such questions; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government consider that the right organ of the United Nations in which decisions of this kind should be taken is the General Assembly. The United Nations Charter makes no distinction between procedural and non-procedural questions in the General Assembly but lays down that a two-thirds majority is required there for decisions on important ques- tions. Her Majesty's Government believe that the question of a change in Chinese representation, which it supports, is beyond any doubt an important question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which foreign countries apply censorship to the mail of British subjects residing in their territories; and what representations he has made to the Governments concerned.

I have no official information as to which foreign countries apply censorship to the mail of British subjects residing in their territories. Censorship is not prohibited under the Universal Postal Convention and Her Majesty's Government would therefore have no formal grounds on which to base any representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has formed of the defence potential of the hovercraft.

Hovercraft are able to travel over difficult terrain or water at high speeds compared with conventional ground or water transport; additional useful characteristics are their low ground pressure and their low underwater radiated noise. These craft therefore have considerable military potential in such rôles as carriage of personnel, equipment and stores; anti-submarine warfare; air sea rescue; and airfield fire-fighting and rescue work.An Inter-Service Hovercraft Working Party (which includes representation from the Ministry of Aviation) is responsible for continuous review of the defence potential of hovercraft, and the Inter-Service Hovercraft Trials Unit at Lee-on-Solent works under their directions. Contracts have been placed with industry to make proposals for hovercraft to fill various military rôles, including hoverships primarily for anti-submarine warfare, a wheeled hovercraft as a possible replacement for the DUKW, and a hovercraft with a 25-ton payload for logistic support. Research studies are also going on in some of the universities and in Government research establishments.Two SRN5 hovercraft are at present undergoing trials in the Far East in support of the Army and for Naval coastal patrol work. These trials, which so far have been most promising, are due to finish at the end of the year. Further trials are planned to take place in widely differing conditions. Anti-submarine evaluation trials using the SRN3 during the summer demonstrated that within the sea-keeping limits of such a small craft, it had a useful potential. These trials, as well as evaluating operational capability, have to provide information for assessment of maintainability and cost in comparison with conventional alternatives.Very good progress has been made in a relatively short time. It is already clear that hovercraft can well perform a number of military tasks, and that there is the potential for much further development. I expect current trials and research and development studies to provide the basis for decisions on the types of craft which will best meet our operational requirements in the immediate future.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost across the exchanges in respect of each of the items of cost of overseas theatres, as given in his Written Answer of 27th October, 1965.

Foreign exchange expenditure in the current financial year in the major overseas theatres is expected to be about:

£ million
Germany	Mediterranean	Middle East	Far East (excluding Hong Kong)	Hong Kong
85	40	25	70	10

A more detailed analysis is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the details of the proposals Her Majesty's Government have for restoring the purchasing power of Service pensions.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend on 11th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the overall cost of running the department of the Paymaster-General since the beginning of the current financial year.

Up to 31st October, expenditure was £394,000 for Salaries and £62,000 for General Administrative Expenses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees there now are in the department of the Paymaster-General.

At 1st November, the staff numbered 643.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the difficulty to smaller investors in calculating taxable capital gains, he will arrange for an explanatory booklet to be issued with Income Tax forms and made freely available.

Notes explaining the provisions of the Capital Gains Tax will be issued with return forms. An explanatory booklet is in course of preparation and will be made available as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cumulative total of investment in equipment designed to streamline the operation of the Civil Service, excluding the Armed Forces, during the past 10 years.

The cumulative total of expenditure on the provision of office machinery of all kinds for the Civil Service, excluding Defence Departments and the General Post Office during the ten years 1955–56 to 1964–65 was £15,280,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present strength of the Civil Service, excluding Armed Forces personnel; and what percentage of the total working population of the United Kingdom this represents.

Numbers of civil servants in post at 1st July, 1965		Percentage of Total Working Population of the United Kingdom
	(thousands)
Excluding Post Office:
Non-Industrial	420·4	1·6
Industrial	234·5	0·9
Including Post Office:
Non-Industrial	806·0	3·1
Industrial	234·9	0·9

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the probable strength of the Civil Service in 1975, excluding Armed Forces personnel; and what percentage of the total working population of the United Kingdom this figure is likely to represent.

No estimate can usefully be made for 1975.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present annual cost to the taxpayer of Civil Service personnel, excluding Armed Forces personnel, as compared with 1955, and the best estimate he can make for 1975.

The total of nonindustrial Civil Service pay was as follows:

	Excluding Post Office	Including Post Office
	£ million	£ million
Year ended 30th September, 1955	255	386
Year ended31st March, 1965	473	733

No estimate can usefully be made for 1975.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the maximum pensions for 40 years' pensionable service now payable to pensioners who retired on 31st March, 1965, from the following Civil Service grades, namely, clerical officer, executive officer, higher executive officer, senior executive officer, principal and assistant secretary, all figures being based on outer London scales.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Surrey, East (Mr. Doughty) on 7th May, 1965.

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

On the basis of seasonally adjusted figures, personal savings are estimated to have been 9·0 per cent. of personal disposable income in the second quarter of 1965, compared with 7·6 per cent. in the first quarter of 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he will incorporate one or more of the five major hospital building projects currently included in the Eastern Regional Hospital Board's regional development plan in the hospital building programme for the next 10 years.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the publication of the review of the hospital building programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will name the individual capital spending projects which are being slowed down in response to his circular to local authorities drawing attention to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement of 27th July.

Local authorities are not required to report to me all projects which they have decided to defer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimated total amount of interest payments to be made by Scottish local authorities on long-term and short-term capital debts in 1965–66; and what were the totals of interest payments in the years 1963–64 and 1964–65.

Information for 1964–65 and 1965–66 is not yet available. The figure for 1963–4 was £49·7 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information regarding the quality and quantity of water entering the Solway Firth will be obtained by Messers, Baptie, Shaw and Morton at a cost of £10–15,000 that is not already available from the Solway River Board and the Cumberland River Board.

The consultants are to investigate the quantity and quality of potable water which would be made available from the reservoir created by a barrage, and the probable cost. This will involve a study of all the data already available, including, for example, Admiralty charts in relation to storage basin capacities, and such past records as may be available of the former railway viaduct in relation to possible foundation conditions across the Solway. This information will be supplemented by site inspections and local inquiries and will be analysed in consultation with the Geological Survey Office and the Meteorological Office as well as with tidal, fishery and other experts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is his present estimate of the houses which will be completed in 1965 in Scotland.

Around 35,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will take steps to abolish kerbside collection of household refuse; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements for collecting household refuse vary among authorities, and the choice is best left to local discretion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give information regarding the incidence of fowl pest for the past year; and if he will make a statement on research into the comparable effects of the use of live and dead vaccine.

There were 690 outbreaks of fowl pest confirmed in England and Wales in the year ended October, 1965, as compared with 2,517 for the previous 12 months and an average of 2,490 for the same period over the four earlier years. Recent months have shown a greater decline and the figure of 13 outbreaks for October is the lowest recorded for any month since August, 1955 and the lowest for October since 1950.The decline in outbreaks shows that dead vaccine is capable of controlling fowl pest in this country.Research on dead vaccine has included studies on methods of inactivating the virus, on potency and on degree of protection afforded. It is too soon for the results of current research on live vaccine to he evaluated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the potential danger due to cumulative residues of chlorinated-hydrocarbon and organo-phosphorous insecticides and herbicides, what action is being undertaken to protect the public by eliminating all such residues from foodstuffs; and taking into account the success of some of the American programmes of biological insect control, what measures are in hand in this country to develop this alternative to the widespread use of the highly toxic chemicals.

The Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme protects the public from harmful residues of persistent organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in food. Under this Scheme, when Government Departments agree to manufacturers marketing a new chemical or to a new use of an existing chemical, they require safety precautions to be set out on the label. These precautions specify, in cases where such specification is necessary in order to protect consumers from harmful residues, the maximum rate and frequency of application of the pesticide and the minimum interval which should elapse between the last application of the pesticide and the harvesting of the treated crop or consumption of the stored foodstuffs.Research relating to the biological control of insect pests is being undertaken at a number of research institutions and universities in this country, including East Mailing Research Station, the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, the National Vegetable Research Station, the Pest Infestation Laboratory, the Agricultural Research Council Units of Insect Physiology and Virus Research, Cambridge, and the Universities of Aberdeen, Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham, Oxford, London (Imperial College) and Wales (Cardiff). Work in this field is also being undertaken by the Forestry Commission and the National Agricultural Advisory Service.

asked the Minister of Aviation on what date he ordered the market survey report on the VC10 Superb; why it was ordered; who was responsible for and who compiled it; and when he received it.

I commissioned a market survey report on the VC10/DB.265 project on 16th July, 1965, from the Economist Intelligence Unit in collaboration with Mr. Stephen Wheatcroft, to supplement the market research work of my own Department and the manufacturers. Advance copies of the report were received on 4th October.

asked the Minister of Aviation, what airlines have intimated to the market survey team that they would be likely to purchase the VC10 Superb; and how many of the giant subsonic range of aircraft each of the airlines is likely to require.

The interviews conducted by the market research survey team with individual airlines were arranged on the understanding that the individual views expressed would be confidential to the Economist Intelligence Unit and their clients. I cannot, therefore, give the information asked for.

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans he has to build a second runway at Gatwick Airport; and when he expects to begin construction.

Preliminary engineering studies have been made, but no decision has been taken to start the construction of a second runway for London (Gatwick) Airport. It will be for the British Airports Authority, in consultation with my Ministry, to decide how and when they wish to proceed in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will announce the membership of the Councils for England and Wales to be set up under the provisions of the Libraries and Museums Act, 1964.

Mr. Jessup, Secretary to the Oxford University Delegacy for Extra-Mural Studies, has accepted my invitation to be Chairman of the Library Advisory Council for England, and Professor Aaron, Professor of Philosophy, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, has accepted my invitation to be Chairman of the Library Advisory Council for Wales and Monmouthshire. I hope to announce the names of the members of the two Councils within a few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the ninefold increase in the last eight years in the concentration of strontium 90 in the bones of dead children aged about one year, if the Medical Research Council will now consider ways of examining the bones of living children to ensure that none is approaching the danger level.

No practical method is available for the direct measurement of concentrations of strontium 90 in the bones of living children. Such concentrations can, however, be inferred from measurements of levels of dietary contamination.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the cost to public funds in the latest convenient period of 12 months of school meals.

The cost to the Exchequer of school meals supplied during the financial year 1964–65 was as follows:

	£
Net running expenditure on school meals	54,011,000
Capital expenditure from Revenue	6,856,000
Loan charges	3,461,000
	64,328,000

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the cost to public funds in the latest convenient period of 12 months of school milk.

The cost to the Exchequer of free school milk supplied during the financial year 1964–65 was as follows:

	£
Purchase of milk	13,117,000
Overhead expenses	306,000
	£13,423,000

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give an estimate of the cost of implementing the recommendations of the Albemarle Report in the past year.

The Department's expenditure on the Youth Service in 1964–65 was £1,622,000. Local education authority returns for the same year are not yet complete, but their total expenditure is expected to be about £9,850,000.In addition there were substantial contributions to the cost of the service from voluntary sources.

asked the Minister of Health, what are the current salaries paid to junior hospital doctors and the amounts deducted for board and lodging; and what proposals he has for future changes.

The salaries and the deductions for board and lodging are given below; the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration is now engaged in reviewing the level of remuneration.

House Officer
Posts tenable for six months
	Rate of pay per annum	Board and Lodging Charge per annum
		If required to be resident	If resident voluntarity
	£	£	£
First Post	770	175	220
Second Post	855	180	220
Third or Subsequent Post	940	190	220

After holding two approved posts, a medical graduate is eligible for full registration as a medical practitioner and is able to apply for a hospital appointment in a higher grade.

Senior House Officer
Posts tenable normally for one year only
Age 27 or under	1,195	210	255
Age 28 or over	1,255

After holding one post the practitioner may apply for a registrarship.

Registrar
Posts tenable normally for two years
First year	1,425	255	300
Second and any subsequent year	1,595

asked the Minister of Health what training facilities are available for paediatric nurses in Wales; and if he will take steps to increase the existing facilities.

No training facilities for the Register of Sick Children's Nurses are available in Wales as there is no hospital with sufficient children's beds to meet the training requirements of the General Nursing Council. It is not proposed to provide a hospital which would meet these requirements.

asked the Minister of Health how many paediatric beds are available, and how many sick children's registered nurses are employed in Neath; and what are the comparable figures for Wales as a whole.

There are 50 beds under the control of paediatricians in Neath and 602 in Wales. One registered Sick Children's Nurse is employed in Neath and 41 are employed in Wales.

asked the Minister of Health what plans have been approved by the regional board in connection with the hospitals within the Stockport and Buxton Management Committee Group.

I understand that the Board has not yet approved plans for capital expenditure in its region for 1966–67.

asked the Minister of Health when determining the site of a new district general hospital, what is the assumed life of new hospital buildings.

With rare exceptions, the assumption is that hospital buildings will occupy the site permanently. The buildings themselves may be replaced as and when their condition requires and resources permit.

asked the Minister of Health what is the ratio of dentists to patients in the King's Lynn area, in view of the catchment area from the adjacent rural districts; and how this compares with the national average.

The ratio of dentists providing general dental services to the population served in King's Lynn and the surrounding area is estimated as 1 to 7,460. The national average at 31st December, 1964 was 1 dentist to 4,530.

asked the Minister of Health what are the average numbers of patients per doctor in the United Kingdom, and in the city of Carlisle, respectively.

At 1st October, 1964, average numbers of patients on lists were 2,311 (United Kingdom) and 2,611 (Carlisle).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure is to be adopted by the police, when examining the responsibility for a motor accident, in determining whether or not a police prosecution should be instituted; and if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Staffordshire about the case of the constituent of the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth, Mr. J. Conchar of Lichfield, details of which have been sent to him.

I am informed by the Chief Constable of Staffordshire that in all the circumstances of this case he decided that there were not sufficient grounds for prosecution. Responsibility for enforcing the traffic laws rests with chief officers of police, who take great care to ensure that the fullest information is before them before deciding what action is to be taken in individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable on whether recruitment of police, specifically for motorised or motor-cycle road patrol duties, is adequate in the county of Stafford; and whether this force has all the motor vehicles and motor-cycles necessary for the proper enforcement of loading and driving conduct law in the county.

Police are recruited for the full range of police duties and not specifically for road patrol duties. The male strength of the Staffordshire county police was 1,397 on 30th September, 1964, and 1,501 on 30th September, 1965. The authorised establishment of male officers is 1,576 and I am advised by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary that this falls short of what is required for the adequate policing of the area. I recently asked the police authority to review the establishment in relation to the needs of the area and to submit a revised figure for my approval, and I understand that this request is being considered. A proportion of any increase in the establishment would, I am sure, be allocated to the traffic branch and the necessary additional vehicles would be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which county constabulary is responsible for the motorised patrolling of A.453 road, Tamworth-Nottingham, in the section of the road between Tamworth and Thorpe Constantine parish.

The greater part of this stretch of road lies in Staffordshire and is policed by the Staffordshire County Constabulary. The remainder is in Nottinghamshire and is policed by the Nottinghamshire County Constabulary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last five years, in the case of original sentences passed both in magistrates' and higher courts involving suspension of driving licences taken out by commercial vehicle drivers, the original suspension has been varied or reduced on application by the driver in question.

The total number of successful applications for removal of disqualification for holding or obtaining driving licences in the years 1960 to 1964 inclusive was 13,829 (2,439 in 1960, 2,953 in 1961, 3,277 in 1962, 3,659 in 1963 and 1,501 in 1964, the first full year in which the provisions of Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962 was in force). I regret that separate figures for commercial vehicle drivers are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the entry permit regarding Oscar Saccani residing at 59, Bowchurch Road, Brighton, pending consideration of the issue of a work permit by the Immigration and Nationality division of his Department.

Yes. I have authorised an extension of Mr. Saccani's permitted stay here until the end of the year so that he may have an opportunity of finding employment approved by the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will extend the visitor's permit of the Samuels family, on holiday in Brighton, pending review of their case, particulars of which have been sent to him.

My hon. Friend was informed on 10th November that it had been decided to allow Mr. and Mrs. Samuels to stay here with relatives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he proposes to reduce drug addiction, in view of the fact that there has been a significant increase in drug addiction in Great Britain during the last seven years.

The recent increase in addiction has been studied by the Interdepartmental Committee on Drug Addiction. In reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) on 1st November my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health said that he hoped to make a statement when the Committee's report was published in about three weeks from then.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, whether he is satisfied that the Town and Country Planning General Development Order, 1963 is working satisfactorily in cases of the special procedures applying to public undertakings such as electricity boards; and how many complaints he has received from members of the public about the siting of electricity sub-stations and similar installations.

There are arrangements for the electricity boards and other statutory undertakers to consult the local planning authority informally before carrying out works permitted by the order and I am told that these work well. My right hon. Friend has no record of the number of complaints received, but they are rare.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware of the disquiet of the residents of Benmead Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, over the proposals relating to the approaches to the car park serving the shopping precinct: and if he will hold a public inquiry.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the disquiet of the residents; but the decision on this case was entirely within the discretion of the local planning authority and there are no grounds to justify his intervention.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what offer, in addition to the £2 million loan made on 20th April and the refinancing loan of £5 million signed on 21st October this year, has been made by Her Majesty's Government in support of Turkey's development programme.

The Turkish Government have been informed that we are prepared to make a further contribution of £2 million towards the capital costs of the development programme.The new aid, which is for the purchase of British goods essential to the development of the Turkish economy, has been offered on the same terms as the previous programme loan, namely a loan under Section 3 of the Export Guarantees Act, 1949, for 25 years with no repayments of capital required during the first seven years and a waiver of interest payments during the same period.It is hoped that an agreement on the new loan will shortly be concluded with the Turkish Government.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will introduce legislation to enable registered disabled persons to become entitled to unemployability benefit in the same way as war pensioners and insured persons in receipt of industrial injury benefit.

No. Unemployability supplement is a special allowance for war and industrial disablement pensioners whose disablement is so severe as to make them virtually unemployable, and cannot be paid to people who are capable of work. It is an alternative to sickness, injury or unemployment benefit or retirement or widow's pension, payable where there is no entitlement to any of these latter benefits or entitlement only at a lower rate than that of the supplement.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what precautions are taken in local offices of her Department to ensure that all persons applying for National Insurance cards have permission from the Home Office to work in this country.

None. The right or obligation of a person in this country to have a National Insurance card does not in general depend on whether he is working.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now explain the repeated loss of postal orders, posted by Mr. Harrop of Marchistan Road, Herdean; and if he will give an assurance that this trouble has now been stopped.

I am sorry that we have not been able to find out why two unregistered letters containing the postal orders in question, posted by Mr. Harrop in January and July, went astray. But I can assure the hon. Member that we do all we can to prevent such mishaps.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give an assurance that no areas in north Northumberland or in the borough of Berwick-on Tweed shall be postally designated as being in Scotland.

I do not propose to change the present postal addresses of places in north Northumberland or in the borough of Berwick-on-Tweed.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of delays in sending mail between north-east Scotland and other parts of the country, particularly London; what are the reasons for the delays; and what action he is taking to remedy them.

Though mail to and from north-east Scotland is on occasions delayed in delivery because of exceptionally heavy postings and shortages of staff in some key offices, particularly in London, my inquiries do not suggest that there is any general delay. To meet the problems caused by under-staffing we have had an intensified recruiting campaign for postmen and we are employing more women and part-timers. We are doing all we can to recruit more staff where they are needed, and though a number of offices are still short of staff I am glad to say the situation is improving.

asked the Minister of Technology how many employees there now are in his Department.

5,411, including 1,169 industrial staff.

asked the Minister of Power, in view of the fact that members of gas consultative councils are appointed to look after the general interests of the consumers of gas, and are recommended for appointment as having both adequate knowledge of the requirements of the interests represented and the ability to exercise a wide and impartial judgment on the matters to be dealt with by the council generally, how many representations were made by the Scottish Gas Consultative Council to the Scottish Gas Board during the past 12 months reflecting the complaints by gas users of poor customer service and against the proposed 13 per cent. increase in gas charges.

During the year ended 31st October, the Scottish Gas Consultative Council asked the Scottish Gas Board to investigate a total of 90 complaints from gas users about services provided by the Board. The Council was satisfied in each case with the action taken by the Board and no further representations were necessary.No representations have been made in respect of complaints against the proposed increase in tariffs, which, as my hon. Friend is aware, has been referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

asked the Minister of Power what research is being conducted into the reasons for differing speeds of commissioning of power generating plants in this country; and what study he has made of the situation in other countries.

The Central Electricity Generating Board and the plant manufacturers are collaborating very closely on measures to obtain the more rapid completion and intensive use of new power stations. Exchanges of information also take place regularly with electricity authorities in other countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the adverse trade balance with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the first 10 months of 1965 is represented by imports of timber, pulp and processed timber.

Detailed figures are not yet available for October. In the period January-September, 1965, these imports were valued at £38·5 million, representing 78 per cent. of the adverse trade balance of £49·6 million (the difference between imports valued c.i.f. and exports plus re-exports valued f.o.b.).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will invite the Anglo-German Economic Committee to hold its mid-1966 meeting in Edinburgh so that the West German Government trade experts can inspect Scotland's industrial potential.

The next meeting of the Anglo-German Economic Committee will probably take place in Germany in February, 1966. The time and place for the following meeting will then be discussed, and we shall bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Transport when a decision will be reached on the railway bridge in Longmore Lane, Fazakerly, Liverpool, which at present is holding up a road-widening scheme.

I am considering the report of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee on the proposal to withdraw passenger services from the line under this bridge. I am aware of the importance of reaching a decision as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to reduce traffic hazards on motorways during periods of intense fog.

I have this matter under very urgent review and I shall make an announcement soon.

asked the Minister of Transport, what major road improvements in the South-West are being delayed by the Government's reductions in capital expenditure.

Schemes which were being planned to begin in the period up to January, 1966 but which have been deferred for six months are shown below. No decision has yet been taken on schemes due to start after January, 1966.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations he has received from local authority organisations and individuals in the area as a result of the closure of intersections on the Borrow-ash By-Pass, near Derby; and what action he proposes to take.

I have received representations from two parish councils and five individuals following the closures of three gaps in the central reservation on the by-pass on 11th October last.All have been, or will soon be, sent replies to the points raised.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to enable vehicles to filter out of the fast lane to make safe right-hand turns at the Victoria Avenue junction of the Borrowash Bypass, near Derby.

Special waiting lanes are now being constructed in the central reservation at this junction.

asked the Minister of Transport, what lengths of the A.30 and the A.303 have been converted to dual-carriageway during the last year.

A section 0·2 miles long was opened to traffic during the past 12 months, and work on a further three miles is well advanced.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make grants to county borough local authorities with trunk roads running through their areas on the same scale as those made to county councils.

Trunk roads do not generally run through county boroughs. The few which do, are paid for entirely by my Department, as for those in counties.Class I roads in county boroughs, including those that connect with trunk roads to form a continuous route, receive 75 per cent. grant on their construction and major improvement, as do those in counties, but I am not empowered to pay grant on their maintenance or minor improvement. I have, however, the whole system of classified road grants under review, as part of the Government's current general review of local government finance.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to implement a national policy on concessionary fares for schoolchildren so that all children attending school, regardless of age, can travel at concessionary rates.

No. In my view, it must be left to the transport undertakings concerned to decide how far they can give concessionary fares.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of local inconvenience and, in bad weather, the impossibility of people living in the Alnwick vicinity being able to reach other stations, whether he will re-consider his decision to close Alnwick railway station to passenger traffic.

I have taken no such decision.However, in accordance with the arrangement I announced in November, 1964 and after consulting the Northern Economic Planning Council and Board on the planning implications of the proposal, I have told the Railways Board that I have no objection to the publication of notice under section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962 of a proposal to close the Alnwick branch to passenger services. Such publication will set in motion the full statutory procedure for objection to and consideration of the proposal. My agreement indicates that I do not consider the proposal obviously unacceptable on planning grounds, but it in no way prejudges my eventual decision.