asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which nations have given voluntary contributtions to assist the financial difficulties of the United Nations in the last five months.

Since the announcement on 21st June of voluntary contributions by six nations, including ourselves, a further 15 nations have pledged voluntary contributions. Follow- ing is the complete list, together with the amounts pledged.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will propose to the Security Council of the United Nations that it should call upon the members of the United Nations to apply against Rhodesia the measures not involving the use of armed force which are set out in Article 41 of the Charter, namely, the complete or partial interruption of economic relations, and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communications, and the severance of diplomatic relations.

The Government of Kenya has made this call and the Security Council is meeting this afternoon in New York.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the establishment of links between British and East German towns; and if he will make a statement.

The twinning of towns, as it is sometimes called, is a matter for local authorities to decide, but Her Majesty's Government make it clear, if consulted, that in present circumstances there are difficulties in entering into such arrangements with local authorities in East Germany. Because of these difficulties we do not see much likelihood of town-twinning arrangements with East Germany leading to a happy association.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what new proposals he has for improving relations between Great Britain and East Germany.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what evidence he has of West German representatives abroad using British representatives and their offices to persuade nationals of East Germany not to return home;(2) what representations he has made on the undesirability of West German Government representatives using British official representatives to persuade East German nationals abroad not to return home.

I refer the hon. Lady to my answer to her supplementary question on this subject on 6th December. The letter despatched from the German Embassy in Nicosia did not warrant formal representations to the Federal Government. It was an isolated case and there is, therefore, no need for representations to the Federal Government on the general question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he proposes to make to the West German Government concerning the unauthorised use last August of the name and address of the British High Commissioner in Nicosia by Richard Giesen, an official of the West German Embassy in Cyprus, urging members of an East German orchestra to defect from their country.

I refer the hon. Lady to my answer to her supplementary question on this subject on 6th December. The letter despatched from the German Embassy in Nicosia did not warrant formal representations to the Federal Government. It was an isolated case and there is, therefore, no need for representations to the Federal Government on the general question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will seek in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to end the arming of West German aircraft with nuclear bombs and of West German missiles with nuclear warheads.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that an agreement with the Soviet Union is the only peaceful means of reuniting the two Germanies; and to what extent his discussions with the Soviet Government in Moscow recently were conducted on this basis.

The reunification of Germany is primarily the responsibility of Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union, the four Powers to whom Germany surrendered in 1945. Reunification and a final peace settlement can therefore only come about with the agreement of these powers, including the Soviet Union. In the discussions on Germany during his recent visit to Moscow, my right hon. Friend based himself on this principle of quadripartite responsibility for Germany.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if industrial developers and the operators of mineral undertakings fall within the category of estate developers, for the purpose of paragraph 32 of the White Paper on the Land Commission.

No. However, I recognise that operators of mineral undertakings face certain special problems and I propose to give them an exemption from liability to levy when they start development after the appointed day for any land which was in their ownership at the time of the date of the publication of the White Paper.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources to what extent the date of publication of the White Paper is relevant in deciding whether levy is payable under paragraph 32 of Command Paper No. 2771.

Paragraph 32 of the White Paper provides exemption from liability to levy in certain circumstances for builders and estate developers when they start development for housing after the appointed day. The date of the publication of the White Paper is relevant since the exemption applies only if the builder owned, or was under a binding contract to buy, the land and had planning permission for the development at that date.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he will draw the attention of the Water Resources Board to the need for stimulating the re-use of water, particularly by industrial users, on the lines of the circular issued by the Birmingham Water Department, a copy of which has been sent to him.

The Board knows of what the Birmingham Water Department and others are doing to show firms that they can benefit the community and themselves be re-using water, and is in consultation with the Confederation of British Industries about what more can be done. I shall keep a close watch on this.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources when he will be able to report on his review of the countryside and suggested areas of recreation; and whether the Norfolk Broads will be included in such a scheme.

When the consultations I am having with local authority associations and others are completed. I do not contemplate singling areas like the Broads for special treatment, but I think my proposals will be found helpful there as elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what facilities for public access to Lancaster House and Marlborough House will be available between now and Easter, 1966.

Lancaster House is closed to the public until Easter, 1966. Marlborough House is open on weekday afternoons when other arrangements permit.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works (1) if he is satisfied that Fountains Abbey will be made accessible to the public by the new owners; and what assurances he has received that the fabric of the building will be adequately maintained and the beauty of the surrounding landscape not impaired;(2) if he is aware that Fountains Abbey and its surrounds have come into the market for the second time within three months; what steps he intends to take to prevent the Abbey from being exploited; and if he will take action to see that the Abbey, Fountains Hall and the surrounding land become public property and are available to the public for all time and maintained in good condition.

The owners have assured me they will continue to maintain the Abbey, respect its surroundings, and provide for public access for as long as they hold the property.My information is that the Abbey and its immediate surroundings have not again been put up for sale and I am not contemplating making an offer for it.I would, of course, consider taking the Abbey into guardianship if it was offered to the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what inquiry has been held into the rebuilding of Downing Street.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the Third Report by the Committee of Public Accounts 1962–63 and the Select Committee on Estimates, 12th Report 1962–63 and 8th Special Report 1963–64.In addition, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in answer to a Question on 25th November, I recently carried out a personal inquiry into the further repairs to No. 10 which have now been found to be necessary.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works why he has refused an inquiry into the redevelopment of the Parliament Square area.

The Government have already accepted the principle of the Martin and Buchanan reports, which were in themselves a wide-ranging inquiry.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will give an assurance that he will not exercise his powers so as to derogate from the provisions of Sections 7 and 9 of the Epping Forest Act 1878 that the Forest should at all times be kept uninclosed and unbuilt on as an open space for the recreation and enjoyment of the public; and how often in the last five years his powers have been exercised without the consent of the Corporation of the City of London as Conservators of Epping Forest.

My right hon. Friend would consult the Conservators about any proposal of the Ministry affecting Epping Forest. The answer to the last part of the Question is, never.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works (1) what developments have taken place in improving winter building techniques over the past 12 months;(2) what steps he has taken to encourage the use of special construction methods in severe weather.

In conjunction with industry, we are continuing our studies into new ways of overcoming the problems of building in winter and bad weather generally. More and better forms of site heating, protective enclosures, insulation, and lighting are becoming available. A catalogue listing winter building equipment is available. Last winter, the Department tested basic techniques and equipment on two sites in Scotland; this winter, some of the most modern equipment and techniques from Europe, Canada, and the U.K. are being evaluated on one of the Ministry's housing sites near Colchester. A short film illustrating modern winter building techniques suitable for the medium-sized and smaller firms has been produced. This is being shown throughout the country in conjunction with a series of lectures by our Winter Building Adviser and others. Work is continuing on the encouragement of all these techniques for enhancing the productivity of traditional building during severe weather. When industrialised methods are used the necessity for other precautions is usually much reduced.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many window cleaners have been injured while at work in the Palace of Westminster; and what was the nature of their injuries.

My information is that there have not been any accidents in the last fifteen years. If one did occur to a contractor's employee, it would be the contractor's responsibility.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what precautions are taken for the safety of men engaged in window-cleaning in the Palace of Westminster.

My Ministry provide specialist tackle and cradles for use in cleaning the main facades. The contractor is responsible for observing proper safety precautions and my officers see that these conditions are carried out.Because of the structure of the building, normal safety precautions, such as "eyes", are not practicable.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many registered disabled persons are not in receipt of any financial help from National insurance and National Assistance funds.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why the allowance of 7s. 6d. per week for each child of a 100 per cent. disabled Service man, and the allowance of 10s. per week for the wife of a 100 per cent. disabled Service man have remained unchanged since 1919; and what plans she has to bring these allowances into line with contemporary levels.

These allowances are obsolete and my right hon. Friend has no plans to increase them.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total amount of benefit paid by the National Assistance Board to deserted wives who had obtained a court order which was not complied with by the deserting husband, for each of the years 1963, 1964 and the first nine months of 1965.

I regret that the information required is not available. Separate statistics are not obtained of the amounts of National Assistance paid to deserted wives who have court orders. The total amount of assistance paid to all categories of deserted wives, including those with court orders not being complied with, was £21,531,000 in 1963 and £22,653,000 in 1964. Figures for the first nine months of 1965 are not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the annual cost to the National Insurance Fund of paying a pension based on that proportion of the retirement or widow's pension not covered by contributions at the present date to those surviving old people excluded from the National Insurance Scheme in 1948, allowing for the saving on National Assistance.

No estimate such as the hon. Gentleman asks for is possible, for the reasons I gave in answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) on 5th February.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) how many old people still survive who were excluded from the National Insurance Scheme in 1948 and receive no form of State pension; what is their average age at the present date; and whether she will make a statement on the future policy of Her Majesty's Government towards them;(2) what would be the estimated annual cost to the National Insurance Fund, and saving on National Assistance, of paying a full retirement or widow's pension to those surviving old people who were excluded from the National Insurance Scheme in 1948.

The number of men and women who were too old to enter insurance in 1948 and who are not receiving any pension from my Department is at present estimated at about 225,000, this figure includes a number who are receiving non-contributory old-age pensions. Their average age is thought to be about 84. The annual cost to the National Insurance Fund of paying them full pensions would be about £45 million immediately, with a saving of £17 million in payments by the National Assistance Board, but I must emphasise that it would not be possible to deal with this class of non-pensioner in isolation. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave on the general issue to the hon. Members for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. David Steel) and for Barry (Mr. Gower) on 22nd November.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will state the approximate number of supplementary pensioners in the Hull area, the approximate number who have been granted the additional winter weekly coal allowance, and how much fuel this allowance is intended to purchase.

In the area served by the National Assistance Board's offices in Hull there were at 28th September last 13,076 pensioners (including noncontributory old age pensioners) receiving supplementary assistance. In addition National Assistance allowances were being paid to 1,101 persons over pensionable age but not in receipt of national insurance or non-contributory old age pensions. Some of the allowances provided for the needs of more than one person (generally married couples). The number in the Hull area receiving a special addition for extra fuel in winter is not known. This special provision, which is of course in addition to the amount included in the basic scale rate for normal fuel requirements, is generally an amount sufficient to cover the cost of a half hundred-weight of medium quality coal.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will state the approximate number of retirement pensioners in the Hull area who have been granted the additional winter weekly coal allowance because of sickness, or serious dampness of house, or other reasons, respectively.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a shortage of pharmacists in the Hospital Service is forcing hospital management committees to make increasing use of forms EC10, HP, thereby adding to the cost of drugs; and what steps are being taken to ease this position.

The use of these forms now appears to be decreasing. Salary increases agreed for hospital pharmacists in May, and for student pharmacists in October, have been made widely known to the profession and to schools of pharmacy.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the need for economy, if he will direct that advertising for staff, particularly medical, nursing, professional and technical, be centralised through regional hospital boards.

Advertisements for senior medical staff and for whole-time nurses are already made by regional hospital hoards and, in the case of nurses, grouped together in the professional journals in regional blocks. While centralisation would not be appropriate for all staff advertising, my right hon. Friend will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind, if experience suggests that extension of the existing arrangements to other types of staff is desirable.

asked the Minister of Health how many private pay beds and amenity beds have been requested for the new hospital at Lindley in Huddersfield by the Leeds Regional Board; and how many he has approved.

The number of pay beds and amenity beds to be provided at this hospital is under consideration and I am not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the dearth of hospital nurses, the number of vacancies, the inducements offered to recruitment and the result of such inducements.

In March when the last returns were made, the number of nurses in hospitals was the highest ever, but I know that many hospitals still need more staff. Details of local assessments of needs are not collected centrally. The current national nursing publicity campaign, designed to support local effort, draws attention among other matters to improvements in the pay and conditions of service and the response to it has been encouraging.

asked the Minister of Health by how much the cost of hospital building has risen in the 12 months from October, 1964, to October, 1965.

It is not possible to give precise figures. Costs of new building generally have risen by about three per cent., but as the Hospital Building Note Cost Allowances have not been changed, the increase in the cost of hospital building is much less.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the individual details and cost of the five hospital building projects deferred from the 1965–66 programme, of the further 20 unable to start, of the nine schemes whose start has been brought into the programme for 1965–66, and of the 10 whose start was carried over from the previous year.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health what regulations there are affecting the sale of Flanders Poppies in hospitals and other establishments under his control, following information sent to him by the hon. Member for Newark; and what change in regulations he has made in the past year.

My right hon. Friend has made no such regulations: this is essentially a matter for local management. I am writing to my hon. Friend about the position at Newark Hospital.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the average length of stay of patients treated in principal hospital departments, and of the number of patients treated per available bed in the same departments so as to show, in respect of the last year for which figures are available, the extent to which such figures vary as between the different hospital boards in England and Wales.

For the national figures I would refer the hon. Member to Tables 57 and 58 of the Annual Report of my Department for 1964 published earlier this year. The details are given in the following tables:

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the average salaries of general practitioners and consultants in 1957 and 1964; and if he will estimate the average amount received over and above their salary from private practice.

General medical practitioners do not receive salaries, but are paid fees and allowances designed to provide those remunerated from the central pool (for Great Britain) with an average net income of predetermined amount after they have met their expenses. For 1964–65 the average net income to be earned from all official sources was £2,765. The Royal Commission on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, after allowing for certain changes in the pool system, estimated the corresponding figure for 1955–56 at £1,975, and this was increased by about £100 from 1st May, 1957.The current salary scale for whole-time consultants in the hospital service, which was operative in 1964, is £2,910 rising to £4,445, excluding distinction awards. The scale operative at 1st May, 1957, was £2,205 rising to £3,255 in the case of consultants appointed at age 32 or over and excluding distinction awards.Information on private earnings of part-time consultants is not available, nor information about private earnings of general practitioners in 1957 and 1964, but it has been estimated that in 1962–63 general practitioners remunerated from the central pool received on average about £170 from non-official sources.

asked the Minister of Health how many sight tests were carried out by ophthalmic opticians in October and November, 1965, in the Manchester Executive Council area; and what were the comparable figures in the same months of 1964.

The Information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health if he will seek power to ensure that when limbless persons are asked to attend limb fitting centres for reasons of adaptations they are compensated for any reasonable loss of wages arising out of such a visit.

Limbless war pensioners attending limb fitting centres are compensated for loss of wages under powers derived from Royal Warrant. My right hon. Friend has no power to compensate National Health Service patients nor has he at present any proposals to seek such powers.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the high prices charged by hearing aid manufacturers which put such aids beyond the reach of poor persons; and what are his plans to make hearing aids available to poor persons under the National Health Service.

Medresco hearing aids are already available free of charge under the National Health Service for all who need them.

asked the Minister of Health when general practitioners will be supplied with disposable sterile syringes for use with National Health Service patients.

Initial supplies of syringes have been sent to all executive councils for free distribution as soon as possible to general practitioners. Further supplies needed will be issued on orders placed by practitioners with their councils.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will hold an inquiry into the trade dispute between the railway guards and British Railways.

No. The National Union of Railwaymen has approached the British Railways Board for discussions on this matter and it would not be appropriate for me to intervene.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make inquiries, with a view to introducing legislation to empower himself to deal with such matters, into labour relations on the railways and the wages structure, including bonus systems, which affects such relations.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will take steps to adapt the shorter apprenticeship training time pioneered by a private firm in the engineering industry, details of which have been sent to him, to speed the retraining of the adult miners who will be made redundant under the new National Coal Board scheme to close 150 pits.

No. Any retraining of redundant miners for skilled engineering occupations undertaken by this Department will be in one of the Government training centres where the normal length of course is six months.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the shortage of skilled manpower in the engineering industry and the shortage of 200,000 skilled men by 1970 forecast in the National Plan, if he will request the Engineering Industry Training Board to give urgent consideration to the possibilities of shortening apprenticeship.

The Engineering Board is considering the nature and content of training required for occupations in its industry which is the essential preliminary to any decision as to the appropriate length of training.The Board's grant arrangements are designed to encourage firms to increase the training they do.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider the establishment of an industrial training board in the agricultural industry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Dorking (Sir G. Sinclair) an 4th November.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state his programme for setting up industrial training boards approved by the Central Training Council in order of implementation.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Central Training Council I am at present engaged in discussions with employers' and workers' organisations about the establishment of training boards for sectors of the textile industry other than wool, road transport including the motor vehicle repair trade, agriculture, the hotel and catering industry, and the distributive trades.I next propose to consider setting up boards for the chemical, oil, plastics and rubber industries, the fishing industry and civil air transport.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the percentage of days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in the United Kingdom; and what information he has about how this compares with other major industrial countries.

On the first part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Bishop) on 6th December, 1965. Percentage figures are not available for other major industrial countries, but figures are published by the International Labour Office showing the number of days lost in a number of countries through industrial disputes per thousand persons employed in the mining, manufacturing, construction and transport industries. The latest figures, covering the period 1955 to 1964, appeared in the October, 1965, issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the close co-operation which took place between the Amalgamated Engineering Union and a private firm, details of which have been sent to him, in respect of a shortened engineering apprenticeship scheme; and what steps are being taken to encourage the further development of such co-operation and experiment throughout industry at large.

Yes. The Engineering Industry Training Board is aware of these arrangements which include the use of programmed instruction techniques. It plans to promote a greater use of these techniques in training for its industry.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what will be the effect on the British economy of the Government's policy of sanctions on trade with Rhodesia.

I have nothing to add to the reply given on 3rd December, 1965, by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will refer the proposed rises in fares in the London area to the National Board for Prices and Incomes

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total net income received by the Exchequer in the 12 months to the last convenient date from the Crown Lands, the Duchy of Cornwall and other Royal Revenues; and what payments were made during the same period from the Consolidated Fund in respect of Her Majesty's Civil List, annuities to members of the Royal Family, sums paid by the Exchequer to Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, and retired allowances to members of the Royal Household.

The total income received by the Exchequer from the Crown Estate and other hereditary revenues of the Crown in the financial year 1964–65 was £4,078,000. Payments from the Consolidated Fund in the same period for The Queen's Civil List (after deduction of the appropriate share of the net revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall), annuities to members of the Royal Family and Royal Household retired allowances amounted to £545,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the estimated extra saving in defence costs in 1969–70 if the decision were made to order a full buy of Spey-engined Mirage IVs rather than F111As to replace the cancelled TSR2s; and whether the price of the F111As has been agreed with the manufacturers and the United States Government.

At this stage in the Defence Review I cannot say, but the hon. and gallant Member must not assume either that these two aircraft equate on a one for one basis in terms of operational performance or that costs could be calculated on such a basis. As regards the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation and I negotiate with the United States Government, not the manufacturers, and the cost of any purchases of F111 aircraft is a matter for agreement with the former.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by what criteria he attempted to assess the likely cost of the F111A and F111B while it was still in its prototype stage, requiring major and expensive modifications in order to satisfy British service requirements.

On the basis of the best financial and technical information available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are now his plans for the future of Bishopscourt Airfield in County Down.

The airfield will be retained for defence purposes: all available land on it is let for agricultural use.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that television reception in parts of Berwickshire leaves much to be desired; and what steps he is taking to improve it.

Improvements in the quality of television reception in particular localities are primarily for the broadcasting authorities. The B.B.C. and the I.T.A. have told me that reception in most of Berwickshire is satisfactory though there are pockets in the northeast of the county where it is poor. I have no doubt that in preparing their plans both authorities will remember the claims of these areas.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the issue of a special postage stamp during 1966 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Atlantic Charter.

As promised in my reply to the hon. Member on 1st April, I did consider this suggestion before settling next year's special stamp programme but I had over 50 suggestions before me and this was one of the many that unfortunately could not be met.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the worsening service for letters and packages between the Eastern Counties and the East Midlands; and what efforts are being made to improve it.

I have no evidence that the postal service between the Eastern Counties and the East Midlands is deteriorating, but if the hon. Member

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware of the concern shown by industrialists, trade unionists and educationists regarding the inadequate number of school-leavers and students in training or preparing for careers as engineers, compared with the numbers seeking scientific and other posts; and what

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all the international scientific projects in which Great Britain is participating and which receive support from public moneys, giving the amount of financial support and the year of initiation.

The following table gives the information, so far as it concerns the projects supported by funds for which I am responsible.action is being taken to encourage more to enter the engineering profession.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology and I are aware of the desirability of encouraging more young people to enter the engineer-ing profession. An inter-departmental Publicity Working Party on Technology and Engineering has recommended a special publicity programme which includes films for showing to schools, a number of travelling exhibitions and a publication on careers in technology. Next year the Council of Engineering Institutions will carry out with Ministry of Technology support a major survey of the distribution, deployment, remuneration and responsibilities of professional engineers, with a view to throwing light on the nature of the important work which they perform.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of male and female entrants to colleges of education, in 1959–60 and at the latest convenient date, had one and two General Certificate of Education A level passes, respectively.

The earliest figures are for the autumn of 1960 and are Men, 1 A level 23·5 per cent., 2 or more A levels 33·6 per cent.; Women, 1 A level 23·3 per cent., 2 or more A levels 32·4 per cent. The corresponding figures for 1964 are 23·8 per cent., 38·0 per cent., 23·4 per cent. and 35·8 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science at how many medical schools specific instruction in contraceptive methods is given to students; and in how many medical schools no such instruction is given.

The content of university courses is not a matter for my right hon. Friend. The medical curriculum is the responsibility of each university concerned, bearing in mind the requirements of the General Medical Council in the terms of the Medical Act, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of students admitted to medical schools in each year from 1951 to the latest available date.

The numbers entering the first pre-clinical year in each year since 1960–61 are shown below. No comparable and reliable series of figures of entry to medical schools is available for the earlier years.