asked the Minister of Overseas Development what account he will take of the sum accruing to Zambia from the 40 per cent. export duty on copper when settling future aid programmes.

It is my normal practice when considering offers of aid to take full account of the financial and other resources available to the recipient.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will extend the work of the Overseas Services Resettlement Bureau to include officers of Government agencies.

Yes. In future the services of the Bureau will be available to the generality of people appointed overseas through the Ministry of Overseas Development and the Crown Agents, provided they have served for a certain minimum period. Officers who have served in non-government posts in the public sector and whose emoluments have been met in part by the British Government will be able to use the Bureau.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action he has taken to ensure that no racial discrimination is developing within the University College of Rhodesia in Salisbury; and what steps he intends to take to eradicate such discrimination.

As my predecessor informed the House on 30th November, 1965, the British Government's aid to the University College is dependent upon our being satisfied that the college is able to discharge its function, as laid down by the Royal Charter, of providing higher education for students of all races. I am, therefore, watching the situation closely. I have no evidence that racial discrimination is being practised.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give the names and addresses of all rent officers who have been appointed for the South Yorkshire area.

The following rent officers have been appointed in South Yorkshire:—Appointed by Clerk of West Riding County Council:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many higher-income group dwellings are owned by the Greater London Council in the Greater London area; and how many of these were vacant on 31st March, 1966.

I am advised that the Greater London Council own 788 higher rented dwellings in the Greater London area: 17 of these were vacant on 31st March, of which six had been let but were empty because the tenants had not yet moved in.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how much an increase in copper prices of £100 a ton represents on a programme of building 400,000 houses.

About £2¾ million: or £7 a house.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in considering proposals in connection with water conservation, he will consult the Secretary of State for Education and Science with a view to consideration of the possible uses of such projects for sailing and other forms of recreation.

Yes, whenever necessary. It is the Government's policy to encourage the use of reservoirs for recreational purposes where this can be done without endangering the public water supply.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has made of the total extra cost to ratepayers in England and Wales of increases in taxation, National Insurance contributions, and higher interest rates, since October, 1964.

My right hon. Friend has not the information on which to base an estimate, and he does not think the work involved in obtaining it would be warranted.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he expects to receive an interim report from the Maud Committee; and if he will now seek to amend the Local Government Regulations, to secure an immediate increase for those members covered by the regulations.

I understand that the interim report is likely to reach my right hon. Friend within the next few days. With regard to the review of the financial loss allowance, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Exchange (Mr. Will Griffiths).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he expects to consult the local authorities on his proposed modifications to the Stratford Broadway proposals; when the remaining statutory procedures leading up to a decision will be taken; and when he will announce his final decision.

The Department's officers are meeting the local authorities this week. Further consultations may be necessary, but my right hon. Friend's proposed modifications will be published as soon as possible. I cannot say how long the subsequent statutory procedures will take or when my right hon. Friend's final decision will issue, because this depends on whether there are objections to the proposed modifications and whether another public inquiry will be necessary.

asked the Prime Minister where the next meeting of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers will take place.

No decision has yet been taken.

asked the Prime Minister whether, when selecting Members of Parliament for membership of the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe and other similar delegations, he will give consideration to the desire of those Members of Parliament with 20 or more years' service in the House of Commons who continually apply for inclusion in these delegations but are consistently refused; and if he will adopt a ballot procedure for appointments to these delegation.

As I have previously assured my hon. Friend, due consideration is given to all relevant factors in selecting Parliamentary representatives. The Answer to the second part of the Question is "No, Sir".

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a further statement on the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, giving details of the dates when these delegates entered Parliament, the number of such previous delegations upon which they have served and the dates, and any other overseas visit in which these delegates have participated on which public money has been spent.

No, because the information requested by my hon. Friend could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Prime Minister when he intends to publish the Report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Pay.

Tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent Rhodesians wishing to have their British passports renewed are required to sign a statement that they have no further interests in the illegal régime in Salisbury.

The procedure governing the provision of passport facilities for Rhodesians set out in the statement circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT on the 25th of January by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations has not been changed.Dual citizens of Rhodesia and of the United Kingdom and Colonies who have Rhodesian passports which are still valid, but which they nevertheless wish to exchange for United Kingdom passports, are required to sign declarations to the effect that they do not require these alternative passports for the purpose of furthering or assisting the objectives of the illegal régime and that they are loyal to Her Majesty The Queen.No such declaration is called for whet passport facilities are needed because at, expired or full Rhodesian passport requires replacement.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to what types of official information members of regional economic planning councils will have access.

The councils receive confidential reports and statistical and other material on a wide range of subjects relevant to the development of their regions.

asked the Minister of Health if he will list those regional hospital boards or hospital management committees who ceased to recruit trained staff through lack of money; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

Information about the employment policies of all hospital authorities is not available centrally but I am not aware that any has stopped all such recruitment. A number have had to modify proposals for staff expansion and I am aware of a few cases where there has been some reduction of establishments but it is for the hospital authorities to decide priorities within the resources available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include in the terms of reference of the proposed standing advisory council, which is to succeed the Royal Commission on the Penal System, the task of recommending measures calculated to prevent crime in its social origins; and if, to this end, he will so constitute the council as also to bring Departments of State, other than the Home Office, within its purview.

The new council's terms of reference have not been finally settled, but it is not my intention that it should be concerned with matters outside the scope of my departmental responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Committee on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Substances by Road; what proposals he will make on labelling procedures for packages and containers and the suitable and clear marking of carrying vehicles; which substances and liquids have been listed as hazardous goods for carriage by road in the interest of other road users and public safety in general and will thus be subject to any proposed regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Following the decision of the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances to deal first with dangerous inflammable liquids, a technical sub-committee has now identified over 200 of these substances and has prepared proposals for the labelling of the packages and containers and for the marking of the vehicles in which they are carried by road. Statutory Instruments giving effect to these proposals are now being drafted and will be submitted for the consideration of the Committee and of other interested bodies as soon as possible. The substances concerned are inflammable liquids with a flash-point below 73°F.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to improve the facilities for witnesses attending courts to give evidence; and when he will do this.

Responsibility for most court buildings rests with local authorities. Proper facilities for witnesses were among the matters dealt with in a pamphlet on the planning of court buildings sent to them last year by the Home Office.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps are being taken to improve television reception of B.B.C. 1 in Bedford and other areas in Bedford constituency.

Improvements in the quality of television reception in particular localities are primarily the responsibility of the broadcasting authorities concerned. The B.B.C. tells me that it is aware that improvements are needed in Bedford and parts of the surrounding area. After some difficulty it has found a suitable site for a low-power relay station, which it hopes to complete towards the end of next winter, to improve reception in and around the town of Bedford.

asked the Minister of Power what is the present rate of manpower loss in the coal industry; how this compares with the estimate in the National Plan; and if he will make a statement on its effect on future coal production.

In the 52 weeks ended 26th March, 1966, there was a net manpower loss in the coal industry of 41,043. The National Plan estimated the average annual loss between 1965 and 1970 as somewhat less than the actual annual average loss of 27,000 from 1960 to mid 1965. I need to examine present trends in mining manpower in greater detail before I can form a considered judgment about their effect on future coal production.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has given East Lothian County Council a definite date when it may start the construction of the new Preston Lodge Secondary School.

My Department will be writing to the education authority very shortly about its investment allocation for 1967–68. This should enable it to take a decision about the school in question.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give details of the grants which his Department has made to two research associations for the purchase of computers.

MINISTRY OF TECHNOLOGY
ADVANCED COMPUTER TECHNIQUES PROJECT
LIST OF CURRENT CONTRACTS AS AT 30TH APRIL, 1966
1. With Industry
No.	Firm		Subject		Period of Contract	Total Cost £	Min. of Tech. Share £
1.	Elliott	…	Tunnel diode logic	…	2⅓ years to April, 66	75,000	37,500
2.	Plessey	…	Integrated semi-conductor circuits		2½ years to June, 66	128,000	64,000
3.	S.T.C.	…	Dependability of digital systems		2 years to December, 66	58,600	29,300
4	I.C.T.	…	High speed logic and related systems design		2½ years to April, 67	63,000	31,500
5.	Ferranti	…	Semi-conductor devices for item 4 (above)		2 years to October, 66	35,000	17,500
6.	A.E.I.	…	Gallium arsenide tunnel diodes		1 year to May, 66 …	36,000	18,000
7.	I.C.T.	…	Design automation	…	2 years to October, 67	92,000	46,000
8.	I.C.T.	…	Optical Store	…	1½ years to March,67	50,000	25,000
9.	S.T.C.	…	Speech recognition	…	1 year to November 66	50,000	25,000
10.	B.T.R.	…	Fluid logic	…	2 years to September, 67	52,000	26,000
11.	Plessey	…	Pattern recognition	…	1 year to November, 66	25,000	12,500
12.	I.C.T.	…	Interconnected integrated circuit modules		2 years to December, 67	77,000	38,500
13.	I.C.T.	…	Fluid logic	…	1½ years to June, 67	50,000	25,000
14.	Ferranti	…	Bipolar transistor store	…	2 years to February, 68	31,000	15,500
15.	Mullard	…	MOST store	…	1½ years to June, 67	154,000	77,000
16.	Mullard	…	Character recognition	…	1 year to December, 66	32,000	16,000
17.	Plessey	…	Plated Wire Store	…	1½ years to September, 67	52,000	26,000
18.	I.C.T.	…	Optical Character Recognition		1 year to March, 67	17,500	8,750
					Total	1,078,100	539,050

2. With Universities
No.	University	Subject	Period of Contract	Total Cost £	Min. of Tech. Share £
1.	University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Use of computers in printing	4 years to June 69	95,000	95,000
2.	Imperial College of Science and Technology	Compiler processor	3 years to January, 69	106,500	106,500

The Ministry of Technology has made two capital grants amounting to £47,300 to the British Iron and Steel Research Association and £10,000 to the British Coal Utilisation Research Association being a contribution of 25 per cent. towards the cost of purchase of two computers.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will name the contracts he has recently placed with industry and universities for longer-term developments of computer technology.

The list is as follows:

asked the Minister of Technology how many meetings he has held with the representatives of the Federation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions since his Department took over responsibility from the Board of Trade for the electrical and mechanical engineering industries.

Both trade union and employers' organisation representatives have from the outset been closely associated with the development of work of my Department. I have had an informal exchange of views with representatives of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions about the broad topic

		Atomic Energy Authority Establishments mainly concerned				1965–66 £'000	Qualified Staff and Engineers (Man/Years)
		Desalination	…	Culcheth	…	…	…
				Harwell	…	…	…
		Risley	…	…	…	198	13
				Winfrith	…	…	…
Hydrostatic Extrusion	…	Springfield	…	…	…	13	1
Medical centrifuges	…	Capenhurst	…	…	…	14	3
Scientific payload for E.S.R.O. satellite(design study).		Aldermaston	…	…	…	37	7
				Culham	…	…	…
Single purpose transducers	…	Risley	…	…	…	7	1
Other Work	…	Various	…	…	…	27	3
			Total	…	…	296	28

In this initial year of work on non-atomic projects, the total cost was £0·3 million. Together with new projects in view but not yet approved, the total cost in 1966–67 is expected to rise to about £1 million. In addition, non-atomic work on repayment at Aldermaston, mainly in the defence field, is expected to amount to about £0·5 million in the current year.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give details of the three-year programme of work on desalination now being undertaken by the Atomic Energy Authority and authorised by him under the powers given to him in Section 4 of the Science and Technology Act.

The Atomic Energy Authority's programme continues as outlined in my reply to the hon. Member for of relations between the Department and the engineering industry as a whole and these discussions are continuing.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give an up-to-date list of the non-nuclear projects on which the Atomic Energy Authority is at present working, showing the current annual expenditure, the number of qualified personnel, and the geographical location of each.

The Atomic Energy Authority's expenditure in the financial year just ended, on non-atomic projects, was as follows:Poole on 26th October, last. The work falls under three main headings:

asked the Minister of Technology if he will enumerate the staff which have so far been engaged to work at the National Computing Centre at Manchester.

The Director has been designated. He is currently examining the large number of applications received in response to a recent advertisement for staff.

Date of contract		Contractor		Project	Value £	Date of completion
1.	19.11.65	Vickers Ltd.	…	Design study of hydrostatic extrusion equipment.	7,000	Within 4 months
2.	23.11.65	University of Birmingham		Development of Petro-forge high energy rate forming machine.	162,000	Within 18 months
3.	23.11.65	Drop Forging Research Association.		Testing of die wear in connection with petro-forge development.	30,000	Within 18 months
4.	10.2.66	Ferranti Ltd.	…	Development of a 2½-axis numerical control programme.	32,000	Within 15 months
5.	25.3.66	Sogenique (Service) Ltd.	…	Design study of a numerically controlled measuring machine.	5,000	Within 9 months

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state in table form the cost to the Revenue, and to the balance of payments from private enterprise contributions, of British trade fairs in foreign and Commonwealth countries during the last five years; and what increase there has been in British exports to the respective countries concerned subsequently.

The Board of Trade provides financial support to the organisers of

BRITISH TRADE FAIRS 1961–1966
Table 1
Year					Event					B.O.T. Contribution £000
1961
May/June	…	…	…	…	Moscow	…	…	…	…	98
1962
May/June	…	…	…	…	Stockholm	…	…	…	…	58
1964
April	…	…	…	…	Barcelona	…	…	…	…	15
Sept./Oct.	…	…	…	…	Sydney	…	…	…	…	75
November	…	…	…	…	Peking	…	…	…	…	30
1965
Sept./Oct.	…	…	…	…	Tokyo	…	…	…	…	51
1966
April/May	…	…	…	…	Oslo	…	…	…	…	30 (estimated)
July	…	…	…	…	Moscow	…	…	…	…	100 (estimated)
October	…	…	…	…	Mexico	…	…	…	…	75 (estimated)

asked the Minister of Technology if he will list the five contracts for machine tools which have been placed by his Department, giving the date the contract was signed, the firm concerned, the type of machine tool, the sum involved, and the date for completion of the contract in each case.

The five machine tool research and development contracts placed by my Department to which I referred in my statement in the House on the 25th April, 1966 were:British trade fairs to enable the cost to participating firms to be reduced.Table 1 shows the Government's contribution during the last five years to British trade fairs in foreign and Commonwealth countries. I regret that it is not possible to say how much of this expenditure was in foreign exchange; nor have I information about the total expenditure by private interests on these events.Table 2 gives the figures of our exports to the countries where British trade fairs have taken place during the last five years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has received the report from the inspector inquiring into the affairs of Travel and Holiday Clubs Limited; and if he will make a statement.

The inspectors have completed their inquiries and their report is expected very shortly. When it is received a decision will be made about its publication.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorways for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction, and which were in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

The position at 30th April follows:

Line not yet published
			Miles
M.4	…	London–South Wales: Theale–Liddington	28
M.11	…	London–Bishop's Stortford	32
M.23	…	London–Crawley	27
M.56	…	Princess Parkway–North of Preston Brook	18
		Sharston By-Pass	2½
M.61	…	Preston–Manchester: North of Westhoughton–Manchester	9¼
A.1(M)		Birtley By-Pass …	2½
		Blackfell–White Mare Pool (Classified motorway to be built by Durham C.C.)	3½
		Thorne By-Pass	2
		Doncaster Southern By-Pass	10
		Leeds South East Radial (Classified motorway to be built by Leeds C.B.C.)	2½
		Bristol Parkway (Stage I) (Classified motorway to be built by Bristol C.B.C. and Gloucester C.C.)	2¾
		Bradford South Radial (Classified motorway to be built by Bradford C.B.C. and West Riding C.C.)	2½
			142½

Draft Scheme Published
M.1	…	London–Yorkshire: Fiveways Corner–North Circular Road	2
M.3	…	London–Basingstoke	39¾
M.4	…	London–South Wales: Liddington–Tormarton	30
		Holyport–Theale	19
M.6	…	Birmingham–Preston–Carlisle: Carlisle By-Pass	7
		East of Carnforth–West of Killington Reservoir	15
M.56	…	North of Preston Brook–West of Hapsford	8
M.61	…	Preston–Manchester: Preston By-Pass–North of Westhoughton	13
M.62	…	Lancashire–Yorkshire: Lofthouse–A.1	10½
A.20(M)		Ditton By-Pass …	6½
A.40(M)		Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross By-Pass	7½
			158¼

Schemes Made
M.1	…	London–Yorkshire: Tankersley–Wakefield	13½
		Fiveways Corner	½
		Section of Thurcroft Link	1
M.5	…	Birmingham–Bistol: South of Strensham–East of Almondsbury	41
		Cribbs Causeway–Easton-in-Gordano	6
		Easton-in-Gordano–East Brent	20½
		Midland Motorway Links:
M.5	…	South of Quinton–Great Barr	10
M.6	…	Catthorpe–Darlaston	41¾
M.6	…	Birmingham–Preston–Carlisle: West of Killington Reservoir–South of Hackthorpe	21
		Penrith By-Pass	8
		Penrith–Carlisle	12¼

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give the total estimated commitments outstanding on 31st March last and the total estimated new commitments in 1966–67 in respect of new construction and major improvements for trunk roads and for classified roads and loans to highway authorities, respectively.

The provisional totals of commitments for new road construction and major improvements outstanding on 31st March 1966 are:

	£ million
Trunk roads (including motorways)	214·79
Classified roads (Grants)	79·71
Classified roads (Loans)	4·50
	299·00

and of the total estimated new commitments in 1966–67—

	£ million
Trunk roads (including motorways)	160
Classified roads (Grants)	80·5

We do not plan to authorise any new loans this year.

asked the Minister of Transport what is her policy on the provision of toilet facilities on the motorways.

Toilets are provided free of charge at motorway service areas, which are initially provided at approximately 25 mile intervals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the plans he has for preventing or discouraging firms from hoarding labour.

I refer my hon. Friend to my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has been derived from the Capital Gains Tax; and what has been the cost of administering it.

Very little so far; the return forms have only recently been sent out.It is not possible to estimate separately the administrative costs of this particular tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate for the years 1937 and 1964, respectively, the taxation rates leviable in respect of motor driving licences and motor vehicles in their respective groups; and what rates would be necessary to express the 1937 rates at 1966 values.

The Answer is lengthy and I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the works group technical classes can expect a settlement on the basis of the 1965 Pay Research Unit's investigation and report.

It is not clear whether the Question refers to the Works Group of Professional Classes or the Technical Works Engineering and Allied Classes. Discussions are proceeding between the Treasury and the representative staff association on the evidence in the Unit's reports. It is not possible to forecast when settlements are likely to be reached.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the guaranteed payment of interest due on loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to Southern Rhodesia.

Payments amounting to £535,000 were due yesterday in respect of two loans made by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development—one to the Government of Southern Rhodesia and one to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland of which half is the responsibility of Southern Rhodesia. The International Bank has not received these payments; and as Her Majesty's Treasury is the guarantor of the loans I have authorised the payment of the required amount to the International Bank from the Consolidated Fund. This will be recovered from the Government of Southern Rhodesia when constitutional government is restored.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in his forthcoming Budget he will seek to ensure that all owners of vehicles liable to the road fund tax pay this duty so as to prevent the present evasion, which is estimated to be practised by 25 per cent. of the owners of road vehicles.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement.