asked the Minister of Labour what proportion of the working population in the north-east of Scotland is employed in the service industries; and if he will publish statistics industry by industry.

The latest available figures for North-East Scotland were published in Table II in the White Paper on the Scottish Economy and are subject to the limitations stated in the Table. They show that, in 1964, 50·3 per cent. of employees in employment were in establishments in the public and private sectors of industries in Orders XVIII to XXIV of the Standard Industrial Classification. Comparable figures for individual industries are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons in the Stranraer and Newton Stewart employment exchange areas are employed in manufacturing as defined in the White Paper on the Selective Employment Tax; and what proportion of the working population of those areas this represents.

In the areas covered by the Stranraer and Newton Stewart Employment Exchanges, there were estimated to be about 1,400 employees in employment at mid-1965 in Orders III to XVI of the Standard Industrial Classification. This represented 16 per cent. of employees in employment in all industries and services in these areas.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of civil servants his Department will require to administer the Selective Employment Tax.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 9th May, 1966.

asked the Minister of Labour how much of the Selective Employment Tax will be repayable in the South-West and North-East regions, respectively; and how much of the 7s. 6d. bonus will be payable in each region.

I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Labour what information he has about the number of persons employed on a paid basis on charitable activities at any given date; and what were the total or average wages or salaries paid to those employed in this industry at the same date.

None. I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are employed on the Polaris base stock-pile of atomic and nuclear weapons and at all other Government projects within a radius of 30 miles of Faslane on the Gareloch.

Including contractors' labour, there are at present 1,147 civilian employees at the Faslane base and 464 at Coulport. I regret that information on other projects in the area mentioned is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will list the average length of the working day in the road haulage industry in 1964, 1965 and the expected length for 1966.

This information is not available. My Department collects information about weekly hours. In 1964 and 1965 these varied between 56 and 57 hours per week for adult male workers in the road haulage contracting industry. Since the number of days worked in any week will vary it is not possible to draw any conclusion from these figures as to the length of the working day.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to deal with the growing practice in the distributive and construction trades, following recent Government proposals, of dismissing employees and replacing them by self-employed independent contractors.

The use of self-employed sub-contractors appears to be growing in some industries. Very few cases where this has involved dismissal of existing employees have come to my notice. I will, however, keep a watch on this point

TOTAL NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT THE BRIGHTON AND HOVE EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES INCLUDING SECTION I DISABLED PERSONS*
				18th April, 1966			12th April, 1965			13th April, 1964
Industry				Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
Engineering and Electrical Goods				64	12	76	74	20	94	109	30	139
Construction	…	…	…	225	—	225	127	1	128	263	2	265
Transport and Communication				111	2	113	138	12	150	129	12	141
Distribution	…	…	…	192	52	244	183	64	247	235	85	320
Insurance, Banking and Finance				119	9	128	126	12	138	129	16	145
Professional and Scientific Services				55	24	79	54	37	91	70	45	115
Entertainment and Sport			…	67	17	84	75	16	91	94	18	112
Catering, Hotels, etc.		…	…	141	38	179	148	72	220	238	115	353
Public Administration			…	116	6	122	136	7	143	190	8	198
Other Industries and Services				454	75	529	438	115	553	551	208	759
Total, All Industries and Services				1,544	235	1,779	1,499	356	1,855	2,008	539	2,547
Percentage rates of unemployment				2·9	0·6	2·0	2·8	0·9	2·1	3·8	1·4	2·8

							8th April, 1963			8th April, 1962
Industry							Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
Engineering and Electrical Goods				…	…	…	152	44	196	128	39	167
Construction	…	…	…	…	…	…	422	6	428	295	1	296
Transport and Communication			…	…	…	…	145	10	155	162	9	171
Distribution	…	…	…	…	…	…	320	173	493	259	109	368
Insurance, Banking and Finance				…	…	…	94	12	106	114	13	127
Professional and Scientific Services				…	…	…	73	52	125	52	31	83
Entertainment and Sport		…	…	…	…	…	119	27	146	85	25	110
Catering, Hotels, etc.		…	…	…	…	…	260	193	453	231	136	367
Public Administration		…	…	…	…	…	199	32	231	194	11	205
Other Industries and Services			…	…	…	…	720	319	1,039	510	179	689
Total, All Industries and Services				…	…	…	2,504	868	3,372	2,030	553	2,583
Percentage rates of unemployment				…	…	…	4·6	2·2	3·6	3·8	1·4	2·8
* Disabled persons suitable for ordinary employment.

DISABLED PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED
		Section I			Section II
		Suitable for ordinary employment			Suitable only for sheltered employment
		Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
8th April, 1962.	…	214	24	238	11	2	13
8th April, 1963.	…	234	38	272	11	1	12
13th April, 1964.	…	235	30	265	40	5	45
12th April, 1965.	…	172	29	201	70	6	76
18th April, 1966	…	227	19	246	69	3	72
Note: Separate industrial analyses are not available for registered disabled persons who are registered as unemployed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement, to the latest convenient date, on the state of unemployment in the town of Brighton during the last five years by industries and sexes; and if he will also include figures for sections 1 and 2 class of disabled persons.

The tables show total numbers, and Disabled Persons, registered as unemployed at the Brighton and Hove Employment Exchange and associated Youth Employment Offices at April in each of the years 1962 to 1966 analysed by industry and sex.

asked the Minister of Labour why employers are asked to give authority to him to inquire into their dealings with the Inland Revenue and other Government Departments before they can establish the right to rebate under the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965.

This is necessary to enable claims on the Redundancy Fund to be chocked.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the unemployment percentages for the Merseyside development area and the Morecambe district, respectively, for each of the 12 months April 1965 to March 1966.

Following is the information:

PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE MERSEYSIDE AND PRESCOT DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AND THE MORECAMBE EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREA
	Merseyside and Present Development District	Morecambe
	Per cent.	Per cent.
1965—
12th April	3·1	3·8
10th May	3·0	3·2
14th June	2·6	2·0
12th July	2·5	1·9
9th August	2·7	2·5
13th September	2·8	2·4
11th October	2·7	3·4
8th November	2·7	4·4
6th December	2·5	4·8
1966—
10th January	2·6	4·8
14th February	2·6	4·3
14th March	2·5	3·8

asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies exist in manufacturing industry in the town of Brighton.

In the area covered by the Brighton and Hove Employment Exchange at 13th April, 1966, 463 notified vacancies remained unfilled for Orders III to XVI of the Standard Industrial Classification.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will set out in column form the number of officials employed by local government authorities for each year since 1946, and give the latest figures for 1966.

Following is the information:

NUMBERS EMPLOYED BY LOCAL AU1HORITIES AND IN POLICE FORCES IN GREAT BRITAIN
Year (June)	Males	Females	Total
1952	842,434	605,857	1,448,291
1953	854,986	614,441	1,469,427
1954	857,198	629,479	1,486,677
1955	861,588	653,507	1,515,095
1956	874,946	680,788	1,555,734
1957	891,129	703,062	1,594,191
1958	909,043	716,508	1,625,551
1959	932,629	738,734	1,671,363
1960	943,813	764,835	1,708,648
1961	962,032	793,230	1,755,262
1962	992,865	827,946	1,820,811
1963	1,028,262	858,785	1,887,047
1964	1,052,653	910,892	1,963,545
1965	1,066,933	957,793	2,024,726

Comparable figures are not available for years prior to 1952 and those for 1965 are the latest available.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the average hours per week worked in manufacturing industry in the northern region; and how this compares with the national average.

The average hours per week worked by adult men in manufacturing industries in the northern region were 46·0 in October 1965, the latest date for which information is available, compared with 46·1 in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the average weekly earnings of adult male manual workers in the northern region; and how this compares with the national average.

The average weekly earnings of adult male manual workers in manufacturing and other industries and services covered by the Ministry's half-yearly inquiries in the northern region were £18 17s. 9d. in October 1965, the latest date for which information is available, compared with £19 11s. 9d. in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Labour what evidence he has about the liability to cancer of workers in the rubber industry as the result of certain chemicals used.

As the House knows, investigations carried out by our Department have established that known carcinogenic substances ceased to be used in the rubber industry in this country in 1949. It is not known whether any of the substances at present used are carcinogenic, and a long-term survey is being carried out by our Department which will establish in time whether there is still a cancer hazard in the rubber industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when and where the talks with Rumania on their bonded debts are likely to be reopened.

The time and place for the continuation of negotiations on outstanding financial questions will be agreed through diplomatic channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made in recent months to the United Arab Republic with regard to the incitement of violence in Aden and South Arabia which is being continually broadcast from Cairo and from the Yemen; and with what results.

We have made representations to the Government of the United Arab Republic on numerous occasions in the past, but they have not, I regret, led to any reduction in the radio propaganda campaign against South Arabia. We have not been in a position to make any representations in recent months owing to the United Arab Republic's breach of relations with the United Kingdom in December, but our attitude is fully known in Cairo.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay as a White Paper a report on the work done since 1964 by the disarmament research department of the Foreign Office.

As I have previously explained to the House, the Arms Control and Disarmament Research Unit was set up to conduct research into the problems of arms control and disarmament and to make available the results to those responsible for British policy on disarmament. To this end, the Research Unit has undertaken studies, and has maintained contacts with official and unofficial bodies working on disarmament, both here and abroad. I regret that I cannot provide information about these studies, which are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement with regard to the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia, and its effect on British policy.

As I told the House on 26th April we welcome the statements by Indonesian leaders of their desire for a peaceful settlement. We will do all we can to further this, in consultation with the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore who, as we all recognise, are closely concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will declare Señor Castiella persona non grata and refuse him entry to this country.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange, on the normal basis on which writers operate, for the appropriate commission to be paid to Mr. M. R. D. Foot the writer of Special Operations Executive.

The authors of Government publications, including official histories are paid a salary or fee and do not receive any commission or royalties. Mr. Foot was paid an agreed fee for his work on "Special Operations Executive in France".

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there has been any reduction of overt and covert action against South Arabia from Egyptian forces in the Yemen in the past three months.

There have been no overt attacks by United Arab Republic forces against South Arabia during the last three months. Although there has been some reduction in dissident activities in the hinterland during this period, I regret that there seems to have been no reduction in the efforts of Egyptian intelligence officers in the Yemen to promote terrorism in Aden.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further action he proposes to improve relations with Poland, especially through trade and cultural exchanges.

The visit paid to Poland last September by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is to be followed later this summer by a visit from my noble Friend the Minister of State with special responsibility for disarmament. The Poles recognise our need to increase exports and our sales to Poland have recently begun to improve.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government of Indonesia now propose to pay compensation for the British assets there which have been confiscated.

I hope that it will soon be possible to engage in fruitful discussions with the new Indonesian Government on all outstanding problems of Anglo-Indonesian relations. This is one of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement about the Government's discussions with Ministers from Bahrein.

Discussions on subjects of mutual interest are proceeding between Her Majesty's Government and Shaikh Khalifah bin Sulman, Head of the Bahrain Government Finance Department, who is on a private visit to this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now instruct Her Majesty's delegate to the United Nations to raise, as a matter threatening the peace of the world, the attacks made on Cambodian territory by guerillas on the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

Certain recent incidents on the Thai-Cambodian border have been brought to the attention of the Security Council in a letter from the Cambodian Foreign Minister to the President of the Council, dated 23rd April. In view of this, a British initiative in the terms suggested by my right hon. Friend would be inappropriate.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many men are employed in private forestry.

At a rough estimate, 7,000.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what plans he has for a regionally based advisory service for the building and construction industry, to advise the builder and the tenant, respectively, on matters of construction and repair.

Negotiations are in progress with the industry aimed at extending the scope of the Civil Engineering Research Association to include building research, information and advisory services. I must ask my hon Friend to await the outcome of these negotiations.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many new Ministerial residences have been constructed or are being constructed since October. 1964; and what is the cost of the work.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will make a statement on Government policy with regard to the provision of flats for Cabinet Ministers and their furnishing and equipment at public expense.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what Ministers now occupy residential accommodation; what facilities are comprised in each case; what furnishings and personal domestic appliances such as washing machines have been supplied, and at what costs; and what the estimated cost of the accommodation and furnishings would be on a free market in the City of Westminster if an open lease were granted.

Official residences are now occupied by the Prime Minister, First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. The Lord Chancellor has a residence in the other place.No new residential accommodation has been constructed since October, 1964. What we have done is to complete the renovation of Admiralty House begun under the Conservative administration and divide the upper floors into two separate flats instead of retaining them as one residence as had been intended.No rental figure can realistically be given for this type of property.Furniture and domestic equipment are provided at public expense and I am writing to my hon. Friend about them.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how often cars in the Government car service are used to convey wages and other moneys between Government Departments.

Not very often.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to establish a public building corporation which will concentrate on house-building by industrialised methods in those conurbations which are in most need of public housing.

The Government are determined to extend the use of industrialised building. This year more than a quarter of public sector housing should be system built. The National Building Agency are helping in this by their appraisal of building systems and by giving technical assistance to local authorities. I do not see a need for a further initiative on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend but I shall keep under review this and any other method which might speed production.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will introduce legislation to make it illegal for employers to hire the services of their workmen as self-employed persons whilst retaining the right to control the manner in which they perform their work, with the object of avoiding their obligation to pay the employers' share of National Insurance contributions and the Selective Employment tax.

Existing legislation already imposes on the employer liability for a contribution (which under the Budget proposals would carry with it liability for the tax) where a contract of service exists. The right to control the manner in which work is performed is the main criterion in deciding whether a contract of service exists.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will seek to amend the law so as to improve the present rate of benefit under the Graduated Pension Scheme.

The replacement of the present graduated pension arrangements, with which we have clearly expressed our dissatisfaction, by the introduction of a genuine earnings-related contributory pensions scheme is one of the objectives of the Government's current review of our social security schemes.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of administering the Selective Employment Tax; and what extra staff she expects to employ.

At this stage I cannot make any close estimates of extra cost or extra staff, but I would not expect to require more than 50 to 100 staff at a cost of approximately £100,000 to £200,000 a year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when she will introduce constant attendance allowances or comparable benefits for the chronically sick and severely disabled.

I can only repeat my earlier assurances that this is one of the matters which is receiving our close attention in connection with the review of the social services.

asked the Minister of Health how many British doctors have emigrated in each of the years 1960 to 1964, inclusive; what was their average age; if he will now take steps to stop this brain drain; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that figures for individual years are not available; the best estimate at present available is that on average the net loss is between 300 and 350 a year, and that residence abroad usually begins between three and six years after registration, that is in the doctor's late twenties or early thirties. As to measures to reduce the loss I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Ron Lewis) on 9th May.

asked the Minister of Health if he will send a circular encouraging other towns and boroughs to follow Rotherham's example in having a full-scale local health week.

No. We are interested in this scheme as an experiment whose value has yet to be established.

asked the Minister of Health how many mentally handicapped children are educationally the responsibility of his Department; and what progress he has made in keeping this responsibility under review with a view to transferring it to the Department of Education and Science.

Approximately 30,000 mentally subnormal children, including those under the age of five, are in hospitals or receiving services from local health authorities. The best methods of providing the services they need, including training, are continually under review.

asked the Minister of Health how many mentally subnormal children there are in the County of Bedford; and what special provision is being made to enable them to receive sympathetic and special education.

In addition to children in hospital, 105 are known to and receiving services from the County Council. Of these, 16 are under age 5, one is in a residential home, 10 are awaiting admission to hospital, 55 are receiving training in centres or at home and 15 are on the training centre waiting list. The remaining 8 are unsuitable to attend training centres, and their parents are at present unwilling for them to be admitted to hospital. The appointment of additional staff, and new building schemes planned for the current financial year, are expected to provide 61 more training centre places for children, some of which will be used by children from Luton.

asked the Minister of Health what studies he has made of the uses of hovercraft as ambulances.

This possibility will be considered by the Working Party on Ambulance Training and Equipment.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how wide an area is served by the post-natal clinic at Rhydepenau School, Cardiff; and if he is aware that the distances involve hardship for many mothers;(2) if the post-natal clinic at Rhydenpenau School, Cardiff has a supply of running water within the clinic premises;(3) how many rooms are available at the post-natal clinic at Rhydepenau School, Cardiff; and to what extent this number detracts from the ability to provide adequate medical services;(4) what investigation has been made by his Department into possible alternative and more convenient facilities for post-natal treatment than existing facilities at Rhydepenau School, Cardiff;(5) what provisions for the shelter of prams in wet weather are provided at the post-natal clinic at Rhydepenau School, Cardiff.

Cardiff City Council provide an infant welfare clinic at Rhydepenau School. As a temporary measure it converted a class-room in the grounds of the school, and a clinic is held twice a week where the health visitor weighs the babies and advises the mothers, who can also purchase welfare foods there. The council is aware that there is no running water, separate room for a doctor, or pram shelter, and it is considering alternative arrangements.The clinic serves mothers living in Part End, part of Cyncoed and on the Lakeside estate. No complaints about the distance of these areas from the clinic have been made to the council.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made in arranging reciprocal medical treatment with countries where this is not so far in operation.

Discussions have started on the possibility of concluding reciprocal agreements for medical treatment with certain Eastern European countries.

asked the Minister of Health what were the reasons for the rejection of the proposals put forward by consultants for a new hospital in Stanmer Park, Brighton.

The principal consideration in the view of the Regional Hospital Board, which I accept, was that their plans for the Royal Sussex County Hospital are complete and building can start this year; whereas the planning and building of a completely new hospital would delay for many years much needed improvements in hospital service in Brighton.

asked the Minister of Health how many elderly persons are awaiting hospital beds in the Stockport and Buxton area; what action he will take to increase the number of beds in these hospitals for geriatric cases; and what plans he has to improve health facilities for the elderly for both acute and chronic illness, in view of the grave situation in the district referred to in letters to him from the hon. Member for Stockport, North.

190. Work is already proceeding on a new unit at Corbar Hall, Buxton, and a day hospital at St. Thomas' Hospital, Stockport, which will increase the facilities for the treatment of elderly patients in the area. Existing hospital accommodation is also being upgraded to improve the standards of service.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals he has to place before the Whitley Council for the grading of staff in psychiatric hospitals other than by reference to staffed beds.

The recommendations of the Salmon Committee, whose report was published last Thursday, include a new system of grading not involving fixed relationships with staffed beds. I am obtaining the views of hospital authorities and other interested bodies on the Committee's recommendations.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will investigate the possibility of taking over Eastgate House, High Street, Stratford, E.15, a new office building which has remained empty for almost 12 months, for some purpose connected with the National Health Service such as a nurses' home or as an auxiliary to Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford.

I have done so; it is not suitable.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that chartered physiotherapists who are willing to return to work on a temporary basis have to pay an initial fee of £5 and an annual fee of £2 10s. in addition to the four guinea annual subscription to the Society, and that this discourages them from returning; and if he will take steps to bring this practice to an end in order to alleviate the shortage of temporary therapeutic staff.

I see no grounds for waiving the requirement of state registration for employment in the National Health Service. The fees and the subscription are essentially matters for the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine and for the Society respectively. Numbers of part-time and whole-time staff are increasing.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the anticipated run-down in the number of doctors in general practice in Scotland by the end of 1966.

I have made no such estimate. I believe that the proposals for a new contract for general practitioners and the recommendations of the Review Body, if these are accepted by the profession, offer the prospect of halting the recent trend.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why all matters which hon. Members raise with the Forestry Commission concerning their constituents' interests in Scotland are referred to London; and if he will give a direction that such matters shall in future be dealt with in Scotland.

The Forestry Commission's settled policy is, wherever practicable, to dispose of Scottish business in Scotland. As a matter of courtesy to hon. Members, however, it is the practice that replies to letters written by them are sent from the Commission's headquarters. Replies on Scottish matters are prepared after consultation as necessary with the Commission's Senior Officer in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to make a statement on negotiations with the National Farmers' Union of Scotland regarding the offsetting of the effect of the Selective Employment Tax on Scottish agriculture.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13th May, 1966, by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to his hon. Friend, the Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Hazell).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received the report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on Scottish Teachers' Salaries; whether he proposes to accept or to alter the recommendations of the Board; and when the Report will be published.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is "No". I understand that the Board is still framing its Report, which it hopes to publish before the end of this month. Its recommendations, when received, will, of course, be carefully considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the fact that eight new universities have been built in England during the post-war period and none in Scotland, what provision is being made for the construction of new universities in Scotland, giving details of sites, starting dates and finishing dates.

A completely new university will be provided at Stirling. The Airthrey Castle Estate was gifted to the university by the Government in August, 1965. It is expected that building will start this summer and the first students will be admitted in the autumn of 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the special factors which accounted for the number of persons emigrating from Scotland in 1965 rising by nearly 10,000 over the average figure for the preceding five years.

The latest published estimate of net emigration is for the year ending 30th June 1965. Since 1961 the main factor in increasing emigration has been a rise in net emigration overseas particularly to Australia and Canada.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of his plan to introduce a scheme to provide for the compulsory finger-printing of all British citizens.

I have put in hand a study of the technical problems, which are formidable, but many other important considerations would have to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of the kind involving a demand for money in exchange for the alleged protection to clubs, restaurants, dance halls, shops and other premises were known to the police in 1964, 1965, and the first three months of 1966, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available since offences of this kind are not separately recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that no drill or exercise by any local authority fire brigade which simulates the rescue of persons from fire and involves the use of live bodies by firemen, shall, whatever the circumstances, be undertaken except with the use of approved safety devices and under adequate supervision.

My right hon. Friend is considering the advice which he has received from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council and hopes to make his views known to fire authorities in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is aware that in four different parts of London the hon. Member for West Ham, North, has requested the police to take action in reporting a number of vehicles being used on the roads without road fund licences and that on each occasion action by the police was refused on the ground that the offence is now too prevalent to take action; and whether he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to ensure that action is taken by the Metropolitan Police when it is requested by the general public;(2) whether he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to investigate after 14th May 1966, the number of unlicensed vehicles causing road obstructions in the area of North Pole Road, W.10, West-bourne Park Road, Ladbroke Road and Portobello Road; and whether he will direct the police to report the owners of these vehicles for breaking the law;(3) whether he will request the Commissioner of Police to have an investigation made at some time after 14th May 1966 into the number of unlicensed vehicles parked in and around the vicinity of Hendon Central Station between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. on any weekday and report those guilty of breaking the law to the appropriate authority;(4) whether he will request the police to investigate on Saturday 14th May the number of vehicles parked in streets off the Wood Green High Road and Cheap-side, Wood Green, and report the owners of these vehicles to the appropriate authorities.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer that I gave him on 13th May last. I will draw the attention of the Commissioner of Police to these points also.

asked the Minister of Power whether, in view of the increasing likelihood of supplies of gas becoming available from the North Sea on a large scale, he will give a general direction in the public interest to electricity boards to discontinue their practice of imposing initial charges for electricity connections on new housing estates in such a way as to exclude gas.

The White Paper on Fuel Policy (Command 2798) made it clear that the Government was in certain respects dissatisfied with the present system of initial charges sometimes made by the gas and electricity industries. I am still discussing with the two industries what changes should be made.

asked the Minister of Power what progress has been made in the use of the magneto hydrodynamic principle in electrical power generation.

Arrangements for the large-scale experiment which the Central Electricity Generating Board is carrying out in collaboration with electrical plant manufacturers, the Water Tube Boiler Makers' Association and the National Coal Board are well advanced. A test programme is expected to begin towards the end of this year and last until the early part of next year. It is too soon to assess the possibility of using the principle in the commercial generation of electricity.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that considerable hardship has resulted to occupiers of remote upland farms as a result of his directive to electricity boards that such farms should only be connected with electricity at an economic rate; and whether he will review the position.

I accept the view put forward by the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries in 1963 that the Boards should set an ultimate limit to their contributions towards the costs of connecting remote farms, and that they should earn a return on projects consistent with their earning the financial objective agreed under the White Paper on the Financial and Economic Obligations of Nationalised Industries (Command 1337).

asked the Minister of Power what proportion of new dwellings completed in areas of gas supply, in the latest year for which figures are available, was connected to the gas supply.

About 80 per cent.

asked the Minister of Power if, in view of the recent discovery of gas in the North Sea, he will re-examine the capital investment plans of the fuel industries.

The capital development programmes of the nationalised fuel industries are reviewed annually. North Sea gas is one of the factors I shall take into account this year before approving the industries' programmes.

asked the Minister of Power why he authorises opencast coal production in Cumberland when certain collieries are due for closure; and if he will stop such authorisations.

Each application for an authorisation to work opencast coal is considered in accordance with the provisions of the Opencast Coal Act, 1958, and other relevant factors. The opencast coal operations which have been approved in Cumberland are profitable while the pits to be closed are exhausted or have ceased to be economic. The Answer to the last part of the Question is "No."

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the National Coal Board to review the conditions of tenancy attaching to National Coal Board houses occupied by miners moved to one coalfield from another where they occupied local authority houses.

No, but if my hon. Friend has any specific cases in mind I suggest that he should write to the Chairman of the National Coal Board.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the loss in production incurred in industry through accidental fires in each of the years 1961 and 1965.

This information is not available. It has been estimated that material damage arising from fires in industry amounted to about £25 million in 1961 and £50 million in 1965.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industrial development certificates have been refused within the County of Dorset during the last five years.

Six.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to introduce a Companies Bill during this Session.

A Companies Bill is being prepared for introduction in the present Session if time is available, and, if not, for introduction in the next Session.

asked the Minister of Transport when a decision will be taken regarding the new plan for the Macclesfield inner relief road; and whether she will receive a deputation from the Macclesfield Borough Council to discuss this matter.

We have examined this new proposal and my right hon. Friend's Divisional Road Engineer is discussing with the Borough Engineer and the County Surveyor some points on which we are not clear. She is anxious to come to an early decision. But I do not think a deputation would really be helpful now.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is satisfied with the number of pedestrian crossings in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell; and if she will make a statement.

There are five pedestrian crossings in Epsom and Ewell. The council has applied to my right hon. Friend's Divisional Road Engineer for eight more. One of these is not acceptable, because of insufficient pedestrian and vehicular traffic, but the other seven are under discussion with the council.

asked the Minister of Transport how many sections of the M1 motorway were under repair on Tuesday, 10th May.

Twelve sections of carriageway were partially closed for reconstruction or resurfacing.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will introduce legislation to give protection against the dismissal of a driver who reports a defective lorry or any other type of vehicle or an employee who calls the Ministry of Transport Inspectorate to check an overloaded vehicle.

My right hon. Friend does not think that this is a matter which can satisfactorily be solved by legislation.I am writing to my hon. Friend about the particular cases he raised.

asked the Minister of Transport what further proposals she has concerning the routeing of southbound traffic so as to prevent its proceeding through the town of Epsom.

For the reasons which were given to the right hon. and learned Member last December, I am afraid that there would be little practical value in doing this.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if she will publish a list of the names of road haulage firms which have been acquired by the Transport Holding Company since 15th October, 1964, and the purchase price and latest asset value prior to purchase of each of these companies;(2) if she will issue a list of the number of commercial vehicles purchased by the Transport Holding Company from road haulage firms since 15th October, 1964.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Ron Lewis) on 10th May and the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) on 13th May.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans she has made with the port authorities on measures to be taken to avoid serious congestion and to facilitate the access of foreign shipping, in view of the impending seamen's strike.

Port authorities, who are of course well aware of the possibility of congestion, have been asked to take such steps as are open to them to minimise the consequences of the stoppage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the proposed import tonnage of carcase beef and carcase lamb from the Republic of Ireland as set out in the Agreement on Store Animals and Carcase Meat in the White Paper, Command Paper No. 2858, as a percentage of imports from the Republic of Ireland in each of the years 1963, 1964 and 1965, and as a percentage of total imports of these commodities from all sources in the same three years.

Separate figures for imports in 1963, 1964 and 1965 are not available for beef as distinct from beef and veal or for lamb as distinct from mutton and lamb. But using the combined data for imports, the quantities of carcase beef and lamb referred to in the Agreement may be expressed as percentages as follows:

Calendar Year	25,000 tons as a percentage of beef and veal imports from:—
	Republic of Ireland	All sources
1963	138·6	7·0
1964	125·4	7·2
1965	88·1	8·6

Calendar Year	5,500 tons as a percentage of mutton and lamb imports from:—
	Republic of Ireland	All sources
1963	50·0	1·6
1964	60·2	1·6
1965	59·4	1·6

asked the Attorney-General whether, in order to avoid the injustice to the citizen inherent in the inability of the legal profession to deal always with the local concentration of courts of assize and sessions sitting simultaneously for short periods, he will introduce legislation to set up Crown courts in Leeds and the West Riding of Yorkshire to deal with criminal matters.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is considering what steps are practicable to ensure that there is no avoidable delay in the adminisstration of justice in Yorkshire or elsewhere, but the Government do not believe that the setting up of further Crown courts is the right solution. If the hon. Member will bring to my attention any specific instances of hardship, I will look into them.

asked the Attorney-General if he will seek to make provision for claims for damages arising out of personal injury to be heard before the courts, where claims have been lodged with solicitors or trade unions, and proceedings have not been started within the statutory period, because of negligence or defalcation on the part of any person other than the claimant.

No. It would not be desirable to give the courts power to extend the limitation period in the type of case my hon. Friend has in mind. In such cases the claimant would normally have a remedy against the solicitor or trade union concerned.

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to create a new county court jurisdiction consisting of most of the present jurisdiction in civil matters, the criminal jurisdiction of quarter sessions, and jurisdiction in undefended divorce cases, to be exercised by a number of judges in each county court district.

The Government have already announced their intention of introducing legislation as soon as practicable for the transfer of jurisdiction in undefended divorce cases to the county courts. The further extension of county court jurisdiction in civil proceedings is a matter which will no doubt be considered by Lord Justice Winn's Committee on the trial of actions for personal injuries. I do not think it would be desirable at present to confer criminal jurisdiction on the county courts, although my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor welcomes the assistance which many county court judges already give at Quarter Sessions.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) what level of compensation to the dependants of those killed in air accidents will now be paid by the British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, and other British registered airline operators;(2) whether the level of compensation paid to the dependants of those killed in air accidents by the British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, and other British airline operators, will be higher in the case of accidents occurring in or near the United States of America.(3) whether he will introduce legislation to make it compulsory for airlines which solicit passenger business in the United Kingdom and which do not observe the present international agreement to state clearly on passenger tickets what limits they observe and what territorial restrictions if any, are imposed an them.

There is no fixed level of compensation. The Carriage by Air Act, 1932, gave effect in the United Kingdom to the Warsaw Convention of 1929 which limited the liability of the carrier, in the absence of wilful misconduct, to some £3,000 per passenger in respect of international carriage as defined in the Convention: the Carriage by Air (Non-international) (United Kingdom) Order, 1952, made under the provisions of that Act, applied the same limit of liability to domestic and all other types of carriage not covered by the Convention. Within this limit it is necessary for the victim or his dependants to establish the amount of damage sustained.The Carriage by Air Act, 1961, enables the Government to ratify The Hague Protocol of 1955 which amended the Warsaw Convention and raised the limit of liability to some £6,000 per passenger in respect of international carriage. It is the Government's intention to proceed to ratification of the Protocol as soon as practical and at the same time to make a new Order under the provisions of the 1961 Act establishing the limits applicable to types of carriage not covered by the Convention as amended by the Protocol.The desirablity of a further increase in the internationally agreed limits of liability is at present under consideration. In the meanwhile B.O.A.C. and B.E.A., together with a number of principal airlines of the world, have made a voluntary interim arrangement whereby in the case of journeys beginning or ending in the United States, or having an agreed stopping place there, the limit of liability will be raised to a maximum of $58,000 (about £20,500) to which legal costs may be added. Passengers affected by this arrangement will be informed of it at the time when their ticket is issued to them. It may be on the ticket, or on the ticket envelope, or on a piece of paper attached to the ticket or ticket envelope.

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans he has made to employ civilian aircraft to maintain supplies of critical materials, in view of the seamen's strike.

If a need arises for civil aircraft to be chartered by the Government for the maintenance of essential supplies, this task will fall to me, but at present no such need has been foreseen. The position will however be kept under review.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a further statement on Spadeadam, Cumberland.

The meeting of Ministers to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 8th March took place in Paris on 26th-28th April. The meeting was adjourned until 9th June when it is expected that decisions will be taken on the future ELDO programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made to assist Morpeth Harriers following the application for grant aid to enable them to obtain a pavilion for training purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

A grant of £925 towards the estimated expenditure of £1,850 on the new pavilion was offered to the Club on 29th April and authority was given for a start to be made on the work on 1st August next.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the reasons for the prolonged delay in granting a charter to the new University of Bradford; and on what date this grant is to be announced.

I understand that the appropriate Committee of the Privy Council has completed its consideration of the draft charter and that the Privy Council Office will shortly be writing to the petitioners. The formalities leading to the grant of a charter will then necessarily take some time to complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied that sufficient funds are available for research into diabetes, and that progress in this field is not lacking because of money; and if he will make a statement.

Research into diabetes and associated conditions forms part of the Medical Research Council's programme of research into metabolic disorders. Further studies are being made in university and teaching hospital departments with the support of Exchequer funds and with the assistance of grants from voluntary bodies, notably the British Diabetic Association. Work is also being done under the auspices of the Health Departments. Much of the extensive programme of fundamental research into biochemistry, endocrinology and metabolism, which is being conducted in this country by the Medical Research Council and by the universities, may also be regarded as potentially relevant to diabetes.I am assured that the Medical Research Council has not felt itself to be restricted by lack of funds from sponsoring any scientifically worthwhile projects in this field.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that the Wall Street crash of 1929 destroyed the British economy, what plans he has to safeguard Great Britain from the effects of the growing slump in the United States motor manufacturing industry; and if he will make a statement.

Today there are better arrangements than there were in 1929 for dealing with economic matters of mutual concern, and a constant watch is kept on developments in individual countries. At present almost all the indicators point to continuing buoyancy in the United States economy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give in column form the total annual expenditure of central Government for each year from 1946.

The total annual expenditure of central Government, excluding payments from the National Insurance Funds, etc., in each financial year from 1946–47 was as follows:

Financial year	£m.
1946–47	4,428
1947–48	3,846
1948–49	3,652
1949–50	3,871
1950–51	3,749
1951–52	4,611
1952–53	4,904
1953–54	4,717
1954–55	4,874
1955–56	5,116
1956–57	5,599
1957–58	5,687
1958–59	5,830
1959–60	6,148
1960–61	6,563
1961–62	7,141
1962–63	7,212
1963–64	7,723
1964–65	8,543
1965–66	9,721
1966–67 (estimate)	10,511

Source: Annual Financial Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in column form the number of civil servants employed by central Government for each year since 1946, and give the latest figure available for 1966.

The numbers of civil servants employed were as follows:

NUMBER OF CIVIL STAFFS EMPLOYED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ON THE 1ST JANUARY IN THE YEARS 1946–1966
Year	Civil Staffs excluding Post Office (thousands)
	Non-industrial	Industrial	Total
1946*	452·5	368·0	820·5
1947	460·0	337·8	797·8
1948	435·9	333·8	769·7
1949	459·6	339·6	799·2
1950	440·4	332·3	772·7
1951	425·6	325·6	751·2
1952	435·6	339·8	775·4
1953	419·7	352·4	772·1
1954	409·1	359·5	768·6
1955	387·3	348·5	735·8
1956	386·3	341·3	727·6
1957	385·1	333·1	718·2
1958	380·0	310·0	690·0
1959	377·1	286·1	663·2
1960	381·6	378·8	656·4
1961	386·2	268·8	655·0
1962	396·7	265·7	662·4
1963	406·2	264·7	670·9
1964	415·4	256·8	672·2
1965	419·2	248·8	668·0
1966	426·1	233·3	659·4
* 1st April, 1946

Year	Post Office Staffs (thousands)
	Non-industrial	Industrial	Total
1946*	243·5	55·3	298·8
1947	262·3	62·5	324·8
1948	255·8	65·4	321·2
1949	247·4	67·3	314·7
1950	247·5	72·0	319·5
1951	249·5	71·3	320·8
1952	252·8	73·2	326·0
1953	248·8	74·6	323·4
1954	248·3	75·1	323·4
1955	246·1	76·2	322·3
1956	250·5	81·3	331·8
1957	252·3	85·2	337·5
1958	253·1	84·4	337·5
1959	254·6	82·9	337·5
1960	254·6	83·6	338·2
1961	258·0	88·5	346·5
1962	271·7	92·4	364·1
1963	275·0	95·4	370·4
1964	274·2	101·1	375·3
1965	278·4	104·9	383·3
1966	395·5†	0·4	395·9
* 1st April, 1946.
† Includes Post Office staff reclassified from Industrial to Non-Industrial.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many whole or part days' leave civil servants are entitled to each year; and whether these include the Queen's Birthday and Maundy Thursday.

In general, and subject to the exigencies of the Service, nonindustrial civil servants appointed on or after 1st July, 1956 are allowed leave as follows:

(a) Staff on scales with maxima up to and including that of clerical officer.	3 weeks; after 10 years' total service. 3 weeks and 3 days.
(b) Staff on scales with maxima above that of clerical officer up to and including that of executive officer.	3 weeks and 3 days; after 10 years' total service, 4 weeks and 2 days; after 20 years total service, 5 weeks; after 30 years' total service, 6 weeks.
(c) Staff on scales with maxima above that of executive officer up to and including that of senior executive officer.	4 weeks and 2 days; after 10 years' total service, 5 weeks; after 20 years' total service, 6 weeks.
(d) Staff on scales with maxima above that of senior executive officer up to and including that of assistant secretary.	5 weeks; after 10 years' total service, 6 weeks.
(e) Staff on scales with maxima above that of assistant secretary.	6 weeks.

These rates do not apply to certain non industrial non-office staff, whose allowances are either 2 weeks and 3 days or 2 weeks and 3 days rising to 3 weeks after 10 years' service.In addition 2½ days privilage holiday a year are allowed, including one day for the Queen's Birthday and a half day for Maundy Thursday afternoon.Part of the leave allowances may be taken in half days, normally subject to a maximum of 12 half days.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer into which category the Scottish in-shore fishing fleet will fall for the proposed Selective Employment Tax.

Employers of the inshore fishing fleet will have the tax refunded.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the annual cost to trade unions of the Selective Employment Tax as proposed to be payable by them under heading No. 899, Other Services, of Annex II of Command Paper No. 2986.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what inquiries are being undertaken with a view to creating a satisfactory system of dividend control within the context of a prices and incomes policy.

The general movement of dividends is considered by the National Economic Development Council in the course of its periodic reviews of productivity, prices and incomes. As my right hon. Friend the First Secretary informed the House on 4th May, we are keeping a close watch on the dividend figures and will take further action if that seems necessary. The new Corporation Tax system will, of course, provide an incentive to companies to plough back their profits.