asked the Minister of Overseas Development what proposals he has for controlled development of still dependent territories, such as the Caymans and Turks and Caicos Islands, in the particular interest of those who live in these smaller territories.

It is the practice for dependent territories to draw up development plans which are submitted for approval to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands have prepared a plan for the period 1966–68. There is no formal plan for the Cayman Islands but the Government is pressing on with development in accordance with an agreed list of priorities. I am most anxious that my Ministry should be able to offer these territories every assistance through our new Development Division in Barbados.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development why further aid has been refused to Malaysia.

Other calls on our resources have prevented us offering Malaysia any additional development aid this year. Our economic aid and technical assistance will in fact cost about £5 million. It will be approximately the same, in volume and nature, as in 1965.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what contributions his Department is making to universities and technical colleges in the Commonwealth.

The following details relate to more than 20 institutions to which financial aid is currently committed.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assistance he will provide to enable Rhodesian African students threatened with restriction by the Smith régime to complete their studies in this country.

Arrangements have been in operation for several months for assisting Rhodesians in this country to continue their studies here provided they are suitably qualified for the awards which are available.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will instruct the British representatives on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to propose that, since ancient historic buildings are protected by law in most civilised countries, outstanding examples of the architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries should be scheduled as international monuments.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is considering means of encouraging Member States in the preservation of historic monuments, although it makes no proposals for any specific period, but has not yet envisaged direct action of the kind suggested by my hon. Friend. An international register might overlap the expert work already carried out in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where national lists of properties of architectural and historic interest are kept.However, if my hon. Friend would care to let me have his proposals in greater detail, I should be pleased to consider them further.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he is aware of difficulties experienced by companies which hire computer equipment through credit companies, owing to onerous or inadequately specified terms of lease agreements; and whether he will devise and publicise a recommended standard form of agreement.

No such difficulties have been reported to my right hon. Friend. If the right hon. Member will send me details I will certainly look into them.

asked the Minister of Technology what proposals have been placed before him by public bodies, organisations or individuals for the utilisation of tidal power around the coasts of Scotland; and what projects he considers worthy of development.

No detailed proposals have been put to me and their consideration would in any case be primarily for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Technology to what extent, as a result of his visit to Russia, he was able to secure a promise of increased trade between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United Kingdom.

Arising from continued discussions between the two Governments, the Soviet authorities have assured us that they intend to increase the scale of their purchases from us. In the course of my meeting with Mr. Kosygin I drew attention to particular fields in which British exports could contribute to the development of Soviet industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent he is satisfied with what is being done to check the import into this country of unacceptable quantities of obscene and pornographic material; whether he will seek to arm the necessary authorities with more powers and resources to do so; and if he will make a statement.

In 1965 178,000 books and 1,075,000 magazines were seized by the Customs, and so far this year about 200,000 books and 1,000,000 magazines. These figures do not indicate a need for more powers and resources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action is taken to ensure than money spent on Government entertaining is wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of departmental duties; and if he will give an assurance that this is given the same scrutiny to which taxation officers subject the claims made by individuals employed in business and who are now allowed entertainment expenses only when it applies to foreign buyers.

Expenditure on Government entertaining is subject to the same strict financial control and accounting procedure as other expenditure from public funds. This provides appropriate safeguards against abuse.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why it is not possible for Government Departments to specify the proportion of the £125,000 spent last year on Government entertainment that was used exclusively on hospitality for overseas visitors, in view of the fact this information is required of firms and individuals engaged in commerce in order to justify income tax relief on entertaining.

It would be possible but the expense of doing so would not be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement showing, as fully as possible, the statistical bases of the varying estimates made from time to time of the initial cost of granting current parity for all Civil Service pensions.

The Estimates are based on samples of all Civil Service pensions in payment. The full cost of pensions assessed on the basis of parity is derived from the sample and this is set against the cost of pensions on the present basis. The initial additional cost of granting current parity is therefore the difference between the two. It follows that it rises with increases in pensionable emoluments and falls when current pensions rise as a result of Pensions (Increase) Acts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of Government offices in central London are cleaned by outside cleaners under contract; and what saving of public money it is estimated results from the use of contract cleaners instead of Government employees.

Approximately two-thirds. The saving, using actual average costs as at October 1965 and assuming no change in performance, is estimated to be about £430,000 a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will initiate a departmental inquiry into the staffing and working of the Valuation Office of the Inland Revenue.

No. The Inland Revenue has this matter under continuous review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he caused the letter addressed to him by the Merton and Morden Chamber of Commerce and Trade, dated 19th May, 1966, about the Selective Employment Tax, to be answered by an official of the Board of Trade instead of answering it himself.

It seemed appropriate that the reply should go from the Board of Trade, as the letter concerned the effect of the Selective Employment Tax on small traders and businesses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will ensure that the sale price of the consultants' report on the expansion of Ipswich, when released generally, will be low enough to ensure its wide circulation.

It would not be appropriate to subsidise this particular report.In accordance with normal practice it will be priced to recover no more than the cost of printing and distribution.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what circular he has sent to local authorities regarding the enforcement of a closed shop policy within local authority departments.

No such circular has been issued.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is satisfied that there is an adequate supply of water for North and West Devon to meet the demands of a dry summer, having regard to the restrictions already imposed on the use of water by the North Devon Water Board; and if he will make a statement.

As the hon. Member knows, I am carefully considering whether to allow the North Devon Water Board to proceed with a scheme to provide further supplies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he proposes to take on the recommendations submitted in the Report of the Sub-Committee on Water Charges in 1963.

My right hon. Friend had intended to start discussions with interested bodies on the draft of a circular to water undertakers about the Report. But he has deferred doing so because of the risk that general introduction of the changes advocated by the Sub-Committee would in some areas place an undue burden on householders. Meanwhile, a number of water undertakers are bringing their charges into line with individual recommendations in the Report, and he will continue to consider on their merits proposals of this kind which require his consent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now announce a decision in connection with sea defences at Felixstowe Ferry and arising out of the official inquiry held on 9th February, 1966, bearing in mind the urgent nature of the problem.

My right hon. Friend's decision was given on 17th June and I am sending a copy of the decision letter to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) when he received the report of the consultants in connection with the possible expansion of Ipswich; and when he will release the report generally;(2) whether he will detail the procedure, including references to legislation, which he proposes to follow in connection with the consideration, discussion, appeal facilities and implementation of the report now in his hands concerning the possible expansion of Ipswich;(3) in connection with the consultants' report on the possible expansion of Ipswich, what steps he has in view to ensure the widest possible public debate prior to acceptance or otherwise of the report, both by the local planning authorities and by the Government.

The consultants' report on the possible expansion of Ipswich was received in my Department on 8th June and is now being printed. It is hoped to publish in early September.If, after considering the report, I decide to proceed with the proposed expansion I shall, after consultation with the local authorities concerned, publish a draft order under Section 1 (1) of the New Towns Act, 1965, designating an area of land including the present Ipswich as the site of a new town. The procedure to be followed thereafter is laid down in Schedule 1 of the same Act. There will be ample time for public debate, including a local public inquiry before a decision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of the Government's special responsibility for the decision that the Sperry Gyroscope Company Limited's factory at Bracknell should expand, he will give directions to Bracknell Development Corporation that special consideration shall be shown to those affected by the compulsory purchase orders made necessary by the decision.

No. The Corporation has already assured owners affected by this order that, if it should be confirmed, it will do all in its power to minimise the upset and inconvenience caused.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will make an announcement concerning reduced interest rates for existing and future house purchasers.

At present I cannot add to the reply given on 24th June by my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Cant); but I hope to be able to make a further statement soon.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he proposes to discuss with local authorities individual rent structures as outlined in paragraph 41 of the Government's recent White Paper, The Housing Programme, 1965 to 1970.

I intend soon to begin consultations with the local authority associations on this subject.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give details of the decisions of the rent assessment committees in the Manchester area to date.

No decisions had been made by rent assessment committees in the Manchester area up to 25th June.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications for rent reductions have been made to rent officers in the Manchester area to date.

390 applications for registration of rent had been made to rent officers in the Manchester Rent Assessment Panel area up to 18th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the recent talks with the Government of Zambia.

Concerning the first visit to Zambia by the Minister of State, I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Faulds) on 14th June.The Minister of State resumed her talks in Lusaka last week. She has not yet returned from these talks, but in view of the confidential nature of the present discussions, I am unable to give any further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he is aware that the British Overseas Airways Corporation still freely exchanges Rhodesian currency aboard their aeroplanes, and that all outward bookings out of Lusaka are channelled through the Central African Airways office in Salisbury; and what action he proposes to take in regard to both these matters.

It is my understanding that neither of the facts as stated in the hon. Member's Question is correct. No action on my part is therefore required.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what estimate he will now make about the growth of output per man during the next 12 months; and to what extent the National Plan is still a part of his economic strategy.

The National Plan remains the basis of the Government's economic strategy. The 25 per cent. growth target set out in the Plan applies to the whole period from 1964 to 1970. It has always been recognised that the rate of growth of productivity would vary from year to year, but the Plan envisaged that it would increase over the period to 1970.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will now give the date when the Yorkshire and Humberside Economic Development Council will publish its first report.

Good progress has been made and the Council hopes that the Report will be available for publication in the autumn.

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 what is their average age at the present date;(2) what would be the estimated cost to the National Insurance Fund and saving on National Assistance of paying a full retirement or widows' pension to those surviving people who were excluded from the National Insurance Scheme in 1948; and is she will include figures from the new Act.

About 200,000 old people who were excluded from the National Insurance Scheme in 1948 still survive and their average is about 84 years. On their present numbers the cost to the National Insurance Fund of paying them full pensions would be about £40 million a year. Payments by the National Assistance Board to this group of people amount to rather more than £21 million a year, and would be superseded under the Ministry of Social Security Bill by supplementary pensions amounting to about £24 million in the first year; the provision of full National Insurance pensions would reduce these figures by rather more than £16 million and £17 million respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is satisfied that facilities exist to cope with the expected increase in tele-processing as a result of the greater use of computers; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the hon. Member is inquiring about the transmission of data by telecommunication for computer processing.

asked the Postmaster-General what representations have been made to him by the Town Clerk of the Borough of Christchurch with regard to the decision to reduce the number of hours during which Crown Post Office, Christchurch, is open; and what reply he has made.

The Town Clerk asked us to reconsider our proposal to open the Christchurch Crown Office at 9 a.m. instead of 8.30 a.m. and to close it at 5.30 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. We have explained to him that relatively little business is done during the half hours in question, and that the change is designed to help keep down costs. My right hon. Friend is sorry, but he would not be justified in abandoning the proposal.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will postpone the increased fee for television licences in such areas as East Devon, where B.B.C.2 will not be available for a considerable time.

I am afraid it is not practicable to vary the licence fee from place to place.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he proposes to take to ensure that illegal broadcasts are not resumed from Shivering Sands Tower.

I have no means of ensuring that these broadcasts will not be resumed.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) how many public telephones and kiosks, respectively, have been wilfully damaged in Belfast during each of the past five years; and what has been the cost of such damage;(2) how many public telephone cash boxes in Belfast have been wilfully broken into in each of the last five years; and what additional precautions he plans to prevent recurrences of this practice.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what extra sum will be added to farmers' annual costs by the exemption of agricultural machinery dealers from the Selective Employment Tax;(2) if he will exempt agricultural machinery dealers from the Selective Employment Tax; approximately how much would be the annual yield of such a tax; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the replies he has sent to the representations by the National Farmers' Union, the Agricultural Engineers' Association and the) Agricultural Machinery and Tractor Dealers' Association Limited.

The tax payable annually by agricultural machinery dealers is broadly estimated at about £1½ million. I would hope that it would not be necessary for the whole of this to be passed on to farmers.I have not received representations on this matter from the National Fanners' Union or the Agricultural Engineers' Association. I understand however that these bodies have supported the repretations which the Agricultural Machinery and Tractor Dealers' Association have made to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He has asked my right hon. Friend to consider these representations, and he is today writing to inform the Association that the Government cannot agree to treat them differently from other employers in the distributive trades.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to supply figures for the number of prosecutions which have been made for exceeding the 70 miles per hour speed limit.

The figures for 1966 will be included in the Annual Return of Offences relating to Motor Vehicles published next year, but I hope to be able in the autumn to give the figures for the first quarter of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from chief constables on the action taken, and to be taken, by the police with regard to the boarding of towers within territorial waters from which broadcasts are being transmitted illegally.

I am being kept informed, and no special request for reports is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purpose he may require land at Court Lodge Farm, Wartling, Sussex; and when a decision in the matter may be expected.

I am writing to the hon. Member about this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give details of the requirements necessary to receive a letter of recognition awarded by the Central Training Council in Child Care to students and of the course of training they are required to enter.

A student must have successfully completed one of the training courses at various British universities and other institutions which are recognised by the Council as suitable for the work of a child care officer. Such courses include theoretical and practical training, and last from one to two years according to the student's academic qualifications and experience. I am sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy of the Council's booklet describing the courses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT information about the number of ballot papers rejected in each constituency during the recent General Election under the following heads, namely, want of official mark, voting for more than one candidate, writing or mark by which voter could be identified, and unmarked or void for uncertainty.

The information is as follows: