asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many anthropologists are or have been employed by Colonial Governments in recording the social customs of primitive peoples; and what steps he is taking to publish material on the methods of rearing children which might have useful application in modern industrial society.

A number of Colonial Governments have employed experts in this field from time to time but complete information is not readily available. Some reports have been published, and if the House wishes copies of any found to be relevant to the hon. Member's Question can be made available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present population of all the territories for which his Department has responsibility; and what was the equivalent figure for 1950.

Approximately 8 million now and approximately 70 million in 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Colonial Office civil servants, normally resident in the United Kingdom, there are now; and what was the equivalent figure in 1950.

577 now and 1,546 in 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what facilities exist within Swaziland for the treatment of mental illness; and how many people in need of treatment have instead been committed to prison.

There is at present no mental hospital in the territory. 40 mental patients are accommodated at Mbabane Central Prison, which has a section set aside for mental cases. This is under the supervision of 6 mental attendants, and is visited twice weekly by a Medical Officer. A further 29 cases are accommodated at district prisons where treatment is given by visiting Medical Officers.In addition 30 mental patients are being maintained at institutions in the Republic of South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the effect upon the tourist trade of the Seychelles of sanctions against Rhodesia.

Only a small percentage of Seychelles tourists come from Rhodesia. The numbers declined sharply before sanctions were imposed, following reductions in the shipping service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he will introduce a democratic Constitution for Hong Kong.

I would refer my hon. friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin).

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will publish a White Paper setting out the movement of wages, salaries, other incomes, prices and productivity since the publication of Commend Paper No. 2639, Prices and Incomes Policy.

No. These figures are already available in Government publications.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what is the cost to public funds of each issue of the Department of Economic Affairs Progress Report.

About £1,650.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what progress he is making in reviewing the National Plan; and at what national output growth targets industrialists should now be setting their sights in making new investment decisions.

The review is proceeding satisfactorily. Industrialists should continue to aim at achieving the objectives set out in the Plan.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to ensure impartial arbitration tribunals, with consumer representation, to replace existing manufacturers' tribunals in manufacturing trades.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why textile imports for the first four months of 1966 increased over those of the comparable period of 1965 by the following amounts, that is to say, grey cloth 57 million square yards; other cloth 16 million square yards; yarn 3· 7 million lbs; and man-made fibre piece goods by 11· 6 million square yards.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to two Questions from the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) on 13 th May.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation in the current Session to make it compulsory for manufacturers to mark boots and shoes to indicate the materials used in their production.

My right hon. Friend intends to introduce, as soon as Parliamentary time permits, legislation which would provide a general power to require informative labelling of specified classes of goods. I cannot at present say whether it will be possible this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will modify the scheme for compensating the victims of crime so that, in appropriate cases, those guilty of crimes of violence and fraud can be enabled or required to contribute to the cost of compensation.

The operation of the experimental scheme for compensating victims of crimes of violence is being closely watched. Before its extension to the victims of other forms of crime could be considered, further study of the implications and cost of such a step would be necessary.The practical problems involved in recovering compensation from the offender are considerable, as the report (Cmnd. 1406) of the official working party in 1961 brought out; but my right hon. Friend will give the matter further consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the extent of the support given to his proposals for amalgamation of the police forces; to what extent local government watch committees have been given an opportunity to put their points of view to him; and what have been his replies.

In most areas, discussions between the police authorities concerned are in progress, and model amalgamation schemes have been provided by my Department for their guidance. Already 33 police authorities have informed me of their agreement in principle. Three police authorities have said formally that they are unwilling to amalgamate, but I hope that these views are not final. Five authorities have proposed alternative arrangements; after consideration, I have informed four of them that their suggestions are, to my regret, not acceptable; the proposals of the fifth have just been received. There have been informal discussions between my Department and a number of police authorities, and further discussions are being arranged with the Association of Municipal Corporations, the North Western County Boroughs Association and four police authorities to discuss my proposals or their suggestions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will grant whatever courtesy title may be appropriate to male prisoners in all establishments under his control.

My right hon. Friend sees no present need for a change of practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will release from the Royal Navy the heavyweight boxer Able Seaman Field as a step to maintaining national prestige in this field.

No; I am sorry but I cannot treat Able Seaman Field differently from any other rating.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent he receives regular reports on the performance of weapons of war of British manufacture at present in use in the Vietnamese war; and if he will make a statement.

I do not receive regular reports on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the weapons of war of British manufacture at present in use in the Vietnamese war.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to ensure that arms sold to the United States of America are not used in Vietnam.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how he proposes to ensure that arms sold to an ally will not violate the principle of supplying arms directly or indirectly for fighting in Vietnam; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government draw a distinction between the intentional supply of arms to Vietnam via a third country, which we would not allow, and the general supply of arms to allies, on which we do not normally place any restrictions. As I indicated in the House on 23rd June, Her Majesty's Government can and does ensure that arms exports are restricted, both by type and destination, to those which cannot be used in violation of its policies.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any bombs or shells or any other form of conventional ammunition will be sold to the Government of the United States of America without an undertaking that this material will not be used in the Vietnam conflict.

I would refer the hon. Member to what 1 said in reply to the hon. Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Michael Foot) on 23rd June.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British aircraft it was proposed to sell, and on how many it was proposed to offer an option to Jordan in the recent negotiations.

As I told the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) on 22nd June, 1966, the discussions that took place with the Jordanian Government were confidential and details cannot be disclosed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what requests he has received from the United States Government for the supply of 2· 75-inch rockets; what were the dates of receipt of these requests; what was the value of the orders involved; and what replies he gave;(2) what is the value to date of requests from foreign Governments for the supply of arms since 16th October, 1964, which have been rejected by his Department on grounds of policy; and if he will specify each of the requests so rejected;(3) what was the value of requests from the United States Government for the supply of arms and equipment under the agreement for offsetting the cost of purchase of F111 aircraft which have so far been rejected by his department on grounds of policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will itemise the airborne weapons recently requested by the United States of America; and why Her Majesty's Government would have been unable for reasons of production to supply them.

It is not our policy to disclose confidential discussions about the supply of arms to another country.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by what criteria he decides the uses to which British weapons of war sold through the medium of the head of defence sales to Great Britain's allies may be put.

I do not normally presume to decide for other countries how they should use defence equipment that we supply to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions or advice are being given to British ships operating in the Pacific in the vicinity of the forthcoming French nuclear tests.

Navigational warnings to mariners have been issued by the authorities concerned in the normal manner, both by printed advance notice and by radio. All ships have been advised by these means to keep clear of the danger areas announced by the French authorities from 30th June until further notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give individual details of the three additional defence attaches to the British Embassy in Saigon; how long they have been there; how frequently they are out in the field observing military actions; and whether he will increase their numbers.

The attaches are a Naval Commander, an Army Lieutenant-Colonel and a Royal Air Force Wing-Commander; they have been there since February this year; as with service attaches elsewhere they are required sometimes to travel outside the capital, Saigon, but not for the purpose of observing units in action; no increase in numbers is contemplated.

asked the Minister of Transport what discussions she has had with the Road Haulage Association following its decision to advise its members to institute a general increase in their tariffs.

I would refer to the Answer given yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton).

asked the Minister of Transport what action has been taken by Her Majesty's Government to accede to international agreements on road traffic signs and signals.

At my right hon. Friend's request, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs arranged for the Instruments of Accession to be deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations on 16th May, 1966, in respect of the United Nations Protocol on Road Signs and Signals of 19th September, 1949, the European Agreement supplementing the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic and the 1949 Protocol on Road Signs and Signals, Geneva, 16th September, 1950 and the Agreement on Signs for Road Works amending the European Agreement of 16th September, 1950, Geneva, 16th December, 1955.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what consideration he gave to liabilities carried over from the previous period when allocating funds to Montserrat for the current period ending in March, 1968; and what method he proposes should be adopted to finance the purchase of a machine to extract oil from cotton seed by February, 1967, when it is required to process the crop.

The allocation of Colonial Development and Welfare funds to Montserrat for the period 1965–68 took account inter alia of existing commitments at 31st March, 1965, and of the unspent balance of CD. and W. funds on that date.I have not yet received an application from Montserrat for assistance towards the purchase of a cotton seed mill.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what funds are available in the British Virgin Islands to enable the opportunity to be taken arising from private land reclamation at Road Town, to construct a new road and improve other facilities.

The Government of the British Virgin Islands is at present investigating the cost of the reclamation and waterfront road scheme for Road Town and until this has been done it is not possible to consider possible methods of finance. In the meantime a Colonial Development and Welfare grant of $40,000 has been approved in principle for some reclamation and drainage work in connection with the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science for what reasons he rejected the proposal to set up a working party to consider and report on the desirability of establishing a teachers' general council.

Because the proposition put to my right hon. Friend by the teachers' associations would have given the proposed council a degree of control over the recruitment of teachers which in our view the Government could not properly relinquish at a time of acute teacher shortage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers of state-aided teachers leaving training colleges and universities in the years 1963, 1964 and 1965 who entered schools in the public and private sectors, respectively, of education, and. the numbers of pupils attending schools in the public and private sectors, respectively, in those years.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request education authorities that where a child is permitted to attend a school other than the nearest appropriate school he will be allowed to use any existing transport to the alternative school provided seats are available, and such permission is only granted on the understanding that it is revocable immediately the seats are required for the normal and regular pupils of the alternative school.

I would regard this as a matter for the discretion of the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the recent appointment of Sir John Maud to be Chairman of the Royal Commission on Local Government, he will continue to serve as Chairman of the Schools Council; and if he will make a statement.

Sir John Maud has told me that his duties in connection with the Royal Commission will make it impossible for him to continue to serve as Chairman of the Schools Council for the Curriculum and Examinations. In accepting his resignation I have expressed my very warm thanks to him for the exceptionally valuable contribution he has made to the success of the Council's first two years of work. I am glad to announce that Mr. Alan Bullock, Master of St. Catherine's College, Oxford, has accepted my invitation to succeed to the Chairmanship of the Council. The change will take place on 1st October next.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when and where he announced the details of the impact of the Selective Employment Tax on direct labour departments of local authorities.

I told the Urban District Councils Association Conference at Blackpol on 24th June that the arrangements for reimbursing Selective Employment Tax to local authorities in respect of their employees would not extend to staff of direct labour departments employed on new construction.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings arising from the agreement to increase minimum rates of wages for adult male general labourers in the seed crushing industry.

The increase in the minimum rate for adult male labourers following an interval of 14 months was 4· 6 per cent.A corresponding percentage figure for earnings is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings arising from the agreement to reduce the standard working week for all operatives in the salt-glazed ware industry other than kilnburners and boiler firemen on continuous shiftwork, and to increase minimum rates of wages of all adult male time workers.

The agreement increases the minimum hourly rate for adult men by 4· 8 per cent. The information available does not permit of an accurate estimate of the effect on earnings.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings arising from Wages Council's orders regulating minimum wage rates and holiday time for workers in the coffin furniture and cerement making industries.

A Wages Regulation Order giving effect to proposals from the Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making Wages Council recently raised the statutory minimum rates for men and women workers by 3½ d. and 3d. per hour respectively. These cash increases represented increases on the statutory minima fixed in January, 1965 ranging from 6· 1 per cent. to 8· 0 per cent. according to grade, age, sex and section of the trade. A second Order, giving effect to proposals from the Council concerning holiday entitlements, increased the number of customary holidays from six to seven in 1966 and to eight from

asked the Postmaster-General if he will issue a stamp to commemorate the bi-centenary of the founding of the new town of Edinburgh and also the twenty-first anniversary of the inauguration of the Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 29th June to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North (Earl of Dalkeith).

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what were the rates of contributions payable under the National Insurance Scheme for each class of contributor during the period 5th July, 1948 to 5th July, 1958; in the case of a late age entrant classified as an employed person, how much he will have contributed over this period on the basis that his employment was uninterrupted; and how much will have been contributed over the same period by a self-employed person.

The following table shows the amounts of the national insurance stamp during the period 5th July, 1948 to 5th July, 1958:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current value at 1st July, 1966, taking into account the fall in the value of the £ sterling, of premium bonds purchased at the date of introduction of the bonds in 1956.

About 15s. 7d. at November, 1956 values.

asked the Minister of Technology how the net new export order index for the engineering industry in 1965 compares with the preceding year; and what approximate share of total United Kingdom exports is covered by this index.

The index of the volume of net new export orders for the engineering industries was 3½ per cent. lower in 1965 than in 1964. The products of the industries covered by this index, mechanical and electrical engineering, wheeled tractors, locomotives and rolling stock and heavy commercial vehicles, are estimated to have accounted for more than a quarter of total United Kingdom exports in 1965.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he will now make a statement about the Dee Crossing Scheme.

Yes; after consultation with the Dee and Clwyd River Authority, who have commissioned a model of the Dee estuary from the Hydraulics Research Station at Wallingford, and the Cheshire and Flintshire County Council, I have asked Messrs. Binnie and Partners to conduct a first stage study into the feasibility of a Dee crossing. This will include an appraisal study of the various possible benefits, the best line or lines for the crossing and the consequential effects on other matters, together with some boring and seismic studies. It is expected to cost about £50,000. The consultants are already at work and I hope to receive their report in 9–12 months' time.