asked the Minister of Aviation to what extent the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, is undertaking research in aid of industry; and what steps he is taking to ascertain the requirements of industry for such research.

R.A.E.'s research work is mostly in aid of the aerospace industry, although part has application to other industries. Contact is maintained with industry through such bodies as the Aeronautical Research Council, through technical reports issued by the Establishment and through numerous visits and discussions.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many options have been purchased for Concord airliners; by what organisations; at what cost; and on the basis of what forecast price per aircraft.

Sixteen aircraft have been reserved for B.O.A.C. and Air France. Options on a further 36 aircraft have so far been taken out by other airlines, as follows: —

Pan American	6
T.W.A.	6
American Airlines	6
Qantas	4
Japan Airlines	3
Continental Airlines	3
Sabena	2
Middle East Airlines	2
Eastern Airlines	2
Air India	2

These options are the subject of separate agreements between the manufacturers and the individual airlines. As they have been concluded at different times and in varying circumstances, the details naturally differ, and it would be a breach of commercial confidence if I were to say what the options cost or on what forecast prices they are based. The estimate of cost at present being quoted in connection with options is $16 million—or about £5·7 million.

asked the Minister of Aviation on how many occasions he officially sought the advice of Mr. Richard Worcester, an aviation consultant, on matters of policy; and if he was satisfied that Mr. Worcester was sufficiently qualified to offer reliable guidance.

None.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make arrangements for the installation of an internal dialling telephone system in that part of the Palace of Westminster under the control of the House of Commons.

I will ask the Accommodation Sub-Committee of the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) to look into this matter both for existing accommodation within the Palace of Westminster and the new parliamentary building.

asked the Lord President of the Council how the rates of pay of the waitresses on the permanent staff of the House compare with the rates paid to casual staff.

The person employed casually has neither the guarantee of continuity of work, nor the privileges of a permanent member of the staff, and for these reasons the rates paid are higher than those to the permanent staff.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in January, 1965, Her Majesty's Government, together with six other Governments, signed a Council of Europe Agreement in which they undertook to prevent the operation of pirate radio stations outside national territories; and what steps have been taken to comply with the agreement.

Legislation is necessary to implement the Agreement, and as the House is already aware, this will be introduced before the Summer Recess.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he has made on his project to use postal vans for carrying passengers in remote rural areas.

We are making good progress with our consideration of this project and I hope to be able to make an announcement before very long.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications he has received from local authorities in Scotland for the making of new pedestrian crossings during the last 18 months; how many he has authorised; and how many he has rejected.

Since 1st January, 1965 I have approved 109 crossings controlled by lights and 5 uncontrolled zebra crossings. Figures of all applications rejected are not readily available but during this period Edinburgh Corporation applied for 43 crossings, of which 37 were approved, four were refused and two are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which

U.K. HOME KILLED PIGS
								'000 head
			Clean pigs	1965 Sows and Boars	Total	>Clean pigs	1966 Sows and Boars	Total
January	…	…	1,190	34	1,224	1,318	48	1,366
February	…	…	1,024	29	1,053	1,087	39	1,126
March	…	…	1,050	30	1,080	1,101	37	1,138
April	…	…	1,288	31	1,319	1,288	41	1,329
May	…	…	1,021	27	1,048	977	28	1,005

The only vacancy is in West Lothian.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to improve and extend the overcrowded facilities for fishing vessels at Culag Pier, Lochinver.

Final details of proposed works, for which Sutherland County Council, as harbour authority, is seeking Exchequer grant, were received last month and I hope to intimate a decision soon. Meantime I have offered the council grant of 75 per cent. of the cost of preliminary works including a diver's survey and exploratory bores.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now rescind the ban on the export of hindquarters of cow beef for which there is no market in this country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend this afternoon to the right hon. Member for Grantham (Mr. Godber).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of pigs slaughtered in each month so far this year compared with the same months of 1965.

The information required is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken in pursuance of his policy of removing the temporary restrictions on the export of animals for slaughter immediately the seamen's strike ended.

My hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary, in answering my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 22nd June, said the ban would be continued for as long as was necessary to deal with the situation caused by the seamen's strike.I am examining the supply situation very carefully and will make a further

('000 acres estimated loss per annum)					(Acres-estimated average loss per annum)
Year			England and Wales	Scotland	Norfolk	Suffolk	Cambs. (excluding Isle of Ely)	Essex
1945–46	…	…	41·2	Not available	840	1,004	291	1,720
1946–47	…	…	24·7	"
1947–48	…	…	42·1	"
1948–49	…	…	27·0
1949–50	…	…	29·3
1950–51	…	…	27·9		415	507	231	1,906
1951–52	…	…	28·2	3·0
1952–53	…	…	34·2	3·3
1953–54	…	…	36·1	3·4
1954–55	…	…	41·6	3·5
1955–56	…	…	37·3	3·24	468	598	148	1,632
1956–57	…	…	28·1	2·6
1957–58	…	…	27·8	2·9
1958–59	…	…	34·3	2·0
1959–60	…	…	32·4	2·7
1960–61	…	…	40·2	4·6	511	623	163	1,506
1961–62	…	…	23·6	3·5
1962–63	…	…	30·3	4·2
1963–64	…	…	42·5	5·3
1964–65	…	…	39·1	5·4

These figures are necessarily approximate. Separate figures are not available for East and West Suffolk.I cannot forecast what losses there may be in future years; but with an expanding population the average rate of loss is clearly unlikely to diminish.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will list in announcement as soon as this examination is completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food approximately how many acres he estimates have been lost to agriculture each year since 1945 in Great Britain and the administrative counties of Norfolk, East and West Suffolk, Cambridge and Essex, respectively, due to housing and industrial development; and what further approximate losses he anticipates over the years of the National Plan in each area.

The estimated net losses of land from agriculture for housing and industrial development are as follows:order of priority the chief causes of death and injury on the road.

Most road accidents arise from a combination of factors rather than a single cause. Therefore, we concentrate on the analysis of the factors present in accidents. A summary of this analysis is published and has been sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give the number of road accidents involving personal injury, the number of road accidents

Injury accident figures since 1950 are given in the table

Year		Accidents involving personal injury	Accidents involving fatal and serious personal injury	Fatal and serious injury accidents where dogs reported in the carriageways	Per cent of fatal and serious accidents where dogs reported in carriageways
1950	…	166,592	..	..	..
1951	…	178,409	..	..	..
1952	…	171,757	..	..	..
1953	…	186,304	..	..	..
1954	…	195,716	..	..	..
1955	…	216,681	..	..	..
1956	…	216,172	..	..	..
1957	…	218,653	..	..	..
1958	…	237,265	..	..	..
1959	…	261,216	..	..	..
1960	…	271,787	..	..	..
1961	…	270,295	77,423	552	0·7
1962	…	264,032	76,098	574	0·8
1963	…	271,531	78,764	480	0·6
1964	…	292,245	85,511	533	0·6
1965	…	299,229	87,192	528	0·6
Figures not available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the continuous delays to road traffic at the canal bridge at Thorne; and whether she will arrange for a temporary Bailey bridge to be built there until the Thorne by-pass is built.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the delays, but in view of the plans for a by-pass expenditure on a temporary bridge would not be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport when a decision may be expected about the proposed by-pass and relief road at Rye.

My right hon. Friend's engineers are urgently discussing future road plans affecting Rye with the East Sussex County Council. We hope conclusions can be reached this autumn.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the fact that summer traffic is just starting, she will below. The number of accidents in which dogs were a contributory cause is not known. Information is available on fatal and serious accidents since 1961 in which dogs were reported by the police as being in the carriageway when the accident occurred.now provide improved pedestrian facilities, an application for which is supported by the New Waltham Parish Council and the Grimsby Rural District Council, at the New Waltham, near Grimsby, level crossing, which, because of greatly increased traffic, is a dangerous spot for children.

This level crossing is on county road A1098, for which Lindsey County Council is the highway authority. I understand that the Council is arranging with British Railways to provide an additional footway with wicket gates on the north side of the crossing.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the need to curb Government expenditure and help the nation live within its means, if she will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to stop expenditure on putting kerbstones on the side of country lanes, since grass verges are safer; and if she will make a statement.

The provision of kerbs in country lanes is a matter to be decided by the local highway authorities concerned. The Department's general guidance to them is included in Memorandum No. 780 on the Design of Roads in Rural Areas. I am sending the hon. Member a copy. Road safety is the primary consideration, and in many cases kerbing of the right type can help a great deal.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the fact that it is not clear in law whether two endorsements of a driving licence ordered by a magistrate for the same offence count as one or two under the law which specifies a withdrawal of the driving licence after three endorsements, she will introduce amending legislation to clarify the position.

Only one endorsement is possible for one offence. If, however, the hon. Member is referring to the question of what constitutes the occasion of a conviction for totting-up purposes under Section 5(3) of the 1962 Road Traffic Act, my right hon. Friend will bear in mind the possibility of clarifying the position when the law is next revised.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the public concern about the danger to children caused by itinerant ice cream vans; whether she is also aware of the number of accidents which occur through children darting in the road, attracted by these vans; and whether she will consider the making of regulations to combat these additional hazards to public safety.

Yes, we share this concern. Most of the accidents occur when unaccompanied children are crossing the road after buying ice cream.The Ice Cream Alliance and the Ice Cream Federation are already co-operating with us. My right hon. Friend will consider at once anything that would afford greater protection, but it is doubtful whether the problem can be overcome by legislative measures. The best safeguard is for young children not to be allowed out on the road by themselves. Whatever else may be done I hope that all parents will appreciate this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to repair the leaks in the roof of Aldergrove Airport.

The leaks in the roof of the terminal building are being repaired.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what charge he makes to candidates who wish to sit for the commercial pilots' licence examination.

The total charge to candidates varies between £49 and £52 for the examinations. These figures include a fee of £20 for day and night flying tests but exclude a fee of £10 for a medical examination.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to carry out test flights of helicopters over central London to establish the effect of noise on schools, hospitals and private residential areas.

None. The report of the Wilson Committee published in July 1963 (Cmnd. 2056) provides very full information about the assessment and effects of the noise of aircraft using Heathrow. I do not believe, therefore, that the deliberate exposure of central London to the nuisance of helicopter noise would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide that the disused military towers in the Thames estuary shall fall within United Kingdom jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement.

Under the Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act, 1878, indictable offences committed in territorial waters are within the jurisdiction of the courts of this country. I see no need for legislation other than the Bill to deal with offshore radio stations which is to be introduced before the Summer Recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of stray dogs sent to dogs' homes by the Metropolitan Police in each year from 1950 to the last year for which figures are available.

The numbers were as follows:

1950	20,377
1951	18,549
1952	15,566
1953	12,835
1954	10,982
1955	10,781
1956	10,160
1957	9,850
1958	9,810
1959	10,309
1960	10,883
1961	10,207
1962	11,087
1963	12,297
1964	12,529
1965	12,939

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will experiment with the installation of warning bells in police stations in the Metropolitan area so that householders may give notice of emergencies to the police in the same way as is available in the case of fire.

No. I am not satisfied that such a system would offer any improvement over the 999 system operated by the G.P.O.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the difference in the way in which the applications for students' grants are considered, according to whether the education authority concerned comes within the Inner London Education Authority or the outer London boroughs, whether he will issue a circular to all local education authorities indicating a uniform procedure.

Under Section 1 of the Education Act 1962 and the Regulations made thereunder, local education authorities have a duty to give awards to most students ordinarily resident in England and Wales attending first degree or designated comparable courses. Under Section 2(1) of the same Act awards for most other courses are made at the discretion of local education authorities.I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Department's Circular 4/66 which contains advice to local education authorities on awards to students under these sections. My right hon. Friend is not, however, prepared to intervene in individual applications for awards where the exercise of discretion has been made the responsibility of the local education authorities by Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in which areas nursery classes have been established in order to assist in recruitment of married women teachers; and on what basis has their provision been planned.

By January of this year, the following 33 local education authorities had set up a total of 53 nursery classes as an aid to teacher recruitment, under the conditions laid down in Addendum No. 1 to Circular 8/60 (superseded in December, 1965 by Addendum No. 2):Bedfordshire (2 classes); Berkshire (1); Buckinghamshire (2); Essex (4); Kent (3); Nottinghamshire (1); Staffordshire (1); Surrey (1); Warwickshire (1); Wiltshire (1); Yorkshire, North Riding (1); Bradford (2); Burtonon-Trent (1); Coventry (1); Huddersfield (1); Lincoln (1); Middlesbrough (1); Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2); Norwich (1); Nottingham (1): Portsmouth (2); Rotherham (1); Stoke-on-Trent (4); Wakefield (1); Bexley (2); Bromley (1); Enfield (1); Kingston-upon-Thames (1); Redbridge (1); Waltham Forest (1); Inner London (6); Flintshire (2); and Newport (Mon.) (1).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the cost per annum to the hotel industry of withholding investment allowances.

Small initially but at the present level of investment with the present rates it might be £2 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Royal Artillery pensioners who are in arrears in receiving the latest increase in pensions are being required to pay Income Tax on the basis of the increased pension without having received the cash.

Where an employee within P.A.Y.E. receives a service pension, the tax deducted from earnings covers the tax due on both the earnings and the pension. By adjusting the P.A.Y.E. coding as from the beginning of this tax year, the tax due on the increased pension is spread over the whole year and an accumulation of arrears is avoided.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to cut down the waiting list for X-ray examinations at Nottingham General Hospital.

The Regional Hospital Board will shortly be interviewing applicants for an additional consultant radiologist post.

asked the Minister of Health approximately how many adult male employees of the National Health Service in any one single hospital board area, to be chosen for convenience by him and named in the reply, were at the latest convenient date earning less gross than £10, £11, £12, £l3 and £14 per week, respectively.

The information could not be obtained without detailed and costly enquiries which I do not think would be justifiable.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what specific undertakings he gave in January to the United States and Australian Governments concerning defence plans in the Far East.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is aware that of the 4,419 youths and girls who took up first employment in 1964 following court supervision or probation orders only 12 were recruited to the Forces; and if he will review recruitment conditions in order that policy in this field will be in line with that in industry generally.

We do not know how many of the total of 4,419 applied to join the Services. All applications are considered on their merits, but the fact that a candidate has been subject to court supervision or probation order must be taken into account in assessing suitability for enlistment in the Forces. I see no need to change the regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what increase there has been in the strength of non-industrial staff at Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth, following plans for reorganisation; and how many of this extra staff have been necessitated by the introduction of the Dockyard Incentive Bonus Scheme.

About 190, none of them specifically for the Dockyard Incentive Bonus Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what categories of people were invited to watch naval demonstrations in Operation Seaday during June.

A very wide audience both from the Services and from civilian life was invited.Following is the detailed list:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what further advice he has sought with regard to the strategic implications of moving the Joint Anti-submarine School at Londonderry to Devonport;(2) what will be the cost of moving the Joint Anti-submarine School at Londonderry to Devonport; and what will be the capital cost at Devonport;(3) when he expects to move the Joint Anti-submarine Training School, at Londonderry, to Devonport; and how long it will take to complete the move.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the capital cost of removing the Joint Anti-submarine School from Londonderry to Devonport; and whether, in view of the cost and the proximity of Londonderry to deep water and Faslane, he will now reconsider the proposed move.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what factors he will take into account in making his final decision concerning the future of the Joint Anti-submarine School at Londonderry.

I have looked again at the decision to move the Joint Anti-submarine School from Londonderry to Devonport in the light of other decisions taken in the course of the Defence Review, but regret that there are no grounds for reversing that decision. This was based on important operational and financial considerations, as was explained at the time of the announcement.I am, however, examining the possibility of making certain changes in the task of the School; I do not expect to complete this examination until later in the year.Until my examination of the task is complete I will not be in a position to give an estimate of the final cost or of the date of the move or its completion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what advice he has sought as to the desirability and cost of transferring H.M.S. "Sea Eagle" from Londonderry to Portland.

I am advised that Portland is not operationally suitable as a place for the Joint Antisubmarine School.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will release No. 4252292 SAC/A/Cpl. Peel, J. M., Royal Air Force Police, by purchase so that he may enter a teacher training college.

No. As my noble Friend the Minister of Defence for the Royal Air Force has explained to my hon. Friend in previous correspondence, mantling in Corporal Peel's rank and trade is at present below the level at which discharge by purchase can be permitted, except in extreme compassionate circumstances, which do not exist in his case. Although he occupies third position on the waiting list for his trade for discharge by purchase, I cannot forecast when this will be allowed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a progress report on the variable geometry aircraft planned for joint production by Great Britain and France.

I have nothing to add to the Answers I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 22nd June and to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Ellis) on 29th June 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the comparative cost of employing a British company and a Gurkha company on operations in the Far East; and whether he will set out a table showing, on a cost-effective basis, the comparison between a Gurkha and a British unit, taking into account their relative strength in the field, the movement costs, logistics and other essential items of expenditure including the element of foreign currency involved.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is about half; no meaningful answer could be given to the second part without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will give a list of the engagements in which the Brigade of Gurkhas has been involved since 1948.

Gurkha units served throughout the Malayan emergency from 1948 to 1960, and have been engaged in confrontation operations since 1962.