asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now specify the defence cuts by which the proposed budget of £2,400 million for 1969–70 has been reduced to £2,000 million.

I have nothing to add to my previous statements and answers on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in what fields of defence the cuts in expenditure will be applied.

The reduction in oversea defence expenditure announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 20th July will be achieved by reducing the size and cost of the forces stationed overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if Her Majesty's Government still takes account of the possibility of undertaking major military operations east of Suez in co-operation with the United States of America, otherwise than under United Nations auspices; and what arrangements he has made for the necessary co-ordination of resouces.

The possibility of undertaking such operations with the United States and other allies cannot be entirely excluded; but it does not require specific arrangements in current circumstances for the co-ordination of resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reorganisation of British military forces east of Suez is now proposed by his Department; and to what extent this will affect the numbers of those now operating in that area.

I cannot yet go far beyond what was said in "The Defence Review" last February. Our forces will be withdrawn from Aden on independence, but there will be a slight increase in the strength of our forces in the Persian Gulf. Garrisons will be withdrawn from Southern Africa when the right time comes. Our Far East forces will be reduced, as soon as conditions permit, to a size consistent with their remaining commitments. These measures will entail a very substantial reduction in the number of men now serving east of Suez, but it is still too soon to quantify this reduction.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in the interests of the national economy, he will rescind the decision to purchase military aircraft from the United States of America.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gloucester, South (Mr. Corfield) on 1st August.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now make a statement on the scale of the military withdrawal from Borneo following the ending of the confrontation with Indonesian forces; and what this will represent in financial savings.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave today to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Mr. Goodhew). It would be misleading to give a separate figure for the savings achieved by withdrawals from Borneo; the savings have to be assessed in a wider context.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many service families are accommodated in married quarters at the present time; what new married quarters would have to be built in this country to accommodate the United Kingdom forces at present in Germany; and what the total cost of this would be.

Some 130,000 Service families are accommodated in married quarters and official hirings at home and abroad.The second part of this question relates to a situation which is hypothetical.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will amend Queen's Regulations in order to provide for applications for married quarters to be accepted from other ranks at the minimum age of 19 years, and officers at the age of 21 years; and if he will make a statement.

No. Though the supply of married quarters has increased so much in the past few years that we have been able to abandon the more onerous rules, we cannot yet abandon them all.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the contributions made by the West German Government towards the cost of maintaining British troops in Germany; and what capital and other equipment has been provided by the West German Government.

The Agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Federal Government for offsetting the foreign exchange expenditure on British Forces in the Federal Republic, signed on 27th July, 1964, and the Protocol to that Agreement signed on 20th July, 1965, set out in full the arrangements at present in force for contributions by the Federal Government to the costs of maintaining British Forces in Germany. As to the second part of the Question, the N.A.T.O. Status of Forces Agreements govern which services are provided by the West German Government to the British Forces. In general these are paid for by us, but Government-owned land and property is made available to British Forces free of charge.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of combat pilots sent to Saudi Arabia to fly British Lightning fighters.

No British combat pilots are being sent to Saudi Arabia to fly Lightnings or any other aircraft. Under the commercial arrangements for the supply of military aircraft to Saudi Arabia a British contractor is providing a number of civilian pilots for the sole purpose of training aircrew of the Saudi Arabian Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British Service men are engaged on the construction of airfields in Siam; what is the cost of maintaining them; and by what authority they are engaged on this work.

About 450 British servicemen, out of a total of about 500 in Thailand, are engaged on the construction of one airfield in Thailand. The cost of maintaining them is about £225,000 a year more than it would cost to maintain them in their normal Far East station. They are building the airfield on the authority of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress achieved towards the creation of a collectivised nuclear deterrent.

Our policy is to collectivise our nuclear deterrent forces within the framework of arrangements to strengthen the nuclear interdependence of the West. The most urgent and important aspect of this problem is to improve the means of reaching agreed decisions about the use of the nuclear weapons available to the alliance. N.A.T.O.'s special committee of defence Ministers has made substantial progress on this aspect during the past nine months. Its latest meeting was in Paris last week.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, as a step in reducing Government expenditure, he will channel Armed Forces advertising through the British Broadcasting Corporation rather than independent television.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why it took until 18th July, 1966 to reply to the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, dated 15th April, concerning German frontiers; and whether he will ensure that Members do not have to wait over three months for a reply to their communications to his Department.

The question posed in the hon. Member's letter required wide investigation and consultation with an international organisation before an authoritative reply could be prepared. Even so I accept that there was undue delay and can only repeat the apology I made in replying to the hon. Member. It is, of course, the normal practice of my Department to reply as quickly as practicable to enquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to prepare British airfields to receive North Atlantic Treaty Organisation squadrons from France.

Certain airfields which are no longer in active use are being retained in the ownership of the Ministry of Defence in case they are needed to accommodate R.A.F. or allied squadrons redeployed from overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the Scottish parachute championships were held on 23 rd July, 1966 under his authority at the Royal Naval Air Station, H.M.S. "Arbroath".

Because these championships form a popular attraction at the Station's Air Day, from which naval charities benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will take steps to alter arrangements at Warcop ranges in Westmorland, whereby 120-millimetre guns are fired at 1,000 yards from Warcop village.

I appreciate the inconvenience caused by the noise, but it is not possible to make alternative arrangements. No safety hazard is involved as the guns are fired away from the village.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the Fire, Auto and Marine Insurance Company was placed on his Department's list of approved insurers; what expert advice he sought about the firm's standing; and whether he will remove the firm from his Department's approved list.

This is not a list of approved insurers but of insurers who have given an undertaking that their policies in respect of vehicles owned by civil servants and members of the forces cover the use of the vehicles on official business. A Treasury instruction to add this company to the list was issued on 23rd May, 1966 and cancelled on 28th June. This was reproduced in routine instructions to naval shore establishment, and subsequently cancelled.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has considered the British Nazi youth journal, a copy of which has been forwarded to him, containing apparently authentic recruiting advertisements for the Army and the Royal Air Force reproduced from advertisements inserted officially in reputable newspapers; if he will give an assurance that no permission to publish these advertisements was given to the Nazi journal by his Department; and what steps he is taking to prevent further similar publication.

These advertisements were published without permission. I am considering what steps can be taken to prevent repetition.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the number and scale of incidents, caused by Indonesian incursions, since the Bangkok agreement to end confrontation was signed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the military situation in Sarawak.

No final agreement was concluded at Bangkok to end confrontation. There was a communiqué on 1st June notifying agreement to submit, for approval by Governments, principles upon which practical steps to restore friendly relations between Malaysia and Indonesia should be based. Since then there have been five incidents, all resulting from one Indonesian incursion across the frontier of Eastern Malaysia. All the incidents took place in June and were on a small scale.I have received a preliminary report of an exchange of fire which took place this morning in North Sarawak about ten miles inside the frontier. The men concerned are being pursued, but their identity had not been established when the report was made. I cannot, therefore yet say whether this incident resulted from an Indonesian incursion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans have been made, and what numbers are concerned, for the reduction of British forces in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation if satisfactory arrangements on support costs are not made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the British troops in Germany are now to be brought home; and what plans he has for the housing of those with wives and families.

Until we receive the German reply to the approach made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 21st July it is not possible to say what troops, if any, will have to be withdrawn, nor to make detailed plans; but certain contingency studies have been put in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of refitting H.M.S. "Ark Royal"; and if, in view of the financial crisis, he will reduce this expenditure.

The refit is expected to cost about £30 million. I am appointing a special Watch Committee to scrutinise all expenditure on it.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many widows of regular officers of each rank of the three Armed Services, including the Indian Armed Services, are receiving widows' ordinary pensions; how many widows of warrant officers, ratings and other ranks are receiving ordinary widows' pensions; and how many regular officers' widows are receiving ordinary

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to public funds of Rear-Admiral I. L. M. McGeoch's visit in Royal Navy helicopter No. WV204 to Bromsgrove School on Saturday, 23rd July.

About £17.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in what respects the equipment of T. and A.V.R.III units will be superior to that of the Territorial Army.

Units of Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve I and II will have more and better equipment than the Territorial Army. Units of Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve III will have equipment better suited to their rôle than is now the case with the Territorial Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future of the Gurkha Brigade.

I have nothing to add to the Answer given by my hon. Friend on 22nd June, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans he has for the provision of barracks and accommodation in Great Britain following a withdrawal of British Forces from the Far East.

Preparations are being made to accommodate in the United Kingdom all those units from the Far East which will be brought back as a result of the Defence Review decisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what indemnities he has given to the United States Navy Department in connection with the construction by contract of ships for that Department, and why these will be more costly than originally estimated for.

Currently the United States Navy Department hold Bid Bonds from Her Majesty's Government relating to the bids made in response to invitations to tender for two surveying ships and an ocean going salvage tug. If those bids are successful, performance and payments bonds will also be needed to meet United States requirements. This is a new service not previously provided for, which is why a token Supplementary Estimate has been taken. No expenditure will arise if the contracts are satisfactorily completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many privately-owned aircraft have landed at his Department's airfield at Northolt this year; why such landings are permitted for non-official purposes; and why Mr. Sinatra was allowed to land there on 31st July.

Civil aircraft are allowed the use of R.A.F. airfields where this is compatible with defence needs. Northolt is one of 60 R.A.F. airfields in the United Kingdom which may be so used with the prior permission of the Station Commander. There were 740 take-offs and landings by civil aircraft there between 1st January and 31st July, 1966.On Tuesday, 26th July, 1966, permission was granted for an HS 125 aircraft belonging to Gregory Air Taxis Ltd. to land at Northolt on Friday, 29th July, 1966. This was subsequently amended to Sunday, 31st July, 1966. When permission was granted it was not known that Mr. Sinatra would be a passenger on the aircraft.The published regulations for the civil use of Northolt limit the all-up weight of aircraft to 12,500 lb. The HS 125 is over this weight, and I regret therefore that an error was made in giving approval in this case.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many naval officers, Ministry of Defence civilians and civilians from industry, respectively, have now taken nuclear courses at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

314, 142 and 92 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Regular

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of civil servants employed by his Department full time and part time, respectively, at the last convenient date;

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is aware that military vehicle delivery contracts previously made by the Shrewsbury depot with Midland Deliveries Ltd. were applied for by employees of that firm who were in industrial dispute with the firm; and what is his policy in such cases.

Yes. This application was not for specific contracts, but for inclusion on the list of approved contractors. Any properly constituted firm officers of the three Armed Services have retired during each of the last five years; and in each case, how many retired voluntarily, how many retired without qualifying for retired pay, and how many retired under the age of 52 years with retired pay.

The numbers are:and what increases or decreases these figures represent on the comparable figures for October,1964 and August, 1965.

following is the information:may apply to join this list; it is my right hon. Friend's policy to accept only those of good standing.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how long Her Majesty's Government intends to retain its military bases in Singapore and Malaya.

For as long as the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore agree that we should do so on acceptable conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the duties of the British Military Adviser to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation.

To provide military advice for the U.K. Member of the S.E.A.T.O. Council of Ministers and for the U.K. Council Representative in Bangkok; to co-operate with the Military Advisers of the other S.E.A.T.O. countries so that the military proceedings of the alliance may be synchronised with the requirements of the S.E.A.T.O. Council of Ministers; and to direct the work of his representative in the Military Planning Office at S.E.A.T.O. Headquarters.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current policy concerning voluntary retirement for general duties officers of the Royal Air Force.

The voluntary retirement of general duties officers, i.e. retirement at other than their optional or normal retirement dates, has always been subject to the over-riding interests of the Service. Since 1965, such retirements have been limited to officers over the age of 50, but the situation will be reviewed early in 1967. No officer is being kept beyond his terms of service.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why his Department has a reciprocity agreement with the Government of the German Democratic Republic on matters concerning the meteorological services of each country; and whether he will make a statement.

There is no such agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider re-opening Beverley barracks rather than put troops returning from the British Army of the Rhine under canvas.

If troops return from B.A.O.R. my right hon. Friend does not intend to put them under canvas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many computers there are in the new Polaris school at Faslane; and at what cost.

Seventeen, costing about one million pounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the need for a reduction in national expenditure due to the financial crisis and the need to save the £ sterling, he will make further economies in the Polaris submarine programme.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why soldiers belonging to the Royal Engineers of the Territorial Army from Southampton were engaged to build a bridge on an estate at Muick, near Braemar; what was the cost of the project; and by whom was that cost borne.

The Territorial Army Engineer Regiment were in annual camp near Braemar and built this bridge as part of their training. Local materials were used and no extra costs were incurred.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents, and how many of these fatal, have occurred in the last 12 months in North Cray Road, Sidcup, and in St. Pauls Cray Road-Royal Parade-Chislehurst, High Street-Red Hill-Whitehorse Hill - Mottingham Road, Chislehurst.

During the 12 months ended 30th June, 30 personal injury accidents were reported on the North Cray Road, with one person killed; on the other road there were 79 accidents but no deaths.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have taken place during the last three years at Amotherby crossroads on B.1257; and why she has ordered the local highway authority to replace the Halt sign by a "Give Way" sign.

There have been seven accidents here during the last three years. This is a poor record and our Divisional Road Engineer, who has consulted the police, considers that the new "Give Way" signs with double broken white lines are appropriate for reducing the danger.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will ensure that cut-price high octane petrols are available for users of the motorway petrol stations.

To give motorway users a reasonable choice of fuels, my right hon. Friend now requires service area operators to offer for sale at least four brands. The choice of brands supplied is a matter for their commercial judgment.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that it was decided in principle years ago that a bypass should be built at Huntingdon, that it was included in the major works programme nearly two years ago, and that traffic congestion there has now become acute; and when work on the bypass will be started.

Problems of engineering design and cost have delayed the publication of a draft Order for the route of this bypass. My right hon. Friend hopes to complete consultations with the local authorities soon, but a date for start of work cannot be given yet.

asked the Minister of Transport when she now expects work to start on the construction of the M5 from Tewkesbury, southwards.

The dates are still those given to the hon. Member in an Answer on 4th May.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of fatal casualties in road accidents in the county of Somerset between 1st January, 1966 and the latest available date; and whether she will give comparable figures for the previous two years.

62 in the administrative county in the first half of 1966 compared with 39 in 1965 and 37 in 1964.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will issue a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Waterways Board that wherever possible canal towpaths should be open to the public and not fenced and walled off to them.

No. The extent to which access to towpaths needs to be controlled and the way this should be done varies from place to place. The British Waterways Board are the best judge of this, in consultation, when appropriate, with local authorities and others concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport what reallocation of road priorities in favour of the holiday areas she will introduce following the increase in holidays in England resulting from the reduction of the holiday travel allowance from £250 to £50 a person.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will provide special waiting places adjacent to motorways, if possible raised above the level of the carriageways, where police patrol vehicles may stop and be readily visible to users of the motorways in order to encourage careful driving.

Police patrols may already stop on motorway hard shoulders. If any police force wishes to provide special waiting places behind the hard shoulders, my right hon. Friend would be prepared to consider detailed proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will list the road projects which will be postponed as a result of the recent economic changes, showing the original target starting date and the new target starting date in each case.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give details of the £14 million cuts in the road programme; and which West Country projects will be cut.

£12 million of the £14 million reduction in 1967–68 will affect expenditure on roads in England. My right hon. Friend is not postponing any road schemes as a result of the current economic measures. As she told the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 25th July, the only effect of the current measures is to reduce the extent to which we shall be making up the ground lost as a result of the 1965 deferment measures.

asked the Minister of Transport why some of the 81 major road projects which the Government decided to postpone for six months are being postponed for longer than six months.

As indicated in my reply on 13th May given to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) no scheme was postponed for more than six months under the economic measures taken last year. Some schemes are starting later for reasons other than the Government's deferment measures.

asked the Minister of Transport how many road signs there are within a radius of half a mile of Devil's Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale.

130 on 90 sign posts on 12 roads. About 50 signs are "no waiting" and "clearway" signs, put up to counter congestion.I understand that the Westmorland County Council does not feel that any considerable reduction can be made. However, the Ministry's Divisional Road Engineer is reviewing the matter with them and when I know the outcome I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the traffic congestion caused by the Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel; and whether an early start can be made on the north orbital road to relieve this blockage.

We are aware that traffic using the Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel contributes to congestion on Al3 through Dagenham.Results of detailed studies now in progress will help to decide the best measures to give a better flow of traffic. Present evidence does not justify high priority for the section of the North Orbital Road between A13 and A12.

asked the Minister of Transport why the A46 project between Syston and Thrussington, Leicestershire, originally scheduled to start in September, 1965, has been postponed for more than six months.

It was not possible to complete the preparation of tender documents in time for work to begin immediately after the six months deferment period. Complications in confirming the contract caused some further delay. Work began on 20th June.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress she has made since last Christmas towards the starting of the South Coast trunk road.

My right hon. Friend has included the section between Ports-bridge and Bassett in the current programme and instructed the Hampshire County Council as agent authority to make surveys preparatory to determining the line of the road.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is satisfied that a single span suspension bridge is the cheapest method of spanning the Humber; and what alternative designs have been studied.

A suspension bridge is the only structure which will provide a main span of 4,536 ft. as required by the Humber Bridge Act, 1959.

asked the Minister of Transport what would be the estimated cost and the time in construction of a bridge over the Humber.

The estimated cost of the bridge and approach roads, excluding land costs, is approximately £12½ million at present day prices, and the construction time 5½ years.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware of the disruption caused to member firms of the Association of Road Traffic Sign Makers by the decision to defer the completion of the changeover to the new regulatory road signs for a year and the indefinite deferment of the completion of the changeover to new informatory signs on primary routes; why no date has been set for the latter; and if she will discuss these questions with the Association in order to alleviate the consequences of this unexpected change in the Government's plans.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answers given on 13th July to the hon. Member for the Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. John Smith) and on 19th July to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow).We are very conscious of the Association's interest in this matter and the Department is in close contact with them.

asked the Minister of Transport why the halt sign has been replaced with a give way sign at the junction of the A6 and A510 at Finedon, Northamptonshire, in view of the number of accidents which occur at that junction.

In our opinion an unconditional requirement to stop should rarely be imposed on drivers save at junctions where visibility is seriously restricted; if the stop sign is excessively used this extremely important safety precaution will be depreciated. At this site the visibility criterion is not met; the requirement to give way, with its associated sign and road markings, is, we consider, more appropriate and likely to be more effective.

asked the Minister of Transport what roads she proposes to develop for traffic from the North-East to the Dartford Tunnel en route for the Channel Tunnel.

Traffic between Al and Purfleet would be adequately provided for by a continuation of the "D" Ring/North Orbital Road, part of which is already included in my right hon. Friend's trunk road programme and the rest of which is being considered in connection with her plans for the 1970s.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents involving personal injury have occurred on the A6 between the junction with the M6 north of Carnforth and the Lancashire-Westmorland county boundary since 1st March, 1966; and how many fatalities have resulted.

16, resulting in 1 death.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents involving personal injury have occurred on the A6 at Skew Bridge north of Carnforth in the periods from 1st November, 1964, to 28th February, 1966, and from 1st March, 1966, to 23rd July, 1966; and how many fatalities have resulted from the accidents in each period.

In the first period 13, resulting in 1 death, and in the second 4, with no deaths.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the traffic safety reasons for not providing full width hardshoulders as distinct from narrow stabilised verges on the Swanley bypass.

The Swanley Bypass has been designed for all kinds of traffic and pedestrians. Hardshoulders are normally justified only on special roads where there is an uninterrupted flow of high speed traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport when she will give consideration to the problem of the dangerous situation which exists at the Bar End Road Junction near Winchester, raised in a letter dated 28th June, 1966, by the hon. Member for Winchester, who himself saw another serious accident at Bar End on 17th July.

Our engineers are urgently examining all possibilities for further improving safety at this junction. I am writing to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will seek to relieve teachers of rural homecraft from the obligation to pay goods duty on their vehicles when they carry in their motor cars small items of equipment for demonstration purposes.

The goods rate of duty does not apply to ordinary motor cars. My right hon. Friend can see no grounds for making special exceptions when goods vehicles, including estate cars, are used.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will seek to make it a condition of the issue of A, B or C carriers licences for commercial vehicles that the applicant should have sufficient parking space on his own premises for his vehicles and should use such parking space for the vehicles when not in use.

My right hon. Friend has no power to attach such conditions to carriers' licences.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will undertake an investigation into the practicability of incorporating a scheme of national comprehensive insurance of motor vehicles with the annual road tax, subject to annual rebate based on no accident claims.

No. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that such a scheme would be neither practicable nor desirable.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now seek to require car manufacturers to fit anti-exhaust pollution devices to all new models.

Investigations in Europe and in this country have not yet reached a stage at which we can decide the extent and nature of any further control of car exhaust fumes.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware that tune-up kits can be bought in order to make family cars go faster, that this can be done without improving braking or road holding, and that in the wrong hands these kits could cause death; and if she will make regulations to control their use.

I know that such kits may be bought and fitted to family cars, but the information we have does not suggest a need for restrictive legislation to control their use.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will arrange for the investigation of the improved safety potential of the new cling rubber type of road vehicle tyre, with a view to making regulations to ensure that, after a specified date, all tyres including commercial tyres, will be made of cling rubber.

The Road Research Laboratory have already investigated the safety properties of tyres using high hysteresis (or "cling") rubber in their treads. Many tyres produced for passenger cars now have such a tread but further developments for commercial tyres has still to take place. It would be premature to consider Regulations requiring the use of such rubber in tyres.

asked the Minister of Transport when she will introduce legislation to expand the powers of local authorities to deal with concessionary fares.

I have nothing yet to add to the Answers given on 4th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett) and 11th July to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr).

asked the Minister of Transport if she will initiate discussions with all European countries with a view to drawing up legally enforceable regulations to protect holidaymakers travelling abroad with Continental, particularly Belgian, coach operators.

All European countries have safety requirements which apply to their own vehicles and to those of other countries when running within their boundaries. International requirements for vehicles and drivers generally are prescribed by the Convention on Road Traffic of 1949. A European Agreement to regulate the hours of driving and rest periods of drivers of commercial vehicles in international road transport was drawn up in 1962 but has not yet come into force. As stated by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in her reply of 1st August to the hon. Member for Belfast, North, Her Majesty's Government desire to see the Agreement in operation over as large an area as possible and will use such influence as is open to them to secure this.

asked the Minister of Transport what advice she has received from the Welsh Economic Planning Council with regard to the improvement of public service facilities in Cardiganshire.

asked the Minister of Transport what advice she has received from the Welsh Economic Planning Council about the need to improve public transport facilities in Merioneth.

The Council has given my right hon. Friend advice about public passenger transport in Wales as a whole. Steps are now being taken to set up a transport co-ordinating committee which, as indicated in her White Paper on Transport Policy, will be studying transport arrangements throughout Wales and advising on steps necessary to get a more effective and co-ordinated service by public transport.The Council has also arranged for a pilot study of transport in an area of West Wales to be carried out by the University College of Aberystwyth.

asked the Minister of Transport what the total number of civil servants employed by her Department full time and part time, respectively, at the last convenient date; and what increases or decreases these figures represent on the comparable figures for October, 1964, and August, 1965.

On 30th June, 7,507 full time and 361 part time. This is a decrease of 459 full time staff and an increase of 43 part time staff compared with the number employed on 31st October, 1964, and an increase of 367 full time staff and of 47 part time staff compared with the number employed on 31st August, 1965.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will experiment with bus lanes in London and other principal cities.

Practical experiments are normally for local authorities and bus operators to work out, but the Department are considering how best they can provide help and advice. In London, the Operations Group of the Transport Coordinating Council are looking into the possibilities. The Greater London Council announced on 28th July an experimental one-way scheme incorporating a bus-only lane.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the results of her discussions with British Railways on the granting of capital sanction for an extension of the capacity of London Bridge Station; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend recently approved investment of nearly £500,000 for increasing the peak capacity of Southern Region commuter services, especially those passing through London Bridge Station. Other possibilities are being considered, but no specific proposals have yet been put to her.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will issue a general direction, in the public interest, to British Railways to stop any form of colour discrimination in employment.

I would refer to the Answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Holborn and St. Pancras South (Mrs. Lena Jeger) on Friday 15th July, 1966.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that passenger services are not withdrawn from the Liverpool-Gateacre railway line before the provision of alternative bus services as specified in her Department's letter of 21st April, 1966, to the Secretary of the British Railways Board.

The position is already safeguarded by the conditions of my right hon. Friend's consent to closure set out in the Department's letter of 21st April. These stipulate that the closure shall not take place unless and until the additional bus services specified in those conditions are available.

asked the Minister of Transport what action she now proposes to take to implement the Governments policy that the freight train service shall go ahead on the basis of open terminals.

I shall decide this in the light of the outcome of the negotiations now in progress.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give a general direction to the Railways Board to investigate the cause of the excessive noise of British railway trains in transit and make recommendations as to the best means of stopping the noise.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport how many British Railway passenger services, as listed in Appendix 2, Section 1, of the Beeching Report for closure, have in fact been closed; how many closures took place prior to 15th October, 1964; how many since that date; and how many decisions are now pending.

In all 163 services have been completely withdrawn, and eight partly withdrawn, following consents given under Section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962. Of these 69 complete withdrawals and one part withdrawal took place before 15th October, 1964 and 94 complete and seven part withdrawals since that date. The latter two figures include 47 complete and five part withdrawals to which consent was given before 15th October.Consents have also been given to 11 further withdrawals, one prior to 15th October, 1964, which have not yet been effected.In addition, of passenger services sub-eleven complete withdrawals have been sequently added to the list in Section 1, effected, two before 15th October and nine afterwards. One has still to be effected.The total number of proposals at present before my right hon. Friend for decision is 36.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give an assurance that she will not consent to the closure of the Aberystwyth-Shrewsbury railway line.

My right hon. Friend has received no proposal for the closure of this line, and I understand that there is no present intention of putting forward such a proposal.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress he has now made towards securing a substantial public participation in the aircraft industry as recommended in the Plowden Committee Report.

I have had a number of discussions with the two major airframe groups, but am not yet able to announce the Government's decision on this recommendation.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has been made to date in scientifically assessing the potential hazards to crew and passengers in the Concord airliner during solar bursts of radiation.

To avoid any possible hazard an airborne radiation detecting system has been developed which will warn the pilot of any increase in radiation intensity above limits agreed by the Medical Research Council. This will enable him to reduce height to an altitude where the radiation level is acceptable.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has been made to date in scientifically assessing the hazards to health and property presented by the Concord aircraft's sonic boom.

Experiments have shown that sonic bangs of the intensity expected to be caused by the Concord do not damage structurally sound buildings. There is no evidence so far that sonic bangs are injurious to health.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the total number of civil servants employed by his Department full time and part time, respectively, at the last convenient date; and what increases or decreases these figures represent on the comparable figures for October, 1964 and August, 1965.

37,762 full-time and 1,231 part-time civil servants on 1st July, 1966. These figures, which include for ease of comparison staff transferred to the Board of Trade and on secondment to the British Airports Authority represent decreases of 431 and 345 in the numbers of full-time employees, and increases of 63 and 87 in the numbers of part-time employees, on the comparable figures for 1st October, 1964 and 1st July, 1965 respectively. Comparable figures for August, 1965 are not readily available.

asked the Postmaster-General what he is doing to overcome the shortage of plugs and sockets for the installation of Plan Four telephone systems in Bedford.

The recent shortage has now been cleared.

asked the Postmaster-General whether any financial reward or other suitable recognition is given by his Department to members of the public whose reports of wilful damage to telephones in public kiosks lead to the apprehension and conviction of the criminal concerned.

Yes. Rewards are given to members of the public who render exceptional assistance in detecting or preventing crime committed against the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General how many cases of damage to instruments and equipment in telephone kiosks in the area of the Bolton telephone exchange have been reported to him in 1965, and during the first six months of 1966; and what has been the cost of repairs to instruments and equipment during those periods due to wilful damage.

The information is as follows:—

asked the Postmaster-General when he will make a statement about the future of local sound broadcasting.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 6th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Faver-sham (Mr. Boston).

asked the Postmaster-General whether in view of the public demand for pop music, he will now take steps to replace the pirate radio stations with licensed local stations operating on a commercial basis.

The question whether a service of local sound broadcasting should be authorised will be decided on its own merits.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will exercise his powers to license local radio broadcasting stations before the Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Bill comes into operation.

The question whether a service of local sound broadcasting should be authorised will be decided on its own merits.