asked the Minister of Aviation what financial assistance was provided for the privately-owned aircraft industry, including airframe construction, engine construction and research during 1965; and what were the profits after taxation of all the concerns that received financial assistance.

The only payments classified as assistance which the Government makes to privately-owned firms in the industry are those for the purpose of assisting in the development and proving of transport aircraft. During the financial year 1965–66, a total of £3·5 million was paid in this way. The recipients were the British Aircraft Corporation Ltd., Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd., Rolls Royce Ltd., and Britten-Norman Ltd.The contracts governing this assistance all provide for the Government to share in the proceeds of sales. The figures quoted do not include certain minor terminal payments, totalling £50,000 in all, on a number of old completed contracts.Total expenditure by the Government in the industry is, of course, considerably greater. Payments in 1965–66 on the Concord, for work done under development contracts in aid of the agreement between the British and French Governments, amounts to £19 million, divided between the British Aircraft Corporation and Bristol Siddeley Engines. Expenditure in 1965–66 on military account on aircraft development and construction totalled upwards of £300 million, of which about a third was expenditure on research and development spread throughout the industry as a whole.The profits after taxation of the companies who received assistance (and where applicable after deducting profits relating to minority interests in subsidiary companies) were as follows:

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will institute studies to improve the design of helicopters, in view of the fact that a recent fatal accident was due to a pilot being unable to see another helicopter flying beneath and behind him.

Studies into this aspect of helicopter design are included in current work and are being pressed forward urgently.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to ensure that British space technology does not fall behind that of other countries in respect of those parts of the Eldo Pas project to be developed by Great Britain's partners.

All technical information arising from work done on the Eldo Pas project is available to participating Member States.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to secure the availability of alternative British military aircraft in the event of difficulties arising in respect of the performance or price of the United States aircraft the purchasing of which is contemplated.

I have no reason to anticipate any such difficulties.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many P1127 aircraft have now been completed; and how many are under construction.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member in answer to a similar Question yesterday

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will make a statement on the additional financial assistance he is proposing to make for the Britten-Norman Islander.

The Government has already contributed to the launching costs of the Islander in return for which arrangements have been made for the Government to participate in the proceeds of sales. The aircraft has attracted widespread interest and the Government, therefore, as I announced on 7th September, concluded that an expansion of the original production plan with additional assistance from public funds is desirable.To this end it has been decided to make an interest bearing loan to Britten-Norman Ltd., of £250,000. A first instalment of £100,000 has already been advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund and a Supplementary Estimate will be presented in due course.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether in his reference to the National Board for Prices and Incomes of the claim of 2d. per packet surcharge for fruit wholesalers he will submit to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the details forwarded to his Department by the hon. Member for West Ham, North showing that without the proposed surcharge tomatoes carry an inclusive handling charge of 2s. 4d. per chip.

As has been explained to my hon. Friend, the details he mentions have not yet been received. When they are, we will certainly forward them to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that fruit and vegetable wholesalers at the Stratford Market, East, raised prices of all packages of produce by 2d. per item purporting to cover the cost of the Selective Employment Tax; and, as this tax is only costing some £120 per week, whereas the wholesalers are receiving £605 per week from these extra charges, what action he proposes to take to prevent this overcharging.

I understand that no wholesalers there are now charging an additional 2d. per package, and that the extra charge is 1d. in the £. The National Board for Prices and Incomes is examining all distributive costs in the industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an account of the work of the European Foot-and-Mouth Disease Commission; and what progress is being made in securing co-operation between countries where this disease is prevalent.

The European Foot-and-Mouth Disease Commission, set up in 1954, gives advice on control by mass vaccination and on eradication by slaughter where this is possible. Through its research group it has discussed and assisted the development of new techniques of producing more potent and safer vaccines.The Commission has stimulated better control of the disease in a number of European countries and has encouraged the typing of virus so that the correct vaccines may be employed.In recent years the Commission has played a leading part in stopping the advance into Europe of exotic types of foot-and-mouth disease against which the standard European vaccines give no protection. It has directed the work of technical staff provided by countries outside the danger areas to assist in mass vaccination of those areas and has encouraged the manufacture of vaccines in border countries.This is an active body with 16 members and its meetings are attended also by non-member European countries. Its Executive Committee meets in various countries and both directly and through its staff it discusses with their veterinary authorities the most suitable methods of disease control.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the £815,000 being spent on research under headings E.1 and E.2 of the Estimates of his Department for 1966–67 is devoted to research into the prevention and cure of foot-and-mouth disease; and what progress is being made.

None. Such research is undertaken by the Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, supported financially by the Agricultural Research Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish the figures of the additional cost to farmers of interest rates on borrowing money in each of the previous five years.

The change in the cost to farmers of borrowing money for current farming purposes, as estimated for purposes of the Annual Farm Price Reviews, is as follows:—

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he took, consequent upon the report made to him in the week commencing Monday, 5th September by the hon. Member for West Ham, North concerning excessive prices charged by wholesalers at Stratford Market, East; and whether he will make a statement.

Following discussions, which were in progress when my hon. Friend wrote to us, my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State have referred the costs and profit margins of the wholesale and retail fruit and vegetable trades to the National Board for Prices and Incomes. Pending the Board's report, the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades Limited has recommended its members to limit the surcharge to 1d. in the £ where costs cannot be absorbed in accordance with the White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why, in view of the Government's policy of wage, prices and dividends freeze, he has agreed to allow the fruit and vegetable wholesalers a 1d. in the £ increase on their handling charges; and what he estimates each wholesaler will receive from this additional surcharge.

My right hon. Friend has urged all distributors of food, including wholesalers of fresh fruit and vegetables, to do everything possible to absorb increases in costs and thus avoid increases in their charges. Where, however, higher costs such as those due to increased taxation cannot be wholly absorbed, limited increases in charges can be permitted. I cannot answer the second part of the Question since not all wholesalers will find it necessary to increase their charges and the amount received by any wholesaler who does will depend upon his total sales.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total Government defence expenditure overseas during the first six months of 1966; and what was the comparable figure for 1965.

£142 million and £133 million respectively, according to figures published by the Treasury.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what defects have been found in the hull of H.M.S. "Resolution"; and whether this will delay her commissioning date.

A small number of welding defects have been discovered during the construction of the hull of H.M.S. "Resolution" as a result of the normal quality control survey of welding. The defects were removed and replaced with sound metal, and the welds were subsequently re-examined to ensure that the completed structure complied with the specifications laid down by the Ministry of Defence. Defects and repairs of this type are not unusual in the building of complicated structures of this kind and will not delay the commissioning date of H.M.S. "Resolution".

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has held with the French Government concerning the progress of the Anglo-French variable geometry aircraft project; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation and I plan to meet French Ministers early next month to discuss the next stage of this project.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to public funds of the stationing of the Royal Air Force in Zambia; and what contribution was made thereto by Zambia.

The additional cost of stationing the Javelin air defence force and its supporting units in Zambia between December, 1965 and their withdrawal at the end of August, 1966 is estimated to have been about £2·65 million, of which some £1·35 million represents the estimated cost of the airlift of fuel required by the Javelin aircraft. The Zambian Government met directly certain accommodation costs which have not been included in this total figure and for which precise figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the display put on by H.M.S. "Ark Royal" on the occasion of a visit by Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

No special display was put on by H.M.S. "Ark Royal"; these were routine exercises which formed part of the normal training curriculum, so the question of extra cost does not arise."Ark Royal" has been engaged in particularly arduous and successful operations, and I know that the visit by Her Majesty the Queen Mother was very much appreciated by the Captain and the ship's company.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the operation which took place in October, 1966 by Her Majesty's forces in the River Medway designed to remove pollution from the river, indicating the results of the operation; and if he will take similar steps to remove from British beaches tar and other substances which spoil them for holiday makers and other swimmers and are inimical to the British tourist industry.

Naval and Army units helped the Kent Fire Brigade and other civilian organisations under the direction of the Medway Conservancy Board to clear the 1,000 ton oil spillage which occurred in the Medway on 18th September. The work is still going on.The Services helped on this occasion because they were on the spot and had the necessary resources. Responsibility for the cleanliness of beaches rests with the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what official arrangements were made for the visit to the United Kingdom of Dr. Carel Janousek, K.C.B., to attend the Battle of Britain celebrations and the Farnborough Air Display.

The visit was private and was arranged by the Royal Air Forces Association. At the request of the Association, official invitations were issued to Dr. Janousek for the Battle of Britain Service in Westminster Abbey and for the "At Home" day at Royal Air Force, Biggin Hill.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces and Civil Service, respectively, were posted at the Ministry of Defence, the Admiralty, the War Office and the Air Ministry, respectively, both in London and elsewhere at the time of their amalgamation; and how many such are now posted at the Ministry of Defence in London and elsewhere.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why no official representative attended General Bor-Komorowski's funeral.

I would refer to the Answer I gave to similar Questions yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use by the Royal Navy in the North Sea of hovercraft to bring speedier action against poachers and foreign trawlers which cut nets of British herring drifters, indicating the number of instances in which they have been used during the last six months and with what results.

Earlier this month one of the Royal Navy's hovercraft from the Inter-Service Hovercraft Trials Unit carried out a fishery protection patrol in Home Waters. The present limited endurance of these craft may be a drawback as far as fishery protection is concerned but we are carefully considering their possible rôle in the light of this trial.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give British Railways a general direction, in the public interest, to provide for the reservation of seats on long-distance trains at intermediate stations.

No. This is a matter for the Railways Board.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware that British Railways refuse to acknowledge letters demanding the return of car ferry money for tickets that were made useless by the seamen's strike; in view of the correspondence sent to her by the hon. Member for Louth, if she will give a general direction, in the public interest, to British Railways to deal forthwith with this matter; and if she will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Railways Board, to which I have sent the hon. Member's correspondence.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that the official sign, Stop while lights are flashed, on railway level crossings is causing confusion and danger in Yorkshire, where the word "while" is often taken to mean until; and whether she will have the word when substituted for while.

My right hon. Friend has agreed that the word "when" may be substituted for the word "while" on this sign in areas where this is thought to be necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that a temporary speed restriction order in a residential area of Knottingley expires on 31st October; and whether she will now make this order permanent in the interests of road safety.

My right hon. Friend understands that the exceptional circumstances which justified a temporary speed limit of 15 m.p.h. no longer obtain; she is therefore unwilling to approve an extension. The roads concerned are already permanently restricted to 30 m.p.h.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will place a notice outside the Wentworth Milton Mount School, Boscombe, warning motorists of children crossing or alternatively Belisha beacons, in view of the danger of accidents to children crossing this road.

Responsibility for initiating an application for a pedestrian crossing near the school rests with the Bournemouth County Borough Council. The provision of warning signs is also a matter for the council.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress is being made in the lighting of motorways at night.

Lighting is provided on urban motorways and others where there is a special need, but we do not propose to light the main bulk of rural motorways.

asked the Minister of Transport how many contract prices for motorway construction so far have exceeded their original figures and by what percentages; and what were the contractors' respective profits before taxation in each case.

On 29 of the 41 motorway contracts settled so far the final contract price has exceeded the tender sum by amounts varying from 1 per cent. to 61 per cent. Such variations are a measure of extra work done or unforeseen difficulties encountered and are implicit in the "measure and value" type of contract. They are no indication of the profitability, or otherwise, of the contracts, on which I have no information.

asked the Minister of Transport when she proposes to publish the draft order for the proposed Newmarket by-pass.

This year.

asked the Minister of Transport what revenue has been earned from parking meters installed in the Greater London area since 31st March, 1965; what balance was left over after payment of all expenses to provide and maintain off-street car parks; and what proportion of this balance has been used for this purpose.

The Greater London Council, which collects this information for statistical purposes, is still awaiting returns for the financial year ended 31st March, 1966, from a number of London Boroughs.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the remaining tolls in private ownership, together with their annual turnover; what would be the cost of taking them into public ownership; and if she will take steps to do so.

A list of the private tolls on public highways, as known to the Department, is given below.I have no authoritative information about the annual turnover of these tolls, nor of the cost of taking them into public ownership. My right hon. Friend has no proposals to acquire the two on trunk roads since our policy is to by-pass them.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, to prevent old motor vehicles being abandoned, she will introduce legislation to require a deposit of £10 on every new vehicle, to be refunded when the log book of the vehicle is finally handed in with evidence that the vehicle has been properly disposed of.

No. Current plans should be given a fair chance to succeed before further consideration of such a far-reaching proposal.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware that there is no one from whom compensation can be claimed by the victim of a hit-and-run motor accident when the owner or driver of the vehicle cannot be traced; and if she will introduce legislation to remedy this injustice.

Where, in the view of the Motor Insurers' Bureau, there is reasonable certainty that a motor vehicle was involved and that, if its owner or driver could be traced, a claim would lie, the Bureau will consider making an ex gratia payment to the personally injured victim of a hit-and-run driver. We are seeking to improve these arrangements by agreement with the Bureau.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will introduce legislation to make compulsory the fitting of thief-proof locks on all vehicles, in view of the increased use of stolen cars by criminals.

The need for such legislation is being considered in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

asked the Minister of Transport how many of the 17 features recently announced as necessary for car safety by the United States Government, details of which have been sent to her, are already compulsory for cars in this country; and whether she will take steps to ensure that new cars here in future include them all.

The United States Federal Government are about to propose general design features which may incorporate some of the twenty-six features now required of cars purchased for Federal use. Five of the most significant from the road safety point of view are covered by the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1963; the majority of the remainder are already to be found in most British built cars. We are keeping in touch with our manufacturers and the United States Government about their vehicle safety requirements generally so as to avoid conflicting standards.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has for nationalisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, apart from the steel industry; which industries or large undertakers Her Majesty's Government have decided should definitely not be nationalised; if he will stipulate them, giving reasons for their exemption; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Manifesto published before the recent General Election which sets out the aims and policies of the Government, and on which he was elected to this House.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that on a number of occasions the hon. Member for West Ham, North, has telephoned various Government and Ministerial offices between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. asking for someone in authority and has been advised chat no one has arrived; and whether, in his call for increased production and efficiency, he will see to it that all Ministerial offices have a senior secretary or official present between 9 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.

If, as I assume, my hon. Friend is concerned with Ministers' Private Offices there can be very few which are not normally manned for considerably more than eight and a half hours a day. The arrangements within such offices are, of course, the responsibility of the Minister concerned and perhaps my hon. Friend would care to bring any cases of difficulty to their attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will lay down firm principles of procedure in cases where bail is opposed pending trial or appeal to ensure that adequate reasons are stated under oath.

My right hon. Friend hopes to include new provisions about the grant of bail in the Criminal Justice Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of disagreements and cases of corruption, respectively, in juries in London or elsewhere in each of the last 10 years.

These statistics are not available. On disagreements, I would refer my hon. Friend to my Answer to a Question on 18th October by the hon. Member for Meriden (Mr. Rowland).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue instructions or recommendations that all aerosol oven cleaners have the form of safety labelling recommended in the October, 1966 issue of the magazine, "Which?", a copy of which has been sent to him.

A code of practice, drawn up earlier this year by the British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association in consultation with the Home Office, already contains most of the safety labelling requirements for aerosol oven-cleaners recommended by "Which?". This code has been adopted by all members of the Association and my right hon. Friend sees no need to circulate further advice at present. He is nevertheless keeping the matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted murderers are serving sentences in Maidstone Prison at present.

Seventeen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murderers of police and prison officers have been in Maidstone Prison in the last 12 months.

One.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times in the past 12 months it has been necessary to provide protection for prison officers' wives and families in the Maidstone area, and in the rest of the country, respectively.

Threats against one prison officer's family at Maidstone, and against one prison officer's family elsewhere, were referred to the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long was the delay between the sentencing of Robert Maxwell to be birched and his own decision not to confirm the sentence; and for how many days of that period he was out of the country.

The award of corporal punishment was made by the Board of Visitors at Maidstone Prison on 13th September, 1966. My decision not to confirm it was taken 20 days later, on 3rd October. During this period Maxwell was under psychiatric investigation. I was out of the country for 15 days, but no delay was caused by my absence. The psychiatric reports were not available until after my return.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he makes for other persons to exercise any of his semi-judicial functions when he is out of the country.

Important functions of this sort would continue to be exercised by me. Modern communications make it possible for decisions to be taken as soon as the necessary information is available. It is however customary for a Secretary of State to ask another Secretary of State to act in his absence so far as some routine matters of a quasi-judicial nature are concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to transfer all his semi-judicial functions to a judge sitting in chambers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost to public funds of his recent visit to the United States of America; and how many Home Office officials have visited the United States of America in the last five years to inquire into similar matters to those that he has just examined.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is that final information as to cost is not yet available; and to the second, seven officials on four separate visits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the arrangements he has made with the nationalised industries for the refund of Selective Employment Tax; and what time will elapse between payment of the tax and the payment of the refund.

Repayments will be made at fixed intervals which will vary from industry to industry to take account of the interval at which the tax is actually paid. The time between payment of the tax and payment of refunds will not normally be longer than one month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give a list of the colonial territories which have been considered by the Special Committee on the Ending of Colonialism of the United Nations since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

The special Committee on the situation with regard to the implementation of the declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples was established in November 1961 by General Assembly resolution 1654 (XV). Since it started work early in 1962, it has considered the following dependent territories:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions were given to the United Kingdom delegation regarding their policy on the recommendations on political, economic, social and educational conditions in New Guinea adopted by the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations during the week ended 2nd August; and if he will make a statement.

The Trusteeship Council completed its 1966 Session on 26th July.On New Guinea, which is a trust territory administered by Australia, the United Kingdom delegate was given instructions to give general support to the Australian representative in presenting the undoubted progress that is being made in that territory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give an account of the work of the Committee on Housing, Building and Planning, of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and its achievements.

The United Nations Committee on Housing, Building and Planning was established as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1962.The terms of reference of the Committee charge it with examining technical assistance in the housing field; making recommendations to the Economic and Social Council for the co-ordination of United Nations housing activities, and through the Council to governments; and promoting research and the exchange of information with special reference to the needs of the developing countries.The Committee is essentially advisory and member States are normally represented by experts. The Committee's reports are submitted to the Economic and Social Council through the United Nations Commission for Social Development. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors have emigrated from Scotland in each of the last 10 years; and what steps are taken to ascertain the reasons for so doing.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey on 18th October, about emigration from Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what are the present membership, function and cost to public funds of the United Kingdom National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

The National Commission consists of 25 members, and meets under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend. The full list of individual members may be found in the Answer given by my right hon. Friend's predecessor on the 2nd August to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Rowland).

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will state the location of housing accommodation no longer required as shown in Class IX, Subhead R, of the Civil Estimates 1966–67; approximately how many houses are involved; and what is the time taken to dispose of the accommodation.

Eleven houses at Abbots Langley. These are the last of thirty-six houses on the site which the Ministry has been selling individually since 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the £5,718,000 being spent by Agricultural Research Council establishments and other research establishments in 1966–67 is devoted to research into the cure and prevention of foot-and-mouth disease; what progress is being made; to what extent is co-operation being given by European countries where this disease is prevalent; and if he will make a statement.

Research on foot-and-mouth disease is concentrated at the Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, and comprises about three-quarters of the work of that Institute. The sum estimated to be spent on the Institute in 1966–67 is £582,000.Most of the work of the Institute is concerned with long-term studies of foot-and-mouth disease and the various strains of virus which cause it. The Institute is recognised as a World Reference Laboratory for the disease and vaccines have been developed for use abroad. Close co-operation exists between the Institute, the international organisations concerned with the control of animal disease, and the authorities in countries where foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will specify the lochs in Scotland which are included in the nature reserves in which the Nature Conservancy studies, under the authority of his Department, the relevant wild life, flora and fauna, indicating recent discoveries of new species or hitherto unknown species of wild life, flora and fauna recently found there.

Twelve of the thirty-two National Nature Reserves in Scotland contain lochs varying in size from one to over 3,000 acres. Research is at present being undertaken on Loch Leven. Loch Druidibeg, Morton Lochs and part of Loch Lomond. Such research is not primarily concerned with the discovery of new species of flora and fauna; none in fact has recently been found.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of persons in Scotland working only part of their normal working week.

At establishments with 11 or more employees in manufacturing industries (excluding shipbuilding and ship repairing), it is estimated that during the week ended 17th September, 1966, about 7,500 operatives in Scotland worked only part of their normal working week.Information on short-time working is not available (1) for manufacturing establishments with fewer than 11 employees, or (2) for any industry outside manufacturing.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now announce the details and values of the 1967 stamp issue programme.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) and the hon. Member for Bournemouth. East and Christchurch (Mr. Cordle).

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he is aware that by a circular sent out from his Department this summer, clerks of parish councils and meetings are to complete a form of 12 pages dealing with allotments; what was the cost of this circular; to what use the information will be put; how many replies he has received; and whether he is satisfied that the information obtained will be worth the trouble involved.

This questionnaire to parish authorities was sent out in August by the Committee of Inquiry into Allotments at a cost of about £1,300. More than 3,000 replies have already been received.The Committee's task is to review general policy on allotments and to recommend what legislative and other changes, if any, are needed in present-day conditions. It cannot reach sound conclusions without accurate information and decided that this could best be obtained by approaching all allotments authorities, including the parishes.There are some 75,000 acres of allotments in England and Wales. If the Committee can suggest solutions to the many problems that arise and can advise about the provision that should be made for allotments in the future its work will have been most valuable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of persons who emigrated from Scotland in the first eight months of 1966; and what are the comparable figures for each of the last three years.

I regret that this information is not available. I hope that an estimate of the net migration loss for the year ended 30th June last will be available at about the end of November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of the proposals of Mr. Donald McInness, Chief Constable of Perth and Kinross, details of which have been sent to him, for a regional crime squad, to counteract a highly skilled criminal network in Scotland.

I am in touch with the Chief Constables (Scotland) Association about the possibility of extending the present arrangements for regional crime squads in Scotland. I have noted the views expressed by Mr. MacInnes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for providing a personal radio for most policemen in Scotland.

I refer to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) on 25th May. The number of schemes approved is now 14, and approval in principle has been given for two others.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce legislation to create a traffic corps under police control, with a view to leaving the policeman more time to deal with crime.

I am not convinced that it would be advisable wholly to separate the traffic and crime aspects of police duty. I am, however, anxious that the maximum use should be made of traffic wardens for duties that do not require the full powers and special training of police officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Scottish Water Advisory Committee will submit its final report; and when he will introduce the proposed legislation to reorganise the arrangements for water supply in Scotland.

The final report of the Scottish Water Advisory Committee is being published today and copies are available in the Vote Office. I am grateful to the Committee for completing its work so quickly. Generally I have accepted the Committee's recommendations as the basis for the legislation which I expect to introduce within the next few months, and I am consulting the local authority associations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firms, public companies and private companies resident in this country are now either owned by or controlled by the United States Government or by firms, companies or private citizens and what is the estimated total value of all such firms; and what were the comparable figures for 1946.

It is estimated that about 1,600 non-financial companies registered in the United Kingdom are owned or controlled by United States companies, and that the book value of their net assets is now about £1,900 million. No comparable figure is available for 1946.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many manufacturers and retailers have agreed not to impose price increases as a result of his Department's intervention; and what portion of the total this represents.

The White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill asks manufacturers to notify the Government of proposed increases in prices. So far the Board of Trade has received 140 such notifications. Of these 17 have been accepted as coming within the criteria stated in the White Paper, five have already been withdrawn and the remainder are still under discussion. The Board is also investigating all complaints received from the public of price increases by retailers. Four such increases have been withdrawn, and some of the largest retailers have given assurances that they will not increase prices more than is justified by the strict application of the criteria stated in the White Paper. In general, the evidence is that the great majority of both manufacturers and retailers are complying fully with the policy set out in the White Paper.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for further investigations by the Monopolies Commission.

I propose to ask the Monopolies Commission to investigate the supply of clutch mechanisms for motor vehicles. The reference will be made shortly.