asked the Minister of Technology how many firms have applied to try out newly developed British machine tools purchased by and sponsored by his Department.

A large number of firms have inquired about the possibility of their trying out the advanced machine tools for which my Department is negotiating pre-production orders. The exact figure of total applications is not available.

asked the Minister of Technology what consultations he has with the car industry about the long-term level of output and employment of the industry.

The industry is now reviewing its plans for the future, and consultations about them will follow. The production prospects will be explored in the normal way with industry in the National Advisory Council for the Motor Manufacturing Industry of which I am Chairman.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a grant of £20,000 to a company or research association for building a small hydrofoil craft for experimental purposes.

The Ministry of Technology is prepared to consider, with the others concerned, any proposal for the development of such craft that is supported by adequate technical and economic data.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he is aware that fast hydrofoil craft are being operated by Russia, the United States of America, Italy, Germany and other countries, whilst there are none in Great Britain; and what study is being made of the technical aspects of this type of craft so as to encourage the building of a prototype craft in this country.

Yes. The Ministry of Technology is studying developments aimed at solving the problems of operating fast hydrofoil craft in rough seas, and the National Physical Laboratory has carried out the hydrodynamic design of such a vessel for the Royal Canadian Navy. The question of building a prototype in this country will be considered when results of the Canadian trials are available.

asked the Minister of Technology what steps he is taking to adjust the statistics of the electronics industry, as recommended in the National Economic Development Council Report on Electronics.

The Report of the Economic Development Committee for Electronics referred to contains in paragraph 150 a summary of the steps which are being taken by the Ministry of Technology.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will list the research associations which receive financial support from his Department in the current year, stating in each case the amount of financial support and the amount of money which they raise from their members.

Forty-eight industrial research associations are aided by the Ministry of Technology by grants which are estimated to amount to just over £3·3 million in the current financial year; the grant earning income raised from their members is likely to be £7·6 million. In addition to the grant earning income the research associations are likely to receive a total sum of the order of £2 million from repayment work of all kinds (from non-members as well as members, including Government Departments) interest from investments, licensing fees etc. It is not possible to break down the income of individual associations from these various sources.The estimated grant payments in 1966–67 to co-operative Research Associations and corresponding grant earning incomes are:

asked the Minister of Technology what proportion of the stock of qualified scientists, technologists and engineers at the present date are employed in industry, central and local government and the universities, respectively.

The latest information is from the Triennial Manpower Survey, 1965, which gave some 60 per cent. of scientists, engineers and technologists in industry; 15 per cent. in central and local government; and 25 per cent. in education including the universities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the practice of the Inland Revenue regarding the liability of footballers for Income Tax payments on moneys received by them in the course of transfers from one club to another.

Payments received by a professional footballers in respect of a transfer from one club to another are liable to Income Tax as part of the footballer's emoluments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the percentage changes that are likely to take place in Government expenditure, private capital investment, and public consumption, respectively, in the coming financial year.

On Government expenditure I must ask the hon. Member to await the publication of the 1967–68 Vote on Account. On private capital investment, the latest Board of Trade inquiry shows a prospective fall of 7–8 per cent. in 1967 compared with 1966.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the fall in the sale of mopeds due to Government restrictions on hire-purchase; and whether he will ease these restrictions.

The object of the July measures was to reduce demand based on credit facilities and for the time being this kind of restraint on consumption will have to stay.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the separate totals of military and civilian sales against the offset agreement to date with West Germany for the two years to 31st March, 1966.

Of sums actually received in the two year period up to 31st March, 1966, £41·3 million and £21·0 million respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount remains outstanding in respect of the offset arrangements with West Germany for the two years to 31st March, 1966.

The estimate of £116 million for the two-year period ending 31st March, 1966, has two components:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is still his policy that it will take until 31st March, 1968, before the substantial proportion of German offset costs are paid in respect of the two years to 31st March, 1966; and when he estimates that the total offset costs for this period will be met.

Many of the transactions to be financed under the provisions of Article 5 of the Protocol of the 20th July, 1965, are covered by long-term contracts. Delay in completion of payments is therefore inevitable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to finance general and local elections by requiring the 18½ million Income Tax payers to pay a political levy of 5s. per head each year to meet the total estimated annual costs to public authorities, candidates and parties of £3½ million, excluding costs of electoral registration.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress made towards a solution of the balance of payments problem; and whether he is satisfied as a result of this progress that a balance will be achieved before mid-1967.

The balance of trade already looks better, and there has been some recovery of reserves and repayment of central bank facilities. The full benefit of the measures has not yet been felt, but we should achieve a surplus in the balance of payments over 1967 as a whole.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his policy on appeals against the refusal of planning permission in cases where the building of new houses falls below Parker Morris standards, in the case of local authority building, private building or building by housing associations.

Parker Morris standards are not in themselves a relevant planning consideration.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will seek to ensure that in future no increase in the rateable value of any dwelling-house shall be permitted simply because of the installation of central heating therein.

To do as my hon. Friend asks would introduce indefensible anomalies between houses in which central heating formed part of the original equipment and those in which it was subsequently installed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he is satisfied that the present powers of local authorities to control building operations, under the Building Regulations 1965, are adequate to safeguard the interests of purchasers of new houses; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will extend the existing regulations to enable local authorities to control finishings, such as plaster work, joinery and painting, in the building of new houses.

Building regulations cover some of the basic requirements of health and safety, but the interests of purchasers also depend on other matters such as the quality of finishing work, as my hon. Friend's second question recognises, and these are not easily dealt with by a statutory minimum code. The scheme of the National House-Builders Registration Council, if given a wide enough coverage, seems to my right hon. Friend at present a better way of securing high standards of quality in matters of this kind.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now detail the representations made to him by representatives of the building and construction industries in regard to Circular No. 50, 1965.

Builders are generally opposed to the provisions of this circular and have made this clear on numerous occasions. My right hon. Friend has received letters from the Liverpool Regional Federation of Building Trades Employers and the National Federation of Master Painters and Decorators of England and Wales expressing disquiet and seeking clarification. He was also asked by the President of the N.F.B.T.E. at a Conference of Housebuilders on 18th November, 1965, to reconsider the circular and in the course of a discussion on B.B.C. "Panorama" on 27th June, 1966, the President asked him to withdraw it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will consult the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food regarding the permanent loss for food production of 13,000 acres of agricultural land if the expansion of Ipswich is designated in line with the consultant's report.

My right hon. Friend is already engaged in consultation with his colleagues on all aspects of the Shank-land, Cox report on the expansion of Ipswich.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is satisfied that no tip of waste, other than coal waste, in Shropshire is a hazard to safety; and whether he will give details of the arrangements for inspecting these tips.

My right hon. Friend has asked local authorities in England to inspect all spoil heaps, other than those in the ownership of the National Coal Board—which have been inspected by the Board—which for any reason appear to be unstable and might be a danger to the public.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his policy with regard to the siting of industry on good agricultural land.

My right hon. Friend's policy is that the desirability of preserving good land in agricultural use should always be among the many factors weighed up when development proposals of any kind are being considered in farming areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make a statement about the current talks with Mr. Smith's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the last set of proposals submitted by Mr. Smith of Salisbury, Rhodesia.

A statement on this will be made to the House in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he has, in conjunction with the French Government, for the future constitutional development of the condominium of the New Hebrides.

This subject was raised during my talks with the French Minister of State in charge of Overseas Territories in July. Discussion is still proceeding locally between the British and French Resident Commissioners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about the Bermuda Constitutional Conference.

I expect the conference to end formally this afternoon.Bermuda has had representative Government since its House of Assembly first met in 1620. Under the new constitution it will have responsible government with the Governor retaining responsibility for defence, external affairs, internal security and the police.The Legislature will be bicameral, the Upper House nominated and the Lower House elected. A Boundaries Commission of five members will be set up. Its Chairman will be appointed from outside Bermuda and one of its members will be a person who holds or has held high judicial office within the Commonwealth. These two members will be appointed by the Governor in his discretion. Two members will be appointed on the advice of the Leader of the majority Party and one on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. Each of the nine parishes of Bermuda will be divided into two-member constituencies except one, which is heavily populated, which will be divided into four such constituencies. The Commission is to take no account of race and subject to the number of constituencies within each parish, the boundaries are to be drawn so that the number of adults within the constituencies are as near as may be equal.The conference report was not unanimously adopted. There are two minority reports. The first signed by two Independents who consider the compromise arrangements adopted by the conference go too far. The second is from the Progressive Labour Party who, I regret, were not prepared to compromise and reserved their positions on virtually every issue of importance.I am arranging for advance copies of the conference report to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the benefits which would be conferred on health, holidays, agriculture and sport, he will institute an inquiry into developments in weather control by means of spraying carbon dioxide on clouds and into the successful, though limited, experiments which have so far been made.

The Meteorological Office keeps in touch with experiments in seeding clouds with chemicals as a means of influencing the weather. So far experiments have proved inconclusive at home and abroad. As I made clear in my Answer on 2nd November to the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker), further progress requires a better understanding of the physics of cloud and rain, and the Meteorological Office has set up a new branch to expand research in cloud physics.—[Vol. 735, c. 112–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future British programme for communication and reconnaissance satellites.

We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which the United States will construct and launch by Thor Delta booster two geostationary communications satellites to provide the United Kingdom with an interim defence satellite communications capability as part of the Interim Defence Communications Satellite Project. This capability is expected to be available in 1968. Ground facilities used will include the terminals provided for the trials stage announced in February last plus four smaller air portable stations and facilities in certain H.M. ships. It is planned to have interoperability between U.K. and U.S. terminals.

asked the Secretary of Stale for the Home Department what is the expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on fire losses and fire prevention publicity; and how such expenditure compares with publicity campaigns on crime, strikes, industrial inefficiency and other similar problems which affect the national economy adversely.

Government expenditure this year on fire prevention publicity, which is concerned mainly with fire precautions in the home, will be about £8,500, in addition to grants of £12,000 made for publicity on general safety in the home, including fire safety. Local fire authorities also undertake a great deal of publicity. The main fire losses are in industry, and publicity in this field is undertaken chiefly by the insurance companies, who devote much effort to it and who are represented, together with central and local government, on a special committee of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council dealing with fire prevention publicity and education. Publicity on crime prevention is mainly for the Government, who will spend about £274,000 on it this year. I can give no information on publicity about strikes or industrial inefficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which recommendations of the Director of Prison Security for the improvement of security at Wormwood Scrubs Prison had been carried out by the time George Blake escaped; and what proportion of the whole of his recommendations for this prison this represents.

Implementation of the measures suggested was in hand, but none had been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions, and in which prisons, police officers have been used to patrol inside the confines of prisons since the escape of George Blake.

Since 26th October, police officers with dogs have been regularly patrolling at night inside the prison walls at Brixton, Durham, Leicester, Maidstone, Parkhurst, Wakefield and Wormwood Scrubs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been brought to his notice in the present year of the operation of protection rackets in the Metropolitan area.

Offences of this kind are not recorded separately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will receive the report of the interdepartmental Committee on Death Certification and Coroners.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 7th November to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Mapp).—[Vol. 735, c. 228.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the present psychiatric treatment available to prisoners is adequate; and whether he is aware that more psychiatrists are needed to tend to prisoners.

Plans for further augmentation of the prison psychiatric services are being implemented. In the meantime full use is being made of existing resources.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now intends to publish a White Paper on the implications of joining the Common Market on British agriculture and the price of food.

I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend on 20th July.—[Vol. 732, c. 610–11.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what special steps he has taken to study the possible effects of joining the European Economic Community upon the Welsh agricultural economy.

In studying the possible effects of joining the European Economic Community, we have considered all the main sectors of United Kingdom agriculture, including those that are of special importance to the agricultural economy of Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the progress of research into fish farming; what plans he has for increasing such research; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 20th July to the hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Evelyn King).—[Vol. 732, c. 614–15.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many rivers in England and Wales the disease of columnaris has been notified; and what steps are being taken to deal with it.

Outbreaks of disease or suspected disease have been notified in 16 salmon and coarse fish rivers in England and Wales.Where disease has been confirmed, the areas affected have been designated as infected areas under the Diseases of Fish Act, 1937, and the fishery authorities concerned have been authorised to remove and destroy all dead and diseased fish by all suitable means. Movement of all live fish and eggs out of the areas is prohibited except under my right hon. Friend's authority. In addition, anglers have been advised to disinfect gear as a precaution against the transmission of disease from one river to another.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made to secure a voluntary restraint of prices; and whether he will make a progress report on his consultations.

I am glad to say that, in the field of food and drink generally, the Government are receiving full cooperation in the voluntary restraint of prices. As to the consultations my Ministry has had on the arrangements to cover food and drink prices, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on Wednesday, 2nd November.—[Vol. 735, c. 90–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to encourage the use of computers at universities with particular reference to Bristol University.

As my right hon. Friend announced on 21st December, 1965, the Government have approved a £20·5 million programme of computers for universities. The allocation of this programme is a matter for the Computer Board, who are at present discussing with universities, including Bristol, their particular needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many children in the London Borough of Harrow were moved from secondary modern schools to grammar schools in the appropriate collegiate in each of the years 1961 to 1965;(2) what proportion of children were selected for grammar school education in the London Borough of Harrow in each of the years 1961 to 1966;

I regret that this information is not available in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to ensure that serving teachers have the opportunity to qualify for the Bachelor of Education degree; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the possibility of part-time and deferred full-time courses for serving teachers leading to a B.Ed. degree is already being examined by London University. I hope that more schemes of this sort may become possible later on. The first task, however, for all those concerned is to establish and work out in detail the new full-time degree courses for students in initial training.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the intake to teacher training colleges in 1965–66; how this compares with 1963–64; and what is the forward expectation to 1970.

Non-graduate entrants to courses of initial teacher training in the general, housecraft and physical education colleges numbered 29,008 in 1965, compared with 20,985 in 1963. Current plans provide for the figure to rise to 35,000 by 1968–69.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will initiate further discussions to ensure that productivity agreements are arrived at, following his intervention in the rail dispute earlier this year.

The Government have taken, and will continue to take as required, initiatives to promote discussions on productivity, including the more efficient use of manpower. Some of these discussions may lead in appropriate cases to productivity agreements, which will have to comply with the requirements of the Productivity, Prices and Incomes policy.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what was the cost to public funds of the luncheon at the Savoy Hotel on 21st October, 1966, for Mr. Milton Barrall; why this was not attended by any member of the Government; and why it was necessary to announce this luncheon to the Press.

£56 14s. 10d. Although a senior official in the State Department, Mr. Barrall is not of Ministerial rank. It was not therefore thought appropriate to invite members of Her Majesty's Government to attend this luncheon, which was presided over by a senior official of the Ministry of Overseas Development. It is customary to announce to the Press entertainment given to distinguished overseas visitors by senior officials.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what cuts in the official overseas aid programme have now been agreed, as the result of the economic measures of 20th July; and what cuts still remain to be agreed.

I call attention to my right hon. Friend's reply of 24th October to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd). It is not customary to announce details of the aid programme in advance. Statements of the amounts of aid we agree to give for particular purposes will be made to Parliament at the appropriate time in individual cases.—[Vol. 734, c. 118.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what research has been carried out into the use of the parlour pot type of lobster pots; and what such research has revealed as to the usefulness of such pots in United Kingdom waters; and if he will make a statement.

No experiments have yet been carried out directly on the effectiveness of parlour type lobster creels but it is hoped to undertake some next year when a new shellfish research vessel becomes available. Research by marine scientists of my Department into the comparative efficiency of several features of creels relevant to the parlour type suggests that although this pattern is unlikely to be more effective in all circumstances than the normal double-eyed Scottish creel it may have advantages in more exposed areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional staff are necessary to deal with repayments of the Selective Employment Tax to the agricultural industry in Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question on 24th October by the hon. Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur).—[Vol. 734, c. 112.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for encouraging an increase in the number of students coming forward for training as dental surgeons in Scotland; how many dental surgeons graduated in Scotland in each of the past five academic years; and how many students are at present studying to this end, compared with the past five years.

Expansion of the Dundee Dental Hospital and School to provide an additional 25 places for dental students will be completed next year; the new Dental Hospital and School in Glasgow, which will provide 10 additional places for students, will be completed about 1969. A film prepared by the General Dental Council has been commended for use by the Youth Employment Service, and by careers masters, to encourage students of suitable quality to come forward to fill the additional places which are being provided in these and other dental schools.The numbers of dental surgeons graduated and dental students in training for the last five academic years for which statistics are available are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given to the Scottish Agricultural Securities Corporation regarding applications to it for loans.

None. The Corporation is an independent body.

asked the Secreary of State for Scotland what was the number and value of loan applications made to and approved by the Scottish Agricultural Securities Corporation in each of the past five years and in each month this year.

This information is not readly available, but I am making inquiries as to whether it can be extracted. I am arranging for the hon. Member to be told of the outcome in due course.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what effect it would have upon Great Britain's required development programme if the Treaty of Rome were accepted and signed unchanged by this country.

There is nothing in the Treaty of Rome which is incompatible with the type of economic planning to which this Government is committed. Membership of the European Economic Community would have implications for the Government's development plans and for the economy generally, but the precise nature of these would depend on the circumstances and the timing of entry.

asked the Minister of Health, what improvement has taken place since 12th September in the number of nurses employed at each of the geriatric and infectious diseases, hospitals taking patients from the constituency of the hon. Member for Harrow, East.

There have been increases of one part-timer at each of Glebe House, Oxhey Grove, and Orme Lodge and Stanmore Cottage Hospitals, and one whole-timer and one part-timer at Springbok Hospital.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent he is satisfied that emergency compulsory admissions under Section 29 of the Mental Health Act 1959 are being operated with adequate scrutiny of need for compulsion; and what evidence there is of misuse of this section.

Medical officers and others concerned with admission to hospital under the Mental Health Act have recently been reminded of the statutory requirements for emergency compulsory admission and the need to keep it to a minimum. The use of Section 29 inevitably involves subjective judgment and practice has varied in different areas, but I have no evidence of misuse.

asked the Minister of Health, what is the ratio of staff to patients at St. George's Hospital, Morpeth; how this compares with a comparable period in 1965; and whether he will make a statement.

The ratio of all staff to patients now is 1:2·2, compared with 1:2·3 in 1965. For nursing staff the figures are 1:3·8 and 1:4·1, respectively.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he will give the names of the existing members of the National Parks Commission; and what changes he proposes to make in its membership.

The members of the National Parks Commission are:

Chairman:

Baroness Wootton of Abinger, M.A., L.H.D., LL.D.

Members:

Aubrey Buxton, Esq., M.C.

Mrs. E. Davies, M.A., Ph.D.

James M. McC. Fisher, Esq., M.A.

Elwyn Jones, Esq., B.A., LL.B.

Cecil H. King, Esq.

Sir William Lindsay, C.B.E.

Professor O. R. McGregor, B.Sc. Econ.

Peter F. Shepheard, Esq., F.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I., F.I.L.A.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is satisfied that no tip of coal waste in Shropshire is a hazard to safety; and whether he will give details of the arrangements for inspecting these tips.

I have been assured by the National Coal Board that no coal tip in Shropshire under its control constitutes a hazard to safety. Following the Aberfan disaster the National Coal Board supplemented its normal inspection procedures and all its tips in Shropshire were specially inspected and will be kept under close surveillance.With regard to coal tips outside the control of the National Coal Board, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government has asked all local authorities in England to inspect other spoil heaps in their area which for any reason appear to be unstable or might be a danger to the public.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why no effort was made to have Great Britain represented at the present International Food Fair, when the potential market for British foodstuffs is so considerable.

My Department offered to support a display of British foodstuffs at the International Food Exhibition in Paris. The industry, through the Food Manufacturers' Federation, decided that because of the restrictions on imports of many British foodstuffs, the opportunities of increased sales to France were not sufficient to warrant a major British participation. British foodstuffs were, however, prominently represented in the British Week at Lyons, for which a special import quota was obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the value in each of the five years 1960 to 1965 of United Kingdom investments in, exports to and imports from the Republic of South Africa; and what estimates he has of likely increases within the next five years;(2) what was the value in each of the five years 1960 to 1965 of United Kingdom investments in, exports to and imports from the Portuguese territories of Africa; and what estimates he has of likely increases within the next five years;(3) what was the value in each of the five years 1960 to 1965 of United Kingdom investments in, exports to and imports from the continent of Africa other than the Republic of South Africa and the Portuguese territories; and what estimates he has of likely increases within the next five years.

The following is the avail able information:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the hire-purchase debt per head of the population in June, 1964, 1965 and 1966, for Great Britain; and what information he has, from international sources, about the figures for other Western countries.

The hire-purchase and other instalment credit debt per head of

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many motor vehicles were exported from Great Britain in the first six months of 1966.

The figures are given on pages 241–245 of the June, 1966, issue of the Overseas Trade Accounts of the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Transport when the decision to build the Western Avenue extension was made; when work on it started; and when it will be completed.

The scheme was accepted into the programme in March 1961. Work started in September, 1966 and is expected to be completed in 1970.

asked the Minister of Transport when the decision to build the flyover which will carry Harrow Road traffic over Edgware Road was made; when work on it started; and when it will be completed.

The Harrow Road flyover scheme was accepted into the programme in March, 1961. Work started in August, 1964, and the Greater London Council expect it to be completed in August, 1967.

asked the Minister of Transport when the decision to build the Euston Road underpass was made; and when work on it was started.

This scheme was accepted into the programme in March, 1961. Work on it started in May, 1964.

asked the Minister of Transport how many miles of urban clearway were operating in London in October, 1964, April, 1965, and October, 1966.

None until February this year when approximately nine miles were brought into operation on the A4, A40 and A3216 in Central London.

asked the Minister of Transport when the Motorway Box round the centre of London will be completed.

I cannot say as neither the Greater London Council nor the Government have yet taken final decisions to construct the Motorway Box.

asked the Minister of Transport when the second ring road incorporating a greatly improved North Circular Road linking up with a new South Circular Road will be completed.

I cannot give a date. Considerable improvements have been made in recent years to the North Circular Road, and further schemes are programmed. The Greater London Council is considering the need for a new southern route to link with the North Circular Road. But priorities for further improvement and construction schemes on this ring route will have to be decided in relation to competing claims of schemes on other strategic routes in London.

asked the Minister of Transport when the decision to build the second Blackwall Tunnel was made; and when work on it started.

This scheme was accepted into the programme in March, 1959. Work started in March, 1960.

asked the Minister of Transport when the ring road round the fringes of London's built-up area will be completed.

I cannot give a date. Some sections of this route are in the road programme up to 1970. But priority for remaining parts of the route will have to be decided in relation to competing claims of schemes on other strategic routes in London and the surrounding area.

asked the Minister of Transport when the decision to build the new terminals at Woolwich Ferry was made; and when the work on them started.

The scheme to improve the approach roads and ferry terminals was accepted into the programme in January, 1961. Work started in May, 1964.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now have an investigation made into the cost and practicability of the plan put forward by Mr. A. E. T. Matthews at the recent International Road Federation Conference, a copy of which has been sent to her, for a system of motorways in tunnels to relieve traffic congestion in London and other cities.

Yes, an investigation is already in hand.