asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the concern in Walditch, Dorset, at his refusal to allow a sub-post office there after 40 years; and whether he will now send a senior official to investigate the matter on the spot.

I do appreciate the concern of the local residents. A senior official from Post Office Regional Headquarters in Bristol and our local representatives have visited the village and the circumstances are well known to us; I am sorry that my right hon. Friend does not feel justified in reversing his earlier decision.

asked the Post-master-General what special factors he will take into account when forming a decision about Edinburgh's application for the issue of a special commemorative stamp in 1967.

asked the Post-master-General if he has yet completed his consideration of the issue of a new series of postage stamps to celebrate Scottish recent achievements in educational, sporting, tourist and industrial spheres; and if he will state his plans.

I gave both these suggestions my full consideration but I am sorry that I was unable to include stamps relating solely to Scotland in my 1967 special stamp programme which I announced on 26th October in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ports-mouth, West (Mr. Judd).—[Vol. 734, c. 168.] But there will be pictorial stamps depicting British Flora, British paintings and British discovery and there will, of course, be regional—including Scottish—versions of the new definitive series.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now give additional details of the stamps to be issued during 1967.

The following special stamps will be issued in 1967:

20th February: A set of two stamps in the 9d. and 1s. 6d. denominations to mark the achievement of free trade within E.F.T.A.;

24th April: Stamps depicting British Flora: a set in block form of four different 4d. stamps, a 9d. stamp, one of 1s. 9d.;

10th July: A set of three stamps in the 4d., 9d. and 1s. 6d. denominations depicting British paintings;

19th September: A set of three stamps in the 4d., 1s. 0d., and 1s. 6d. denominations depicting British discovery;

27th November: A set of three Christmas stamps in the 3d., 4d. and 1s. 6d. denominations.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he has made in the scheme for using postal vans to transport passengers in rural areas.

I hope to be able to start a service in the New Year, between Llanidloes and Llangurig in Montgomeryshire. A mail van used on this route will be replaced by a mini-bus.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what representations have been received to date about his proposals for transferring the management of postal and counter services from St. Helens to Warrington; whether he has informed the staff concerned about his proposals; and if he will make a statement about whether the collection, sorting and delivery of mail and parcels is to remain the responsibility of the St. Helens Post Office;(2) what personal contact he has had with Post Office staff most likely to be affected by his proposals for a transfer of management for postal and counter services from St. Helens to Warrington; what consultative machinery exists for this purpose; and at what stage Post Office management made use of this machinery to inform Post Office workers of the proposals which would affect them.

I have had no representations except from the local staff. I have not met them myself but local staff consultation is now taking place. As has been usual, this followed notification to the headquarters of the Staff Associations concerned, but I am reviewing this procedure. The existing arrangements for collection, sorting and delivery of mail are not affected by the change of control.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement regarding the change in status and prospects of Post Office staff, including those in the Treasury grades, consequent on the proposed Post Office reorganisation into a public corporation.

I must ask the hon. Gentleman to await the White Paper which I promised in my statement of 3rd August would be presented to the House. I hope this will be in the early spring.Discussions are continuing with staff representatives and I would prefer to say no more at present.—[Vol. 733, c. 467]

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give a direction that an adequate supply of driving licence and motor vehicle licence application forms should always be available in self-service racks to members of the general public at main post offices.

We already instruct our main post offices to make application forms for motor vehicle licences freely available to the public. Driving licence application forms, which are in much smaller demand, can be had on request. We are designing a rack from which the public will be able to help themselves to these and other forms in main post offices.

asked the Postmaster-General what research is being undertaken in connection with the safety of television broadcasting masts during high winds.

This is a matter for the broadcasting authorities who will I am sure be glad to give my hon. Friend all the information he requires.

asked the Postmaster-General what areas of Wales are unable to receive independent television programmes; and what steps are being taken to remedy the matter.

The extension of the coverage of independent television is primarily a matter for the I.T.A. At present the coverage is 91 per cent. of the population but this does not include mid-Wales and part of Caernarvonshire. The Authority tells me that the coverage will increase to 92·5 per cent. by 1970 when the current programme to build another six low power relay stations has been completed.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of the population in Wales is able to receive B.B.C. Wales on television.

The B.B.C. has informed me that B.B.C. Wales is available to 69 per cent. of the population in Wales. B.B.C. 1 is of course available to nearly all the remainder; and in the most densely populated parts of Wales both B.B.C. Wales and B.B.C. 1 are available.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for General Post Office new telephone installations were awaiting attention in the Uxbridge constituency; and what is the average waiting period.

Leaving aside orders under enquiry or being met, there were 667 applicants waiting at 31st October, almost all of whom should have service by next Spring. Those now on the waiting list have been waiting on average about five months.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the increasing recognition of Wales as a national entity, if he will give instructions for the telephone numbers of Welsh subscribers to be published in one directory.

No.

asked the Minister without Portfolio whether the review of the homeless announced by his predecessor in the House of Commons on 10th November, 1965, has been completed; and when the findings will be published.

A report on the Survey of Homeless Single Persons was published last Friday and we are now considering it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will introduce new food labelling regulations.

Officials of our Department have been engaged in a series of meetings with interested parties which are now on the point of completion. It is not possible at the moment to say exactly when the regulations will be made but it will be as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the quantity of British bacon for the year ending 31st December 1966; how this quantity compares with Great Britain's allocation under the Bacon Sharing Agreement; how the shortfall has been made up; and what is the estimated cost of the shortfall in terms of additional imports.

Allocations under the Bacon Market-Sharing Understanding relate to the year ending in March. So far, home production has been below the level envisaged but this has not resulted in increased imports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the prices paid to Danish producers for pigs delivered to bacon factories for grades 1A and 1B; and what estimate he has made of the subsidy being paid directly or indirectly to Danish pig producers.

Prices paid by co-operative bacon factories are published weekly in Denmark. The hon. Member will see from the details I am sending him that there has been no direct supplementation of these prices since mid-June. Indirect help to pig producers cannot readily be quantified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the estimated reduction in revenue to farmers when the proposed changes in the Meat (Staining and Sterilisation) Regulations, 1960, take place; and if he will make a statement on the economic problems that will arise from these regulations.

As farmers sell a very small fraction of their stock to knackers any effect our proposals might have on farmers' revenue could be nominal only. We cannot make any more detailed statement about the proposals until my right hon. Friends have considered the representations which they have invited.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the capital cost of sterilisation plant that will be required for small licensed animal slaughterers under the new proposals for the Meat (Staining and Sterilisation) Regulations, 1960.

The installation of sterilising plant at knackers' yards would not be necessary under our proposals, the effect of which would be that where no facilities existed at a knacker's yard the meat might be removed by arrangement with an authorised officer to a place where it would be sterilised or destroyed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from where the money will come to give preferential treatment to farmers who have sold fat cattle during the present slump in beef prices; whether these payments will constitute new money awarded since the last Price Review or whether farmers who have held their cattle off the market during the low price period will now get a smaller end-of-year payment than they might have expected under the original Price Review arrangements.

If, over a fatstock year, the amount of abatements under the graduated deficiency payments arrangements exceeds that of supplements, a payment equal to the difference is made after the end of the year. No new money is involved, since any such payment falls to be made in accordance with the determinations made at the relevant Annual Review. I expect there to be such a payment for the present fatstock year, and I have decided, in making it, to give preferential treatment to those producers who sold fat cattle during the period of market depression through which we are passing. To the extent that they get a bigger share of the total amount to be paid, other producers will get less than they would have got had payment been at

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many schools more than half the staff are uncertificated teachers; and how many pupils are being taught in such schools.

In January, 1966 there were five such schools managed by education authorities, all primary schools and three of them small rural schools in which the sole teacher was uncertificated. The total roll of the five schools was 266, but the same rate to all. The decision to make this change has the full agreement of the National Farmers' Unions and the details will be worked out in consultation with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will itemise the farm improvement grants, indicating the nature, percentage grant, and total cost of each such grant in each of the last six years.

The table below shows the items of improvement, by categories, on which grant has been paid in the completed calendar years 1960 to 1965. All grants paid in this period were at the rate of 33⅓ per cent.one of them, with a roll of 65, was closed at the end of last session.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the extension to the Garrick Hospital, Stranraer, will be started.

The Regional Hospital Board expects that work will start in April, 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of farms in Banffshire in receipt of winter keep, by categories; and what is the proportion of each to the whole of Scotland.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by the Forestry Commission in each of the last 10 years on the provision of deer fencing in the seven crofting counties; and what contribution was made by adjoining landowners.

The Commission's accounts do not distinguish between deer fencing mid other kinds of fencing, but it is estimated that the Commission has spent the following amounts on deer fencing in the crofting counties in the last ten years:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many carcase deer were exported from Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

No separate statistics of deer carcases exported are readily available but information obtained from the trade by the Red Deer Commission and referred to in the Commission's Annual Report for 1965 showed that about 1,200 tons are exported annually to the Continent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the steps he is taking to increase and promote the prosperity of next year's tourist industry in Scotland; and what proportion and numbers of tourists to Great Britain visited Scotland during each of the last five years.

The Scottish tourist industry will share in the benefits of the expanded home holidays campaign which the British Travel Association is mounting with the aid of a Government grant.Precise annual estimates of overseas visitors to Scotland are not available, but in 1965 about 300,000 overseas visitors stayed overnight in Scotland: this means 11 per cent. of all visitors to the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now make a statement concerning his inquiries in connection with the Cadco development at Glenrothes.

The House is aware that, following the bankruptcy of the Cadco Building Company in November, 1964, I asked my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to examine in detail with Glenrothes Development Corporation the way in which the project had been handled by the Corporation and by my Department. The conclusion he reached, which I endorse, is that more searching enquiries into the bona fides of the promoters at an early stage would most probably have led to an earlier suspension of expenditure from public funds.In the light of the experience of this case, I gave detailed guidance to Scottish Development Corporations in May, 1965 about the investigation of future projects. They were instructed that, where a development requiring a non-standard building was dependent on Board of Trade assistance, commitments should be deferred until completion of the investigation of the project by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee. For other difficult cases they were provided with a checklist, based on B.O.T.A.C. practice, and they were advised to seek expert advice including that of consultants, where they thought it necessary to do so. These arrangements substantially meet the recommendation of the Companies Act Inspectors that, where more than one Government agency is concerned, machinery should be devised whereby one investigation could be carried out on behalf of all interested parties. Where in exceptional cases these procedures cannot be followed the Departments concerned will give special consideration to the means for ensuring an adequate investigation into Development Corporation projects and for avoiding unnecessary duplication with the B.O.T.A.C. inquiry.In his report to the House in February, 1966, on the 1964/65 Accounts under the New Towns Act, the Comptroller and Auditor-General drew attention briefly to the course of events. A fuller account is now available in the report published today by Board of Trade Inspectors under the Companies Act. My only comment on that account is that the Board of Trade was in fact aware of the original intention of the Development Corporation and my Department that the viability of the project should be judged in the light of the decision of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee. It is, I think, also fair to say that, while more meticulous investigation at an early stage would in retrospect have been desirable, the outcome of this case is unique among the large number of similar cases dealt with by New Town Development Corporations in Great Britain; and the steps subsequently taken by the present administration should, in my judgment, adequately guard against any recurrence.The extent of the loss suffered by the Development Corporation cannot yet be determined. The cost to the Corporation of the Cadco buildings was about £1·1 million. Of this total £626,000 was spent on standard factory and office accommodation; four-fifths has already been let at economic rentals and it can reasonably be expected that the remainder will be disposed of before long in a similar way. The balance of about £468,000 was spent on piggeries; these specialised buildings will involve some loss, which cannot be quantified at this stage. Negotiations for their disposal are proceeding; alternatively they may be converted at some additional cost into normal factory units for sale or letting in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the latest talks on the Anglo-French swing-wing aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Anglo-French variable-geometry strike aircraft.

I have nothing to add to the replies I gave on 9th November to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) and on 16th November during exchanges at Question Time.—[Vol. 735, c. 289, and Vol. 736, c. 414–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has now agreed with his French counterpart on a common specification for the Anglo-French variable-geometry project.

We have agreed the operational requirement and a broad definition for the aircraft.

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

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 22nd November.—[Vol. 736, c. 261–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many men in the Army signed on for nine-year engagements each year from 1957 until the present;(2) how many men in the Army singed on for six-year enagements each year form 1957 until the present;(3) how many men in the Royal Air Force singed on for nine-year engage-

asked the Secretary of state for Defence what rate of re-engagement for nine-year and six-year men has been maintained in all three Services.

The rates for the past year were:

The details follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what rate for re-engagement he bases his manpower forecasts for the Services for the next five years, giving details of each category in each Service;(2) what is the annual target for new recruits for the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy for the next five years; and on what re-engagement rate that target is based.

I do not think that the publication of our planning figures would be helpful since they must necessarily be subject to adjustment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he decided that the assurance in paragraph 4 of Command Paper No. 2903 that he would publish separately revised rates of pay for Service medical and dental officers, which would be effective from 1st April, 1966, will not be honoured; and if he is aware of the concern that this has caused.

On 20th July a new situation arose, as a result of which many prospective pay increases had to be deferred; I am aware of the concern of these officers.The matter will be dealt with in the framework of the White Paper on "Prices and Incomes Standstill; Period of Severe Restraint" (Command 3150).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what effect he estimates manpower reductions in the Army and Royal Navy will have on recruiting requirements.

I am not sure what reductions the hon. and gallant Member has in mind but there can certainly be no relaxation in our recruiting effort in the foreseeable future.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the number of industrial and non-industrial civilian personnel employed in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth, on 1st October, 1951, 1st October, 1964, and 1st October, 1966.

The numbers were:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has undertaken contingency planning connected with the implementation of the mandatory sanc- tions against Rhodesia under Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations.

It is not the practice to reveal information about military contingency planning.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of all the meat used by the Armed Forces at home and abroad is produced in Great Britain, what percentage is produced in the Commonwealth, and what percentage is produced in foreign countries; and if he will give an estimate of the total value of all meat consumed by the Armed Forces in Service messes in the course of one year.

The total annual value of meat eaten by the Armed Forces is about £6 million; we do not keep records of how much of it comes from where.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will consult the regional economic councils concerned before agreeing to a merger of British Railways Eastern and North Eastern Regions.

I have decided to make an Order under Section 2(2) of the Transport Act, 1962, to provide for a merger of Eastern and North Eastern Regions of British Railways and the appropriate Statutory Instrument will be laid before Parliament shortly. As this is an administrative matter, I did not think it appropriate to seek the advice of the regional economic planning councils.

asked the Minister of Transport how many passenger stations, freight stations and coal depôts British Railways had in Wales in January, 1963; and how many there are today; how many railwaymen were employed in Wales in January, 1963; and how many there are today.

Statistical information relating to nationalised industries is usually provided only for the country as a whole; but I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will instruct the Central Transport Users Consultative Committee to review the recommendations contained in its report of 1958 on taxi-cab access to railway stations.

No. I have no reason to doubt that the present arrangements provide the best means of ensuring a good service to the travelling public.

asked the Minister of Transport what is her policy with regard to the retention of the direct rail link from the south through Perth, Aviemore and Carrbridge to Inverness.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mr. G. Campbell) on 7th February and 24th November. [Vol. 724, c. 14; Vol. 736, c. 361.]

asked the Minister of Transport what action is being taken to design traffic islands which will stop a vehicle without damaging the vehicle or the island as much as the standard island does.

Traffic islands must be rigid with vertical kerbs in order to give protection to pedestrians. We do not consider it would be possible to afford this protection without risking some damage to vehicles which run into them.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she proposes to make the 70 mile per hour speed limit on motorways an advisory one.

I would remind the hon. Member of what my right hon. Friend said in the House on 17th May last. The 70 m.p.h. experimental speed limit will remain in its present mandatory form until 3rd September, 1967. [Vol. 728, c. 1283.]

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give the vehicle miles for 1965 on the Lancashire section of the M6 and on the M1/M10/M45 network.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated expenditure of her Department on road improvement in the area of the Northumberland County Council in the financial year 1966–67 and the estimate for 1967–68; and how these figures compare with expenditure in 1962–63 and 1963–64.

This information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport when she proposes to confirm the line of the M62 motorway between Lofthouse and Ferrybridge, which was submitted to her Department in 1961.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make a statement on this subject soon.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what studies she is making of the need for giving investment grants to encourage the container revolution, not only at port terminals, but also at inland depôts, and if she will make a statement;(2) what consultations she is having with the President of the Board of Trade about assisting the setting up of new container depôts in development areas.

The Government have already taken steps to encourage the container revolution by making available investment grants for ships, for the purchase of up to three sets of containers provided as part of the equipment of a new or converted container ship and for port facilities for container operations. The need for an additional incentive in the form of grant for inland clearance depôts, including depôts serving development areas, is still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will make the need to assist the container revolution her first priority when planning new motorways, new dual carriageways, and major road improvements.

The needs of industrial and commercial traffic and the movement of exports are already of high priority in planning future road improvements. To the extent that the increased use of containers will alter the distribution and volume of such traffic this will be taken fully into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to increase the payment of £2 10s. weekly, at present the maximum that can be awarded in affiliation proceedings.

A Departmental Committee under the Chairmanship of Miss Jean Graham-Hall, one of the Metropolitan stipendiary magistrates, is at present reviewing the statutory financial limits on maintenance orders which may be made by magistrates in both domestic and affiliation proceedings. The need for legislation will be considered when this Committee has reported.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether there are any proposals for a space satellite for navigational purposes in connection with the Concord; and if he will make a statement.

There are no such proposals. Discussions have, however, taken place in the international Interim Satellite Communications Committee, on which Her Majesty's Government are represented, about the introduction of a satellite system for civil aircraft communications and air traffic control purposes. No decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Minister of Aviation what discussions have been taking place with the French Government on the possibility of the manufacturers of Concord helping to finance quantity production of the aircraft; and what conclusions have been reached.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey (Mr. A. Royle) and my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Ellis) in answer to similar Questions.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether Her Majesty's Government have now accepted the minority view expressed in that part of the Plow-den Committee's Report dealing with their possible acquisition of a share in the ownership of the aircraft industry.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made during the course of the debate on the 21st November.—[Vol. 736, c. 967.]

asked the Minister of Aviation if he is satisfied with the dissemination of space-related knowledge to potential users; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements already exist for industrial firms interested in space work to have access to published technical information derived from national, international and foreign space activities. Both my Ministry and the Ministry of Technology have for some time been actively engaged in the more difficult talk of identifying and disseminating space I knowledge which could have benefits in other fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will express the total public expenditure on education in 1963–64, 1964–65, and 1965–66 in the United Kingdom as a percentage of the gross national product and as a percentage of total local and national taxation in each year.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whom he proposes to appoint as Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Education for Industry and Commerce for its next term of office.

I am glad to be able to say that Sir Joseph Hunt has accepted appointment as Chairman of the National Advisory Council in succession to Sir Harry Pilkington who has held the appointment since 1956 and now wishes to relinquish it. I should like to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution which Sir Harry and the Council have made to the development of further education during this critically important period.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what decision he has now made on arrangements to improve the salaries of university clinical teachers during the period of severe restraint after 1st January.

I am still considering the matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the approximate net annual yield from an increase of 1s. in the standard rate of Income Tax, with consequent increases for those who pay taxes below the full rate and without any increase at lower rates, respectively.

About £415 million and £255 million for 1966–67.

asked the Minister of Health how many hotels for homeless families exist in the United Kingdom; in what proportion of hostels the husband has to live apart from his wife; and what plans exist for providing new hostel accommodation which could accommodate whole families in times of temporary distress.

Local authorities in England and Wales returned a total of 540 premises on 31st March, 1965. I have no information as to how many of these do not accommodate husbands, but the local authorities were asked on 31st October to review their arrangements in the light of the need to keep families together and to report on their services by 31st March next.

asked the Minister of Health if he will express the total public expenditure on hospitals in 1963–64, 1964–65 and 1965–66 in the United Kingdom as a percentage of the gross national product and as a percentage of national taxation in each year.

Total public expenditure on National Health Service hospitals in the United Kingdom represented:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the greatest decrease in rent so far registered in respect of an application for determination by the rent officer in the London Borough of Hillington.

The greatest cash decrease was from £45 18s. to £21 6s. 8d. per calendar month; the latter figure was subsequently revised to £25 by the rent assessment committee. The greatest percentage decreased was 60 per cent.—from £5 to £2 per week.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications the rent officer in the London Borough of Hillingdon has received for rent determination; and how many of those applying have had their rents increased or decreased.

230 applications for registration of rent had been received by the rent officer for the London Borough of Hillingdon up to 26th November, and 206 of these had been determined. The original rent was reduced in 42 cases, unchanged in 23 and increased in 141. I understand that most of these increases related to original rents which had remained unchanged for many years.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make a further statement about Colonel Harris's tax forms.

Colonel Harris applied on the 4th and again on the 18th November for certificates of Income Tax deducted from his pension for the years 1963–64 and 1964–65. The second letter was received on the 22nd November but the forms had already been sent to him the previous day.Certificates in respect of the same two years had in fact been sent to him in August, 1965, in response to a similar request in July, 1965.There was no question in this correspondence of any remittance to Colonel Harris.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for the expansion of London Airport, in view of the present lack of runway facilities.

I have no reason to suppose that the runways at Heathrow are generally inadequate to cater for the present volume of traffic but the British Airports Authority has informed me of a proposal to extend No. 1 runway in order to meet increasing demand.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Irish-American Insurance Company Limited has issued a notice stating that it has been told that the inspectors appointed by his Department have completed their inquiries of the company and that it is, therefore, in a position to go ahead with plans for expansion; whether the inspectors' report has been received by him; and if he will make a statement.

The circular seems to imply that the inspectors have completed their investigation and have concluded that the position of the company is satisfactory. The facts do not justify any such implication and the inspectors have not yet reported.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will request the Welsh Economic Council to examine in detail the likely effects of any future curtailment of railway freight services in Cardiganshire.

The withdrawal or retention of particular freight services is a management matter for the Railways Board. But the Welsh Economic Coun- cil has already been given an opportunity of examining and commenting on the freight services in Cardiganshire and elsewhere in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in reaching their decision on the future of the Barmouth to Ruabon railway line, the Welsh Economic Planning Council have discussed the matter with local authorities served by the railway line.

Consent to close this line was given in September, 1964. In accordance with the procedure announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in June this year —[Vol. 729, c. 289]—the proposal by the Railways Board to dispose of the formation and assets on the length of the line between Llangollen and Morfa Mawddach has been referred to the Welsh Economic Council for its comments. The proceedings of the Council are confidential but I can assure my hon. Friend that the Council takes account of all the interests concerned in deciding on the advice it will give.