asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what action he is taking to increase the number of consultant posts in Scottish hospitals;(2) what steps he is taking to improve the provision of medical library facilities in all hospitals;(3) what steps he is taking to promote the representation of junior hospital staff on all hospital and regional committees;(4) what consideration he is giving to the provision of rented married quarters in or adjacent to hospitals for the families of compulsorily resident doctors;(5) whether he will consider the provision of free board and lodging for all doctors who are compulsorily resident in hospitals;(6) what steps he is taking to ensure a minimum off-duty period of 84 hours per week for junior doctors in Scottish hospitals;(7) whether he will set up a representative body to advise him on the steps to be taken to achieve a secure career structure with integrated post-graduate training for junior doctors in the hospital service.

The forthcoming negotiations with the profession on their "Charter for Hospital Doctors" will provide an opportunity for discussion of these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the construction of houses in Scotland is hampered by shortages in production and supply of building materials.

I am not aware of any complaint that shortages of materials are at present giving rise to delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many planning appeals were lodged in the four counties of cities of Scotland during the last year; what were the results of these appeals: and what was the total cost, the minimum and the maximum cost of these appeals.

		Appeals Lodged	Withdrawn	Sustained	Dismissed	Listed at Appellants' Request	Not yet decided
Glasgow	…	31	14	4	9	2	2
Edinburgh	…	11	5	1	4	—	1
Aberdeen	…	2	2	—	—	—	—
Dundee	…	6	4	—	—	2	—
Totals	…	50	25	5	13	4	3

The total cost of these appeals is not available because the expenditure by local planning authorities and appellants is not known to me. For the 18 appeals which came to decision, the total cost of reporters' fees and expenses was £383 1s. 1d., the minimum payment being £18 18s. and the maximum £31 8s. 10d.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what reply he has received from the United States Government to his representations in support of the National Wool Textile Export Corporation in its opposition to the United States Federal Trade Commission's proposal for the compulsory testing of the fibre content of imported fabrics; and if he is considering further representations.

We understand that the United States authorities are taking into account our representations concerning the Federal Trade Commission's proposed amendment to the regulations under the Wool Products Labelling Act. If necessary, further representations will be considered when the Federal Trade Commission's revised proposals are known.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many private and advance factories, respectively, have been established during the past six years in the North-East; and how many of these factories derived from inquiries made after October, 1964.

Information in the form requested is not available. 578 projects in manufacturing industry for which industrial development certificates were issued in the Northern Region were completed in the six years 1960–65, for 29 of

The information for the year 1965 is as follows:which i.d.c.'s were issued since October, 1964. Of the 578 projects, 103 were built by the Board of Trade.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the total actual costs, or estimated costs, of all overseas visits made by all Ministers, deputy Ministers, their wives, officials and any other persons included in such overseas visits, together with all moneys expended by the Treasury on such 'visits since October, 1964. in addition to the £21,000 spent by the Treasury Ministers.

I regret that this information could be provided only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the estimated amount of the interest payments made to foreigners in 1965 on the United Kingdom's short-term external liabilities in sterling.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 1st December.—[Vol. 737, c. 139.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the result of the vote on experimental television in the House of Commons on 24th November, he will ensure that no money is spent or committed on televising, experimentally or otherwise, the proceedings of either House of Parliament.

As regards the position in this House the Government is bound by the decision already taken. As to the other place, it would be proper to await further developments. In any event specific financial provision would be required which this House would have to approve before any new expenditure could properly be incurred.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the civilian sales against the offset agreement to date with West Germany for the two years to 31st March, 1966, how much represented sales to the West German Government, and how much to private firms.

Of the £21 million actually received in respect of civilian sales in the two year period up to 31st March, 1966, about £20·7 million were sales to West German public authorities as defined in Article 1 of Annex 1 to the Agreement of 27th July, 1964 (Cmnd. 2434).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual revenue of the Duchy of Cornwall.

In 1965, the latest year for which figures are available, the net revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall were £200,918.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what help he has offered and given to the Italian flood disaster victims.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the consequential benefit to traffic problems, he will at the next opportunity alter motor vehicle licensing so that the payment increases in proportion to the amount of road space occupied.

As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport said in reply to a similar Question from my hon. Friend on 2nd November, the Government do not think that such a change would help with the problems to which he refers.—[Vol. 735, c. 120.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make a statement on Professor Clayton's official report on transport in a typical area of rural Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the report of the Clayton Survey on Public Transport Facilities in West Cardiganshire.

The pilot study undertaken by Professor Clayton into the problems of transport integration in West Wales was carried out on behalf of the Welsh Economic Council. The Welsh Economic Council has considered the report and sent it to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport, on whose initiative pilot studies in various parts of the country were commissioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a unit to prepare, design and supervise the construction of large trunk roads and motorway schemes in Wales similar to the six units which are being set up in England.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Meriorenth (Mr. William Edwards) and Cardigan (Mr. Elystan Morgan) on 24th November.—[Vol. 736, c. 348.]

asked the Minister of Transport what plans she has for a by-pass at East Dereham.

Our plans provide for a new dual carriageway road, 3·3 miles long, to the south of East Dereham when funds are available.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will take steps to implement the recommendations of the Working Party set up in 1949 to report on the law relating to hackney carriages in so far as its report refers to the priviledged cab system at railway stations.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 30th November.—[Vol. 737, c. 113.]

asked the Postmaster-General when he expects to commence building a new post office for Swaffham.

December, 1966.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what help he has offered and given to the Italian flood disaster victims.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him today.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why he does not consider it suitable for boys to join the Air Training Corps at the same age as those joining the Sea Cadets; and why there is also a disparity between these services with regard to the age at which a boy may wear uniform.

The amount of training and instruction that can be given to a boy in the Air Training Corps is naturally limited. If this training is completed too early, then a boy may lose interest and leave the corps at an age when that training would be becoming of the maximum value to him and possibly to the Royal Air Force. Bearing in mind that the normal upper age limit for membership of the Corps is 20—as against 18 for the Sea Cadets—we think that a normal minimum age of entry of 14 gives the most suitable age span, both from an administrative point of view and from the point of view of the objects for the Corps.The purpose of a probationary period before boys are allowed to wear the uniform at 14¼ is to make sure that a boy has the right qualities and the necessary genuine enthusiasm to make a useful member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation have been made for damage to private property caused by vibrations from Warcop gunnery range in each of the last five years to the latest convenient date: how many have been accepted: and how much money has been paid out.

Following is the information:

Year	Number of Claims Made	Number Accepted	Amounts Paid
			£	s.	d.
1962	1	1	10	0	0
1963	—	—	—
1964	1	—	—
1965	2	2	16	13	3
1966 to date.	3*	2	2	1	4
* Includes one still under investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many ships are equipped for oceanographical research; and what expansion of such research is planned over the next five years.

Six ships, and a big expansion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what help he has offered and given to the Italian flood disaster victims.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why Philips Electrical Company of Holland received the contract to provide closed circuit television for Wormwood Scrubs Prison when British companies with maintenance schemes not requiring foreign labour are equally available to meet the contract;(2) whether any tender was put out in customary fashion to manufacturers of closed circuit equipment to tender for the provision of closed circuit television for Wormwood Scrubs Prison;(3) whether he will give an assurance that in future British manufacturers will be given an opportunity to tender and receive contracts for the supply of closed circuit equipment and other equipment relating to crime prevention; and if he will make a statement.

The Wormwood Scrubs contract was awarded to a British company in the Philips group because there are only two firms in this country with the necessary resources and the other firm, which is entirely British owned, was being awarded the Wakefield contract. Competitive tenders were not invited because neither firm would have been capable of undertaking and completing both jobs quickly enough. It is my intention that, in accordance with normal practice, tenders should in future be invited whenever possible. For the most part equipment of British manufacture has been used in the Wormwood Scrubs scheme, and there is no question of it being maintained by foreign labour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, within the practice of the prison service, is the maximum period of solitary confinement which a prisoner may normally be called upon to endure.

The Prison Rules 1964 authorise the temporary segregation of prisoners—

(1) as a punishment for an offence against prison discipline, when the maximum period is 56 days;

(2) pending adjudication for an offence against prison discipline;

(3) where segregation is desirable for the maintenance of good order or discipline, or in the prisoner's own interests.

A prisoner must not be segregated under the third heading for a period of more than 24 hours without the authority of a member of the Visiting Committee or Board of Visitors, or of the Secretary of State. This authority must be renewed monthly. Association must be resumed if a medical officer so advises on medical grounds. The case of every segregated prisoner is considered in the Department at regular intervals, and no prisoner is kept in these conditions longer than is necessary in the interests either of his own safety or of good order or discipline.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to amend the gaming law the present effect of which is that the prizes which may be offered where bingo is played as an entertainment in aid of a good cause are so small in value as to offer little attraction, whereas substantial and attractive prizes may be offered where bingo is played as a club activity and no good cause benefits.

These matters come within the purview of the general review which I am conducting of the provisions of Part II of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and by whom under his general authority a working party of town clerks of London boroughs was appointed to consider the question of elections under the London Government Act, 1963; when and to whom it reported; which town clerks were members of the working party; and whether he will make copies of their report available to honourable Members.

The working party was not set up by me or under my authority, but by the Association of London Town Clerks, a professional society. The working party's report—which deals with the difficulties of holding combined elections in Greater London—was made in February last to that Association, which submitted it to the London Boroughs Association, which in turn forwarded a copy to my Department in April. With the agreement of the Honorary Secretary of the London Boroughs Association I am arranging for copies of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Labour what caused the fall from 125·7 to 125·6 of the alcoholic drink item in the Index of Retail Prices in October.

The fall in the index for the alcoholic drink group in the Index of Retail Prices from 125·7 on 20th September, 1966, to 125·6 on 18th October, 1966, was due to small falls in the average level of prices of whisky, gin and sherry.

asked the Minister of Labour what caused the increase from 120·7 to 120·8 in the fuel item in the Index of Retail Prices.

The rise in the index for the fuel and light group in the Index of Retail Prices from 120.7 on 20th September, 1966, to 1208 on 18th October, 1966, was due to small rises in the average levels of prices of coal and coke.

asked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed persons were registered in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 30th November.

At 14th November, 1966, the latest date for which information is available, 4,706 persons were registered as unemployed at Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Elswick and Walker.

asked the Minister of Labour what representations he has received from the National Association of Colliery Overmen and Deputies at the two Monkton, Yorkshire, colleries which are being closed on 3rd December, as 1,600 miners are dissatisfied with the alternative work offered because some of the pits to which they have been transferred are also to be shut down; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Minister of Labour whether there has been an increase in unemployment amongst handicapped persons in the Hornchurch area.

The following table shows the changes in unemployment which have recently taken place amongst the registered disabled in the Hornchurch Employment Exchange area.

	Number of registered disabled persons suitable for employment under normal conditions registered as unemployed at the Hornchurch Employment Exchange	Number of registered disabled persons suitable only for employment under sheltered conditions registered as unemployed at the Hornchurch Employment Exchange	Total
4th Nov., 1966	22	5	27
10th Oct., 1966	27	4	31
12th Sept., 1966	22	4	26
8th Aug., 1966	25	4	29
11th July., 1966	20	4	24
8th Nov., 1965	30	6	36

asked the Minister of Labour how many departmental staff are at present wholly or mainly employed with the administration of the Selective Employment Tax; and what is the total annual cost so involved.

360 staff at an annual salary cost of £405,000.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the unemployed in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys are clerks or normally employed in clerical, services.

Occupational analyses of wholly unemployed men and women are made each March, June, September and December.At 12th September, 1966, there were 153 (99 men and 54 women) registered as wholly unemployed at Fleetwood and

TOTAL NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN FLEETWOOD AND THORNTON CLEVELEYS, AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
				Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys		United Kingdom
				Numbers Unemployed	Percentage rate	Numbers Unemployed	Percentage rate
12th November, 1945*	…	…	…	67	0·5	290,766	2·1
11th November, 1946*	…	…	…	142	0·8	395,225	2·5
10th November, 1947*	…	…	…	213	1·3	293,023	1·8
15th November, 1948	…	…	…	419	2·0	354,659	1·7
14th November, 1949	…	…	…	531	3·4	350,592	1·7
13th November, 1950	…	…	…	867	5·2	326,089	1·5
12th November, 1951	…	…	…	584	3·2	322,959	1·5
10th November, 1952	…	…	…	753	4·2	450,316	2·1
16th November, 1953	…	…	…	642	3·7	358,307	1·7
15th November, 1954	…	…	…	536	3·0	293,051	1·3
14th November, 1955	…	…	…	469	2·6	255,438	1·2
12th November, 1956	…	…	…	557	3·1	293,391	1·3
11th November, 1957	…	…	…	611	3·2	350,268	1·6
17th November, 1958	…	…	…	977	5·0	575,499	2·6
16th November, 1959	…	…	…	958	5·3	463,534	2·1
14th November, 1960	…	…	…	701	3·8	385,039	1·7
13th November, 1961	…	…	…	832	4·4	423,292	1·8
12th November, 1962	…	…	…	1,022	5·2	578,966	2·5
11th November, 1963	…	…	…	1,039	5·4	507,962	2·2
9th November, 1964	…	…	…	821	4·3	376,788	1·6
8th November, 1965	…	…	…	901	4·8	348,851	1·5
14th November, 1966	…	…	…	1,377	7·3	576,530	2·4
* Figures prior to the introduction of the National Insurance Scheme in 1948 are not comparable with those for later years.

asked the Minister of Labour what percentage of the men unemployed in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys are over the age of 50 years.

Detailed age analyses of the unemployed register are made only in January and July each year. They relate to the wholly unemployed and exclude casual and temporarily stopped workers. At 11th July, 1966, men aged 50 and over formed 68·4 per cent. of all wholly unemployed men registered at the Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys Employment Exchanges.

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys are unemployed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish a table showing the total numbers and the percentage unemployed in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys and in the rest of the United Kingdom in each year from 1945 to the latest convenient date.

Following is the information for Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys and for the United Kingdom.

At 14th November, 1966, the latest date for which information is available, 15 boys and 37 girls were registered as unemployed at the Fleetwood Youth Employment Office, which covers both Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys.

asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies exist in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys in the industries classified as manufacturing for the purposes of the Selective Employment Tax.

At Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys on 9th November, 1966, the latest date for which figures are available, 39 notified vacancies in manufacturing industries, 28 for males and 11 for females, remained unfilled.

asked the Minister of Health how many National Health Service patients in the counties of Durham and Northumberland have undergone medical tests to see if they are suffering from foot and mouth disease, or its human equivalent; and whether any of the tests have been positive.

Three; I am informed that tests beginning in July were positive in the case of one man, and that further tests in November showed that he was by then completely free from infection.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with reference to the Annual Report of the National Food Survey Committee on Domestic Food Consumption and Expenditure in 1964, what proportion of the children in the survey was in families whose diet was below the minimum standard of energy value or nutrient content as recommended by the British Medical Association.

The diets of individual families cannot be assessed in the National Food Survey, but averages are given for the diets of households grouped according to family size. The British Medical Association did not recommend minimum standards. Its recommendations for nutrients incorporate considerable safety factors, and those for protein and calcium are, as stated in paragraph 73 of the National Food Survey Committee Report for 1964, "recognised as particularly generous". On average the protein allowances are 30 per cent. to 50 per cent. higher than, and the calcium allowances about double, those recommended recently by FAO/WHO Expert Groups. In 1964 about two-thirds (64 per cent.) of all the children in the survey were in types of household for which the averages for protein and calcium fell below allowances based on the British Medical Association recommendations by from 3 per cent. to 13 per cent.; but the diets in none of these types of household fell below the recommendations for energy or any other nutrient.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what help he has offered and given to the Italian flood disaster victims.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) what was the total value of building starts by local authorities on facilities used exclusively for sport, as defined in Appendix II of Command Paper No. 2177, October, 1963, in the years 1963–64, 1964–65, and 1965–66; and what is the estimate for 1966–67;(2) what was the investment expenditure by local authorities on facilities used exclusively for sport, as defined in Appendex II of Command Paper No. 2177, October, 1963, in the years 1963–64, 1964–65, and 1965–66; and what is the estimate for 1966–67;(3) what was the total value of loan sanctions issued to local authorities for facilities used exclusively for sport, as defined in Command Paper No. 2177, October, 1963, in the years 1963–64. 1964–65, and 1965–66; and what is the estimate for 1966–67.

Figures for building starts are not available. The best estimates available of capital investment were given in the table circulated with the Answer on 1st December of my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science to the hon. Member [Vol. 737, c. 132.] Loan sanctions issued, for England, were:

				£ million
1963–64	…	…	…	8·0
1964–65	…	…	…	11·4
1965–66	…	…	…	12·0

The figure for 1966–67 is likely to be about £2·5 million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will confirm the compulsory purchase order on the Somerset Street area, Brighton.

My right hon. Friend is awaiting maps from the Brighton Council incorporating his proposed modifications to the comprehensive development area. As soon as he has received these and his decision has been published, he hopes to decide the compulsory purchase order and unfitness order forthwith.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will make a decision on the confirmation of a compulsory purchase order on properties in Newhaven Street, Brighton.

The Inspector's report following the recent public local inquiry has been received and my right hon. Friend will give a decision as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he expects to complete his consultations with local planning authorities on the county population forecasts which followed the review of the South-East study.

My right hon. Friend hopes to complete these consultations soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been spent on capital developments at each of the institutions in the United Kingdom which award degrees in agriculture in each of the last 10 years.

I understand that the figures sought relate to capital expenditure in Departments of Agriculture. These figures are being extracted by the University Grants Committee and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I receive them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many vacancies exist for teachers in the Yorkshire and Humberside regional area; and what are his policies to ensure that sufficient numbers of trained teachers are obtained in the near future.

I do not collect information from authorities about vacancies for teachers in their schools, but I estimate that between 4,000 and 5,000 additional teachers would be needed to bring all classes in this region within the present regulation sizes. I look to the continuing development of my 14-point programme to increase the total supply of teachers, and to the quota system to give authorities in all parts of the country the help they need to recruit a fair share of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many additional teachers are required to fulfil the policy of raising the school-leaving age in 1970–71; if he is satisfied that this number can be recruited; and if he will make a statement.

21,000. The aims of my teacher supply programme is to enable schools to absorb the extra commitment without undue strain, but some temporary setback cannot be avoided.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which primary school building projects have been approved in Cornwall in each of the last five years; and what has been their individual estimated cost.

The following primary school building projects have been included in Cornwall's Major Building Programmes over the last five years:

School	Size (places)	Estimated Cost
1961/62		£
Helston Infants	240	46,679
1962/63
Camborne C.E. aided	160	36,570
Falmouth, Marlborough Infants	160	37,055
1963/64
Constantine County Primary	120	30,934
Helston, Churchfield County Primary	280	58,688
1965/66
Biscovey County Infants	240	51,351
Threemilestone County Primary (instalment)	160	40,469
St. Ives County Infants	240	54,550
1966/67
Helston County Primary	280	60,919
Falmouth, St. Mary's R.C. Primary	120	40,607

In addition, approval was given by the Department for minor works to be undertaken by the managers of aided primary schools as follows:

Year			Number of Schools	Approximate total cost
1961/62	…	…	2	1,179
1962/63	…	…	Nil	Nil
1963/64	…	…	6	12,176
1964/65	…	…	1	4,368
1965/66	…	…	3	6,912
1966/67	…	…	5	41,053

Minor works at county and controlled schools are the responsibility of the local education authority: I understand they were undertaken, or are about to be undertaken during the current year, as follows:

Year			Number of Schools	Approximate total cost
1961/63	…	…	6	15,950
1963/64	…	…	9	33,400
1964/65	…	…	7	28,500
1965/66	…	…	6	43,000
1966/67	…	…	7	48,600

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what considerations it was decided that there should be only one representative of the National Association of Head Teachers on the Teachers' Panel of the Burnham Committee.

After taking very full account of all the views expressed by the various interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the particular features of the school of agriculture at Leeds University which prompted the University Grants Committee to suggest that it be closed for undergraduate teaching.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him yesterday. I do not inquire into the academic judgments of the Committee.—[Vol. 737, c. 131.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give an assurance that, wherever a suitable number of pupils and appropriate school building is available, every encouragement will be given by his Department to the establishment of Welsh language schools in Wales.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 29th November to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans).—[Vol. 737, c. 80–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take special steps to encourage local education authorities to use to the full the increased opportunities offered by Circular 8/60, Addendum 2, of developing nursery schools and classes in their areas.

I drew the attention of all authorities to this Addendum last autumn. Before considering whether they need any further encouragement to make use of it, I would prefer to await the annual return of their nursery provision which is due next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many and which universities in the United Kingdom provide degree courses in oceanography; how many graduated in this subject during each of the last five years; and what expansion is anticipated in the provision of such courses.

The following information has been supplied by the University Grants Committee:

The University of Liverpool provides a course leading to a B.Sc., honours degree in oceanography and the University College of North Wales, Bangor, a course leading to an honours degree in zoology with oceanography; At other universities, e.g. Birmingham, London, Newcastle and Southampton, oceanography forms part of a first degree course in such subjects as marine biology and geography. The numbers of students gaining honours degrees of Liverpool University in oceanography in the years 1960–61 to 1964–65 were 2, 5, 1, 8, 2. Several universities provide opportunities for postgraduate study in oceanography and in the last five years over 50 students were recorded as studying the subject at this level. The universities' plans for general development in the quinquennium 1967–72 are currently being examined by the University Grants Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what moneys have been allocated for the building of secondary schools in Cardiganshire between 1966 and 1972.

The Major School building Programmes for 1966–67 and 1967–68 contained no secondary school project for Cardiganshire. The 1968–69 and subsequent Programmes have not yet been decided, but it is known that those up to 1971–72 will contain an allocation for the raising of the school leaving age in Cardiganshire. The Major Programme for 1968–69 is likely to be announced early in 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what building programme his Department will approve for a new secondary school for the Aberystwyth area.

The Department has received a proposal from the Cardiganshire Local Education Authority for a replacement of the Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth, at an estimated gross cost of £415,860, to be included in the 1968/ 69 Major School Building Programme. The proposal is for the extension of the existing Dinas Secondary School so as to provide a comprehensive school for all children aged 11–18 years in the Aberystwyth area. This project, together with all others submitted by the Authorities, is now being considered for inclusion in the 1968/69 Major School Building Programme which is likely to be announced early in 1967. The greater part of this Programme will be devoted to satisfying "basic needs" where there would otherwise be a shortage of school places. The amount available for replacement projects, however desirable, will be relatively small.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for encouraging joint projects in oceanographical research with other European countries.

British oceanographers and fisheries scientists have for long played a leading part in a number of international organisations as members of their governing bodies and as Chairman of their scientific committees and working groups. These organisations include the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of U.N.E.S.C.O., the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and a large number of working groups.The U.K. takes an active part in the Oceanographic Sub-Committee of the N.A.T.O. Science Committee, and there are frequent exchanges of scientists with European countries.The National Institute of Oceanography is making equipment for international use with international funds.No opportunity of collaborating with European countries in this field is lost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what changes have been made in the five-year student target of the Welsh College of Advanced Technology; and how this change compares with those in each of the other colleges which are, or were, colleges of advanced technology.

I am not responsible for the development plans of individual universities.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs how many professional men, or bodies of professional men, have given him notice of their intention to increase the fees they charge for their services.

The criteria for prices and incomes behaviour set out in White Papers Cmnd. 3073 and 3150 are expected to apply to charges or fees of self-employed persons but the requirements under the White Papers relating to prior notification do not extend to professional fees.I am glad to say however that the response of professional bodies to the Government's call for a standstill and a period of severe restraint has been good.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what were the main price increases attributable to the import surcharge.

As my hon. Friend, the Minister of State. explained on 1st December in reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich. West (Mr. Ham-ling) [Vol. 737, c. 594], we have no record of increases in prices of individual traders due to the surcharge. We know, however, that in many cases the surcharge was not passed on or not passed on in full.The following were the main items on which the surcharge was levied:

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will introduce legislation to provide all disabled women with pensions large enough to pay for a helper, so that the home can be maintained, and, by avoiding dispersal to institutions, unhappiness and needless expense avoided.

As my hon. Friend knows, the Government are well aware of the difficulties of all the various groups of disabled people, including those disabled women she has in mind. We are continuing our study of the problems they raise.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will provide figures of numbers of persons drawing unemployment benefit who are already employed during part of the week in which they claim benefit but who, due to existing regulations, are entitled to do so.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will investigate the regulations governing claims for unemployment benefit in order to safeguard against the payment of benefit to those in well-paid employment during a period of the week in which they lodge their benefit claims.

Section 3(1) of the National Insurance Act, 1966, already ensures that the first six consecutive days, excluding Sundays and holidays, of any period of short-time working or lay-off do not attract the new earnings-related supplements to unemployment benefit. From March, 1969, when this rule will apply to flat-rate benefit as well, no unemployment benefit at all will be payable during short-time working or for the first week of lay-off.