asked the Postmaster-General if he will take immediate steps so that elderly persons and persons suffering from serious ill health may receive priority in the provision of telephone service.

My right hon. Friend already gives some priority to people who are disabled or chronically sick.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the estimated cost of vandalism in relation to Post Office equipment in Scotland, and England and Wales, respectively, in the first six months of this year.

The costs of repairs to telephone boxes were £12,000 and £84,000 respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General how many people in the Middlesbrough area are waiting to have telephones installed; what is the average delay; and if he will make a statement.

1,005 at 31st October, not counting orders under enquiry or being met. They had been waiting on average three to four months. They should all receive service during the next 15 months.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated initial cost of the introduction of increased telephone charges and in particular the estimated cost of converting call boxes.

Many telephone charges will not be altered on 1st January next; some will be increased and some will be reduced. The overall initial cost of introducing the changes could only be arrived at by a considerable effort.The cost of modifying STD coin boxes is expected to be about £100,000.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give an assurance that there will be no increase in charges for the telephone service in the immediate future.

No increase is in mind for the immediate future, apart from the changes announced by my right hon. Friend on 20th July. Some charges are being increased and others are being reduced on 1st January, 1967. Total telecommunications revenue is not expected to be affected significantly.

asked the Postmaster-General how many people in the county of Midlothian are waiting to have telephones installed; and how many industrial firms are waiting to have telephone installation or improvements.

300, not counting orders in hand or being met. None is a business application, but 16 orders for alterations to business installations are in hand.

asked the Postmaster-General what further steps he proposes to ensure that those areas still not receiving British Broadcasting Corporation television obtain a service.

The extension of the coverage attained by B.B.C. television services is primarily the Corporation's responsibility. Stage V of their low-powered relay station plan, announced by my predecessor in March, provides for a further 20 stations. This will bring the coverage by B.B.C.1 up to 99–5 per cent. of the population by 1970.—[Vol. 725, c. 555.]

asked the Postmaster-General what steps are being taken to provide coverage of B.B.C.2 in Mid-Wales.

The extension of the coverage attained by B.B.C.2 is primarily the responsibility of the B.B.C. who tell me that it would, at this stage a the development of the network of ultra high frequency stations and interconnecting links, be premature to plan for a station in Mid-Wales.

asked the Postmaster-General what areas of Wales are still unable to receive B.B.C.1 programmes; and what steps have been taken to remedy the matter.

B.B.C.1 is available to 83 per cent., and the separate transmission for Welsh viewers, B.B.C. Wales, to 69 per cent. of the population. The B.B.C. tell me that their plans provide for a farther extension to B.B.C. Wales bringing its population coverage to over 75 per cent. and the total coverage of the two services together to 97 per cent. by 1970. The area not now covered is mainly in Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has for reviewing the Independent Television Authority code of standards for advertisements.

None. In Section 8 of the Television Act, 1964, Parliament has placed on the Authority the duty to review from time to time the code of advertising standards and practice drawn up by them in accordance with that Section.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will outline the restrictions laid down in his regulations on the private use of walkie-talkie sets; and whether he will examine the easing of these restrictions in regard to safety at sea, beach rescue work and other related activities.

Licences for private use of walkie-talkie sets are readily granted for serious purposes such as those mentioned. There are only two restric- tions: the sets must operate in the right frequency bands and they must meet certain minimum standards of performance. These conditions are necessary to guard against interference to and from other radio services.

asked the Postmaster-General when the plan to improve reception for British Broadcasting Corporation television in Swaledale and Wensleydale will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

The B.B.C. tell me that they have decided on suitable sites for three stations, one at Richmond, one to serve Swaledale and another to serve Wensleydale. They are negotiating to purchase these sites but it is too early to say when the stations will come into service.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will allow interest at Post Office deposit rate to be paid whenever sums of money exceeding £100 are lodged with his Department for over a month, either as a result of the repayment of a Government loan or from other causes.

Interest is payable only as provided in the published terms of the security or account in which the money is invested at the time. Monies arising on the maturity of a Government Loan such as Defence Bonds cannot be repaid or reinvested to earn interest except with the authority of the holder or his representative. I am however considering further ways of reminding bondholders of any outstanding maturities.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the terms of reference of the Post Office Advisory Committee now constituted at Shrewsbury; and what powers it will be given.

I understand that the terms of reference have not yet been defined formally, but its function is to enable user organisations to discuss with local Post Office management the services we provide. As to the question of powers the rôle of the Committee is an advisory one.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the British Motor Corporation is making use in advertisements to boost their products of reproductions of the stamps which show three mini-cars and a Jaguar; and what action he will take in the matter.

Yes. This unauthorised reproduction of a current postage stamp was taken up with the advertisers on the day that it was published. The Corporation gave an immediate assurance that the advertisement would not be used again.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will insert a clause in future contracts granted by his Department to the effect that employers must not make age, other than retirement age, a bar to employment.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General if the pilot scheme for using a postal mini-bus in Montgomeryshire to transport passengers as well as mail will subsequently be extended to isolated rural areas in Norfolk.

If the experiment is successful we shall consider this possibility, but other areas would have strong claims.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider means of offering fuller and cheaper facilities through the Post Office for delivery of newspapers in country areas.

We do realise the expense some people living in country areas have to incur in getting their newspapers. But, as the inland newspaper post is already running at a heavy loss, my right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot do as my hon. Friend asks.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that until recently business firms in Llanover Road, Wembley, used to receive their first delivery of mail by van between 7.45 a.m. and 8 a.m., but that now it is delivered by postman between 9.15 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. with consequent inconvenience to the firms affected; and if he will arrange for the restoration of an earlier delivery time.

The hon. Gentleman will be glad to know that the early delivery was restored on 3rd December.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement about postal addresses in the Harrow Weald area in the light of the discussion between his officials and the hon. Member for Harrow, East, on 14th November last.

My officials are following up as quickly as they can the proposals discussed at their meeting with my hon. Friend; and I will write to him as soon as possible about the postal addresses in the Harrow Weald area.

asked the Postmaster-General how many Members of Parliament have been invited by his Department to undertake overseas tours in each of the last five years; who were the Members; what were the purposes of such visits; and what were the annual costs involved.

None.

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware of confusion among people who attend the Lands Tribunal with revaluation appeals about their expenses entitlement; and whether he will review the publicity system employed.

Persons who attend before the Lands Tribunal are not entitled to any payments for their expenses. If, however, my hon. Friend is concerned about the arrangements for the payment of costs, which are in the discretion of the Tribunal, I shall be glad to consider any difficulties which he may bring to my notice.

asked the Attorney-General approximately how long he estimates it will take the Law Commission to consider and report on their present programme.

It is not at present possible to form any estimate; some of the major items are bound to take a considerable time.

asked the Attorney-General approximately how long he estimates it will take the Law Commission at their present rate of progress to complete the codification of British law.

Under the current programme, the Commission are engaged on the codification of certain branches only of the law; they have not expressed any final view of what other branches of the law ought to be codified and it is not therefore possible to say how much time they will spend on this part of their functions.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will appoint to the Law Commission additional staff or additional Law Commissioners, including laymen.

The Commission have expressed the view that a large legal staff would be undesirable at present, but, if experience shows that additional staff are required, consideration will be given to their appointment. Legislation would be needed to increase the number of Commissioners or to include laymen among them.

asked the Attorney-General how many prosecutions under Section 76 of the Local Government Act, 1933, as amended, have been instituted by the Director of Public Prosecutions in each of the last five years.

The number of prosecutions are as follows: —1 in 1961; 1 in 1962; 3 in 1963; 7 in 1964; 6 in 1965; and 1 in 1966 (to date).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the actual or estimated acreage of orchards over 50 years of age in England and Wales.

No figures are available for orchards over fifty years old and estimates cannot be made with any accuracy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the present support machinery of the Potato Marketing Board to ensure that fair prices are charged to consumers.

Under the arrangements agreed in June, 1965 between the agricultural Ministers, the Farmers' Unions and the Potato Marketing Board, Exchequer-financed support buying of potatoes only takes place when the pressure of supplies is such that the guaranteed price for the season might not be achieved. The consumer would not benefit in the long run if matters were allowed to take their course and, as a result of low prices for the crop, less potatoes were planted in the following season and there was a shortage of supplies. For most of the past two seasons, in each of which there were substantial buying programmes, retail prices were at their lowest level for some five years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a scheme of import sharing in relation to the importation of carcass beef from abroad.

No. As my right hon. Friend said in reply to questions from hon. Members on 2nd November, he is satisfied that a temporary setback in the market does not justify any exceptional measures against imports.—[Vol. 735, c. 439–442.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered the correspondence forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Barking, concerning a tin of corned beef, supplied by agents of his Department and issued to a school kitchen, which contained also an extraneous piece of metal; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. It is not certain that this tin came from Ministry stocks but, whether it did or not, there is no known method of detecting extraneous substances in a sealed tin.Canned corned beef from the stockpile is released for human consumption only if samples of the meat and the external condition of each tin show that it is fit for that purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that a tin of corned beef released for sale to the general public by his Department was 16 years old, and that the salts in the meat had turned the inside of the tin black, which in turn had affected the corned beef; what action he has taken, or intends to take, to call in this type of food or date-stamp the outside with the original date of first sealing in the tin container; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safeguards are introduced when canned foods are released from stock for sale to the public; and if he will introduce legislation to ensure that the date of canning is clearly exhibited on the container when placed on view for sale.

The tin of corned beef in question was produced in 1953, and was among a number sold back last April to the original packer. Black staining, which is not injurious to health, can occur in cans of any age and cannot be detected from the outside.Corned beef in the stockpile is examined regularly on our behalf by a firm of public surveyors; and none is released for sale to the public which is not thought to be wholesome and perfectly safe. I am not satisfied that stamping tins with the date of canning would offer any additional safeguard.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the White Fish Authority's consultations with the industry about a statutory minimum price scheme for white fish and the Government's future policy concerning these proposals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study he has made of the judgments of the Restrictive Practices Court upon the Distant Water Vessels Development Scheme; and, in the light of this, if he will make a statement about the Government's scheme for statutory minimum prices for sale by auction of white fish.

I have noted the judgment of the Court. The implications for a statutory scheme are at this stage a matter for the White Fish Authority who are continuing their consultations with the interests concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what degree the salmon disease affecting Irish rivers has now spread to England and Scotland; and what steps are being taken to prevent a further spread to other areas.

Salmon disease is now occurring in 17 rivers in North-West England and South-West Scotland.With regard to measures to counteract its spread, I would refer to the Reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Sir T. Beamish) on 23rd November.—[Vol. 736, c.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the circumstances in which Antu was approved for use as a rat killer before its withdrawal; and if he will make a statement.

The rat poison Antu has been used in this country since 1948. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals reviewed its use in 1963 and recommended precautions to safeguard persons using it. These were subject to review at the end of 1966. The presence in Antu of impurities which might cause cancer was only established in September, 1966.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce the results of his discussions with the bacon curers on immediate short-term aid to the industry.

I am considering with all possible speed the proposals put to me and will announce my decision as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect he estimates that Great Britain's entry into the Common Market would have on the fishing industry and fish consumers of Great Britain.

It is not yet possible to make any firm assessment since the Community has not defined its common fisheries policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the arrangements made by his Department to consult the trade and importers in regard to price increases and availability of supplies of imported fruit; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. For practical reasons imported fruit is not subject to the Early Warning arrangements for price increases

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give comparative prices for the following products in the Common Market in this country, namely, beef, mutton, lamb, pork, bacon, milk, bread, butter, cheese and chicken.

I must stress that precise comparisons are not possible. Even the price of an apparently simple commodity such as milk varies from country to country according to quality and delivery. However, some information on relative prices is shown in the table below. The U.K. prices are derived from trade and other sources. Mutton, lamb, bacon and chicken prices are not widely quoted on the Continent.but my Department keeps in close touch with the trade on supplies and prices. We are accordingly aware that the price of imported apples between now and Christmas is likely to be somewhat higher than in the corresponding period in recent years. There is, however, unlikely to be any shortage of home-grown apples at reasonable prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to raise the retail price of milk.

Owing to increased revenue from the reserve of milk for the liquid market, and the current restraint on distributive margins, the Government are able to defer until a later date the increase in the retail price of milk previously announced for 1st January next.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether a wage award by the Agricultural Workers Wages Board, to operate from February, 1967, is within the exemption to the operation of the Prices and Incomes Policy recently announced in respect of lower paid workers.

The Government is considering the recent proposal of the Agricultural Wages Board to increase the minimum rate of wages of farm workers by 6s. a week in relation to the policy stated in the White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill in the period of severe restraint.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that in 1948 the United Kingdom caught 270,300 tons of herring and was in second place of all the nations engaged in the North Atlantic fisheries, whereas in 1965 the United Kingdom only caught 99,700 tons and was in ninth place; and what steps he proposes to take.

There are a number of reasons for this change including a fall in home demand and expansion of the herring fleets of countries to which a large proportion of our catch was formerly exported. Herring fishermen receive assistance comparable with that given white fish catchers, and most boats can be used for either purpose so that fishermen can choose which fishing suits them best. The Herring Industry Board are trying to expand the market for herrings and are encouraging the use of new methods of fishing, and I shall watch developments with interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state his plans for reforming the law of Scotland relating to feu owners.

I hope to publish shortly the report of the Committee on Conveyancing Legislation and Practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the failure of the electricity supply to Whalsay; and when normal services will be resumed.

I understand from the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board that a fault in the submarine cable to the island resulted in the failure of supply to Whalsay at 4 a.m. on Sunday, 20th November. Portable generators were shipped to the island and enabled a partial supply to be given by 9 p.m. on 21st November. A full supply has been available since the evening of Tuesday, 22nd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated amount of money which will be paid in supplementary subsidy under paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1962 for each house constructed in the year 1966–67.

I estimate that about one-third of the houses to be completed in 1966–67 under the 1962 Act will qualify for supplementary subsidy at an average of £16.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that industrialised building firms are being given the opportunity to tender for local authority housing contracts, thereby ensuring that homes are built at the lowest possible price and more expeditiously; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities are not required to tell me which firms they invite to tender, but I know that, for a variety of reasons, some industrialised building firms have spare capacity in Scotland at present. I have no doubt that new building methods will have to be used to the full if we are to achieve the housing output we want.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average length of service of men in Scottish fire brigades holding the rank of fireman.

About eight years for whole-time firemen.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make a statement on the report of the Hunter Committee.

I cannot at present forecast when it will be possible to complete my consideration of the report. A large number of comments on it were received and consultations with the principal organisations concerned are being undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new housing units per 1,000 of the population were supplied in the years 1945 to 1965.

The information is as Follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why Private Wetton of the Irish Guards was not brought home for his sister's funeral on 21st November, 1966; and if he will take steps to grant special leave in all such circumstances as those reported to him by the hon. Member for St. Helens on behalf of Mrs. Wetton, mother of this soldier.

Soldiers are not brought back from overseas to attend a funeral unless their presence is essential for the relief of exceptional family hardship or for medical reasons; as I have explained to my hon. Friend there were no such circumstances in this case. My right hon. Friend does not agree that the present rule should be changed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what sales of arms for export have been achieved by Mr. Ray Brown since his appointment; whether he will provide an analysis of such sales by country; and whether he is satisfied with the progress of such sales.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey (Mr. A. Royle) on 16th November.—[Vol. 736, c. 107.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans and proposals for the future use of Silverwell Street Barracks, Bolton, Lancashire, after it has been vacated by the Territorial Army.

This Territorial Army Centre (apart from its garages, which are required for the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve) will be disposed of in accordance with normal procedure. If there is no other Government use for it, it will be offered for sale to the local authority; if they do not buy it, it will be sold on the open market.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for sending commissioned officers in the Royal Air Force who were formerly flight cadets at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, to a university to read for an arts degree in order to bring the policy in line with that now applying to former cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

None. The Royal Air Force needs graduate officers but, once flying training has been completed, it is preferable both from the point of view of the individual and of the Air Force to avoid prolonged interruption of flying. The R.A.F. now recruits graduate entrants after they have completed their university studies and, through the University Cadetship Scheme introduced in 1963, sends suitable candidates to study at universities before they receive their Air Force training.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the estimated cost of the Cranwell University of the Air Scheme which began in 1950–60; how many flight cadets at the Royal Air Force College successfully completed an external Bachelor of Arts degree from London University under the scheme; what percentage success ratio this represented; and what is now his policy in regard to training in the humanities at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell.

The Cranwell University of the Air Scheme which began in 1959 has now been superseded. The information required to provide an estimate of the cost is no longer available. During the currency of the Scheme, 19 flight cadets at Cranwell studied for an external B.A. degree from the University of London; 16 were successful—a success ratio of 84·2 per cent. The whole question of academic training of non-technical cadets at Cranwell is now under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what changes he proposes in the form of the Statement on Defence and the Defence Estimates for 1967–68.

None at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has caused the delay in according non-industrial status to chargemen of trades, apprentice group instructors, chargemen of titular grades, store-housemen, laboratorymen and muster stevedores in Her Majesty's dockyards; and on what date the new status will be accorded.

This change represents a break with tradition which is involving extensive negotiation under Whitley Council procedure. I hope to make it effective as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he is making for the interchangeability of chargemen of trades and apprentice group instructors in Her Majesty's dockyards.

Some charge-men of trades have become apprentice group instructors, and some apprentice group instructors have become charge-men of trades, according to the needs of the Service and the aptitude of the individual. I plan no change in these arrangements.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in any amalgamation proposal for the Eastern and North Eastern regions of British Railways, she will consult the transport users consultative committees concerned.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Mapp) on 30th November. A Statutory Instrument has been laid before Parliament to-day.—[Vol. 737, c. 112.]

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give an assurance that the railway tunnel south of Snow Hill Station, Birmingham, will be retained for railway purposes until the results of all the investigations currently being undertaken by her Department are completed.

Any question of disposing of the tunnel would arise only if my right hon. Friend were to give her consent to proposals now under consideration for withdrawing local passenger services. In that event she would study future needs most carefully before deciding whether to agree to its disposal.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will make a statement on the proposals for a pilot rapid transit scheme for the West Midlands submitted to her by the Railway Development Association; and if she will give her approval for the capital and new construction involved.

The proposals are interesting but will have to be worked out to much greater depth in terms of engineering feasibility, traffic potential and costs before then can be properly assessed.

asked the Minister of Transport when she anticipates making a decision as to which land in the occupation of the Railways Board in the West Midlands may be disposed of by them.

My right hon. Friend has recently told the Railways Board that they may dispose of the land occupied by the Old Hill branch line, including the Oldfields goods yard, in which I know my hon. Friend has a particular interest.

asked the Minister of Transport how many passenger stations, freight stations and coal depots British Railways had in England, excluding Wales, in January, 1963; how many there are today; how many railwaymen were employed in England 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 in view of the correspondence she has received from local authorities in the Dearne Valley constituency concerning the hardship which would be caused to the people in South Yorkshire who wish to spend their holidays on the East coast, whether she will withhold her consent from the closure of the Hull-Bridlington-Filey and Scarborough passenger railway line.

The question of giving or withholding consent to the closure of these passenger services does not yet arise since the Railways Board has asked only for my right hon. Friend's agreement to publication of a closure proposal under Section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962. If this were published the full statutory procedure for detailed consideration of objections to the proposal would follow and she would only then, after examining these and all the relevant social and economic factors, have to decide whether the services should continue.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now take action to prevent further accidents at the junction of the A435 and B4101 at Bransons Cross, Beoley, Redditch.

The highway authority responsible for these two roads is the Worcestershire County Council. They have resited the "Halt" sign on the eastern approach to this crossroads close to the edge of the carriageway thus making it more conspicuous. All the existing signs and road markings will soon be replaced by new type signs and markings.

asked the Minister of Transport what action she proposes to take to deal with the traffic congestion which will now take place every weekend until Christmas, having regard to the number of motorists who come to the West End of London to see the Christmas decorations.

This is a matter for the Greater London Council as traffic authority.

asked the Minister of Transport when the new remotely controlled emergency warning signals will be installed on the Doncaster by-pass and the M1.

We hope to make a start on installing the system on these motorways next year.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will consider as a matter of urgency the provision of a pedestrian crossing with traffic refuge near to the entrance of Kingsbury Maternity Hospital, Honeypot Lane, N.W.9.

Honeypot Lane is a metropolitan road for which the Greater London Council is both highway and traffic authority. It is for that Authority to consider the provision of a crossing in the first instance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that certain medical opinion considers that the use of dipped headlights in towns is injurious to the eyesight; whether she will cause an investigation to be made into this; and if she will make a statement.

We are not aware of any evidence that the use of dipped headlamp beams is injurious to eyesight but if the hon. Member will send me any information he may have on this point, it will be examined.

asked the Minister of Transport how many non-Welsh speaking examiners are employed in North and Mid-Wales.

Seventeen.

asked the Minister of Transport what evidence she has that white headlights are better than yellow headlights in the interests of road safety.

The Working Party set up to review the lighting regulations has recommended that the standardisation of headlamps can contribute to road safety and that they should show white light; there is no significant evidence that yellow is a better colour than white, which is far more widely used.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the growing practice of motor car manufacturers notifying persons who have purchased new cars years after purchase that various faults have been discovered; and whether she will seek power to ensure that these vehicles are perfect and need no modifications after leaving the factories.

I cannot legislate for perfection and I welcome the initiative of British manufacturers in advising customers of faults which could affect the safety of their vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain to what extent motor accidents which have occurred over the years were caused by defects or faults in the cars involved, which were subsequently called in for modification by the manufacturers; and whether she will make a statement.

I am informed that most of the defects which have led to vehicles being called in for modification have come to light as a result of either inspections or incidents which have not been accidents.

asked the Minister of Aviation what research has been conducted by his Department into the potential consumer demand for supersonic airliners and supersonic flight facilities among the British people; and where the results of such research have been published.

Studies of the potential market among airlines for supersonic airliners and among passengers for seats in them have been carried out by British officials in association with French officials and the firms working on the Concord project. The results of these studies have not been published, but they indicate that there is likely to be a considerable demand for seats in supersonic airliners. This is confirmed by studies published in the U.S.A.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what conclusions he has arrived at with regard to the employment of more traffic police as a result of the detailed report from the Home Office Research and Planning Branch on last year's West Country experiments with traffic police;(2) if he will provide information concerning the results of last year's West Country experiment in the use of traffic police.

I cannot at present add to the Reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member on 24th November.—[Vol. 736, c. 351.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of men and women in Her Majesty's Prisons who on 31st March, 1967, will have completed one-third of their sentence or who have at that date less than one year to serve.

The number of persons in prison in England and Wales on 31st March, 1967, who will have completed one-third of their sentence or one year, whichever is the longer, is estimated at 4,450 men and 50 women. If those serving short sentences are included, the number of prisoners who will have completed one-third of their sentence or have less than a year to serve will be much larger but cannot readily be estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of service of men in local authorities' fire brigades holding the rank of fireman.

Figures for all firemen in brigades in England and Wales are not readily available, but sample figures provided by a number of fire authorities in respect of parts of their brigades indicate that the average length of service of men now in the rank of fireman is nearly eight years.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will arrange for a survey of the lighting in the Chamber, the Library, committee rooms and offices to be carried out by qualified illumination engineers with a view to bringing the lighting standards throughout the Palace of Westminster more into line with modern practice.

I will examine this suggestion and write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will circulate in HANSARD an up-to-date estimate of the number of persons of voting age in each of the nine parishes of Bermuda, with a statement of the number of members which each of these parishes should return to the House of Assembly under the proposals of the recent constitutional conference.

The present numbers of persons of voting age in the nine parishes of Bermuda are estimated as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received with regard to the Leeds School of Town Planning; what consideration he has given to the memorandum containing proposals put forward by the students of the Leeds School of Town Planning of 18th November, 1966 that it should become an integral part of the University of Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

No representations have been made to my right hon. Friend on this subject. I understand that discussions have been taking place between the local education authority and the University. It will be for them to bring forward any proposals they may decide upon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual total of gross covenants payable to registered charities in the latest year for which the information is available; what are the figures for the preceding 10 years; and how many charities received payment under covenants in each year.

The estimated gross amounts received under covenant by bodies recognised as charities for Income Tax purposes are as follows:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the agreement reached by the Group of Ten and the International Monetary Fund regarding their agreement in principle in connection with the creation of new reserve assets.

The recent meeting in Washington between the International Monetary Fund Executive Directors and the Group of Ten Deputies was the first of a series. An account of the meeting was subsequently given by the Managing Director of the I.M.F. and I agree with him that the progress made was encouraging.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of applications for gaming licences granted under Section 13 of the Finance Act, 1966.

The number of gaming licences issued up to 31st October, 1966, was as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many licences for gaming machines have been granted under Sections 14(4)(a) and (b), respectively, of the Finance Act, 1966.

The number of gaming machine licences issued up to 31st October, 1966, at £75 and £37 10s. was 32,451 and 492, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, for the convenience of hon. Members, he will ensure that in future all Bills of over four pages will be printed inter-leaved with blank pages.

No. I am afraid that this would be too expensive and cause undue delay in the production of Bills.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider reintroducing the design of a wren, formerly in use on the farthing, on some other coin now approaching comparable value.

A competition for designs for the decimal coinage was announced on November 4th, and is open to everyone. Any entries which include the wren will certainly receive consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will initiate a simple scheme during the tax year 1967–68 using classified P.45 tax forms as a means of more accurately assessing the mobility of labour and its economic and social effects.

I am afraid that this suggestion presents serious practical d difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for what purposes he invited the hon. Member for East Grinstead (Mr. G. Johnson Smith) to undertake a one-month lecture tour of the United States of America; what special qualifications were required; and what will be the estimated cost.

An important part of our Information work in the United States is the annual lecture programme which normally includes one hon. Member from each side of this House. The Foreign Office pays their travelling expenses and a subsistence allowance of 25 dollars a day. We have invited the hon. Gentleman the Member for East Grinstead (Mr. G. Johnson Smith), an experienced lecturer and broadcaster, to lecture in the United States next March.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will examine in the field of social security and housing legislation the legal consequences which will flow from the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal that a man and wife together with their son and his wife and child constitute in law only one family.

Yes, and I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Newport (Mr. Roy Hughes) on 29th November. I am informed that the judgment has no effect in the field of Social Security.—[Vol. 737, c. 62.]

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement on the current employment situation in the Port of London amongst registered dock workers; and whether the numbers of those unemployed reflect more than seasonal variations.

The daily average of registered dock workers in the Port of London proving attendance, for whom no work was available, over the four weeks ending 26th November was 2,472 representing 10·2 per cent. of the average total register. Yesterday morning the number was down to 1,257. Although the percentage for November was above the average for similar periods of the past ten years, higher figures were recorded in 1958, 1961 and 1962. The figure tends to be higher at this time of year, but there is no clear seasonal variation.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will bring the new Scittish centre of the Industrial Training Board to Dumfries where an excellent site is ready and available.

It is for Industrial Training Boards to decide where their training centres should be situated.

asked the Minister of Social Security how many widows or dependants of miners who had been certified as suffering from pneumoconiosis who died in the period 1945 to 1966 received industrial diseases benefit; and how many did not.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, our record show that awards of death benefit under the Industrial Injuries Acts were made for some 6,450 deaths from pneumoconiosis among coalminers in the period from 1950 to 1965 inclusive. In addition, about 3,500 deaths among coalminers attracted benefit under the Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Scheme in the period from 1953. No statistics are available about the number of cases in which an award was made under the Workmen's Compensation Acts or about the number of deaths which did not attract death benefit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation laying down minimum standards for guest houses, boarding houses and hotels in Great Britain arising from the recent recommendations of the British Travel Association.

No, but I hope that these recommendations will be widely adopted on a voluntary basis.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions the Board of Trade Advisory Committee met in 1965.

The Board of Trade Advisory Committee met twelve times during 1965 in full committee. In addition, applications for building grants were considered by sub-committees throughout the year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for how many hours the Board of Trade Advisory Committee met in 1965.

The Board of Trade Advisory Committee met for a total of approximately 100 hours in full committee during 1965. It is not possible to estimate how much additional time that members spent in sub-committee or in examining cases.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applica- tions were considered by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee in 1965.

Applications were considered in respect of 1,165 projects.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications were refused by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee in 1965.

On the recommendation of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee the Board refused applications in respect of 90 projects.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many applications are now awaiting consideration by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee; and how long they have been waiting;(2) how many applications dealt with by the Board of Tade Advisory Committee, in each of the last two years, were under consideration by that committee for less than six months and how many for more than six months.

Applications in respect of 914 projects referred to the Advisory Committee are awaiting their consideration. It would involve a disproportionate amount of time to compile the other details sought in the Questions.

asked the President of the Board of Tade what opportunities are given to firms to answer the Board of Trade Advisory Committee's reasons for refusing applications.

The Committee does not give reasons for its decisions; but the Secretariat gives every assistance to applicants on matters on which the Committee needs to be satisfied before recommending assistance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the annual cost of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee in each of the last five years.

The allowances paid to members of the Advisory Committee in each of the last five years were:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many staff there are in his Department; and in what ways the qualifications of the members of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee differ from those available within his Department's staff.

17,683 at 1st October, 1966, in the Board of Trade and Export Credit Guarantee Department. As I informed my hon. Friend on 13th July last, the members of the Committee, who are appointed by the Board under Section 3 of the Local Employment Act, 1960, are persons with a wide range of practical business, industrial and trade union experience, and are able to give independent advice on the matters referred to them under the Local Employment Acts.—[Vol. 731, c. 224.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many of the applications refused by the Board of Trade Advisory Committee in the last five years related to factories for Wales;(2) how many jobs the applicants estimated would be provided in factories in Wales for which the Board of Trade Advisory Committee refused permission in the last five years.

On the recommendation of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee the Board rejected applications for financial assistance in respect of 39 projects in Wales in the five years ended 30th November, 1966. The applicants estimated that these projects would provide some 1,700 jobs.