asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what additional appointments have been made to the staff of the National Parks Commission during the year 1966 to enable them to undertake the wider administrative work envisaged in the recent White Paper on Leisure and the Countryside.

During 1966 19 additional staff have been appointed, bringing the total now in post to 52.The additional staff were appointed to assist in carrying out the work of the Commission generally. This will include what preliminary work can be undertaken in preparation for the new tasks foreshadowed in the White Paper, though they were not specifically appointed for that purpose.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many of the 2,000 civil servants required to operate the Land Commission Bill will be based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

About 300 at the Headquarters and the Northern Regional Offices.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what action is being taken by the Ordnance Survey to ensure that common land, including exempt land, will be shown on Ordnance Survey maps after registration is complete under the Commons Registration Act 1965.

Preliminary discussions are taking place with interested parties about the detailed arrangements for showing common land on Ordnance Survey maps when registration is sufficiently advanced.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what action he has taken to ensure that the application forms for registration set out in Schedule 1 of the Commons Registration (General) Regulations 1966, which come into operation on 2nd January 1967, will be available for intending applicants at and from that date; and what publicity is being given to this action.

Supplies of these forms were sent to all county councils, county borough councils and the Greater London Council at the beginning of this month. By advertisements in the local press these authorities have made it widely known that the forms can be obtained from their offices.All local authorities, including parish councils, have been informed that application forms are now available

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what progress is being made to bring the cost of system building per square foot down to the cost per square foot for traditional building methods; and if he will publish the comparative figures for each of the last six quarters.

Comparisons of unit costs are not very meaningful because these vary widely according to the systems used, the location and type of site, the size of contract and the efficiency of individual builders. However, current trends suggest that industrialised building is becoming increasingly competitive. In public sector housing, costs between 1964 and 1965 rose by about 6·6 per cent. for traditional building but only by about 2·1 per cent. for industrialised building. The Government is encouraging these trends by the creation of a larger and more continuous demand for industrialised methods of all kinds.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he is taking towards rationalisation and regrouping in the building industry.

I have asked the Economic Development Committees for Building and Civil Engineering to undertake an investigation into the structure of that part of the construction industry concerned with contracting and subcontracting.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the hardship which is being suffered by qualified dispensers as a result of their having had no increase to salary since September 1964; what proposals he has for implementing the increase which was agreed in April last backdated to January 1966; and if he will make a statement.

Hospital authorities were authorised on 25th November, in accordance with the White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill, to implement the agreement with effect from a deferred date of 1st July, 1966, and to pay the arrears of the salary increase at the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that the proposed psychiatric unit and group laundry at the Withington Hospital, Manchester, scheduled to start within the period of up 1969–70, will not be subject to delay; and when work is expected to commence.

The Manchester Regional Hospital Board expect to start work on both schemes in the next financial year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the discontent among members of the medical profession at the system now operating for the payment of merit awards under the National Health Service; and whether he will negotiate with a view to ending this system, or end the secrecy which surrounds this disbursement of public money.

No, but I am ready to consider any proposals for changes in the system which the profession may wish to make.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the total expenditure involved in the payment of merit awards in the Manchester Regional Hospital Board area in each of the last 10 years.

In the current finance year total expenditure is estimated to be about £222,000 plus the cost of awards in respect of the year still to be made. Information for earlier years cannot be made available without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of Health what was, at the latest suitable date, the number of applicants for the courses and examinations of the General Nursing Council, the number of candidates successful, the number of nurses required, and the effects of this on the nursing profession.

The number of applicants for courses is not known. Between 1st November, 1965, and 31st October, 1966, 22,400 entered training for the register and 18,333 took the final examinations, of whom 13,185 were successful. Employing authorities' requirements for nurses are determined locally and in the absence of any established criterion it is not possible to give any meaningful figure for total requirements. Those students who do not complete their training successfully may transfer to training for the Roll but are otherwise lost to professional nursing. Those who fail the examination at first attempt usually sit it again.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the decision of Lodge Moor Hospital, Sheffield, to appoint a jury of lay men and women to decide priorities in the use of the kidney machine; and what advice he is giving to hospital authorities as to the way in which hospitals generally should deal with this problem.

I am informed that the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board has taken no decision on the composition of any advisory panel that may be set up. I am in touch with the Board and propose to consider whether general guidance should be issued on this matter.

asked the Minister of Health how soon he will be able to come to a decision concerning the building of phase 2 of the Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth; and what is the earliest annual building programme in which it could be included

No scheme for the further development of Bronglais Hospital has been included in the current Hospital Building Programme (Cmnd. 3000).

asked the Minister of Health when work on the extension to The Wrekin Hospital, Wellington, Shropshire, will be completed; and why it is behind schedule.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Some defects in the enginering services are being rectified.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make provision for the treatment of minor casualties at The Wrekin Hospital, Wellington, Shropshire, so as to obviate the delays and financial waste involved in taking such cases to Shrewsbury.

Minor injuries are treated in Wellington, temporarily at the The Wrekin Hospital but normally at the Wellington and District Hospital, which will be accepting these cases again in the new year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that the major extensions at the Manchester Dental Hospital, which it was hoped to commence in the period up to 1969–70, will not be subject to delay; and when work will commence.

Work on this scheme is expected to start before 1969–70 but the actual date depends on progress in planning which is actively in hand.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consult representatives of the medical profession and regional hospital boards to ensure that when a medical or clinical decision is felt to be beyond the capabilities of any one doctor that it should be taken by a panel of medically qualified persons.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) today.

asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made, for the last year for which figures are available, of the number of road traffic casualties treated as hospital out-patients and in-patients, respectively, the average cost of each such treatment or course of treatment, and the total cost to the hospital and ambulance services, respectively, of treating and recovering such casualties.

None; the collection of information on which to base such estimates would be disproportionately costly.

asked the Minister of Health how many children are receiving free welfare foods, other than those whose families are in receipt of Social Security benefits; and what is the annual cost.

The latest available information, derived from a special count, is that on 2nd November, 1965, tokens for free welfare foods were in issue to 5,904 beneficiaries in families not in receipt of national assistance, of whom 5,715 were children under the age of five. The annual cost is not known.

asked the Minister of Health when the two codes of key principles recommended by the Food Hygiene Council will be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Two food hygiene codes of practice, each of ten points, have been prepared, one for housewives and one for food trade workers. Comments on them are now being received from the trade and women's organisations that were represented at a recent meeting to discuss food hygiene education and publicity. When these comments have been considered, the views of the Food Hygiene Advisory Council will again be sought. The codes will then be published by the Central Council for Health Education, and it is expected that local authorities will begin to distribute them in the spring.

asked the Minister of Health whether the committee on new drugs has investigated the drug from the Gingko biloba tree which it is claimed is beneficial to circulation and to be efficacious in catarrhal and bronchial affections, for researches into which Dr. Volkner was awarded the Willmar Swabe Prize in Germany.

Not so far as I am aware.

asked the Minister of Health what action he has taken arising out of the recommendations of the North-West Economic Planning Council.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the First Secretary of State for Economic Affairs today. None of the recommendations relates directly to my responsibilities, but some of them, if implemented, will need to be taken into account, where appropriate, in the long term planning of health and welfare services.

asked the Minister of Health what kind of reciprocal health service schemes exist between the United Kingdom and East European countries; with which countries they have been negotiated; and if he is aware that there is confusion in British embassies in Eastern Europe about where and whether they exist.

There are comprehensive reciprocal health service arrangements with Yugoslavia; a medical services convention is being negotiated with Bulgaria; and similar negotiations with other East European countries are proposed. I am not aware of any foundation for the last part of my hon. Friend's Question, but this would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a spokesman for his Department has said that family doctors are advised that children having their eyes examined for the first time should be referred to a doctor with ophthalmic training; if he is aware that under the National Health Service Acts a patient using the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service may choose to consult either an ophthalmic optician, or an ophthalmic medical practitioner; and if he will instruct his officers not to make such statements.

It is true that in response to a telephone inquiry a newspaper was given oral information on the lines of the statement quoted. This was due to a misunderstanding within the Department. In fact, no such advice has been given by the Department to family doctors. While I am advised that there may be medical reasons for referring a child to an ophthalmologist at the time of a first sight test, and a family doctor making an initial examination is free to do this, it is entirely open to the parent if a sight test only is sought to take the child to an ophthalmic optician within the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service after the initial examination by the family doctor.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what instructions he has issued to local employment exchanges in the Stockport area with regard to the filling of vacancies where an official dispute exists;(2) how many unemployed people have been sent to fill vacancies in an engineering factory in Stockport where there exists an official dispute;(3) if he is aware that certain employment exchanges in the Stockport area are departing from the usual policy of not sending unemployed people to firms where there is an official dispute; and what steps he proposes to take so that his officers act in accordance with Government policy.

If my officers have credible information of a trade dispute at a firm, they are instructed to let it be known to any workers who are being told of the firm's vacancies, and to send them forward for the vacancies only if they consent. My officers heard on 5th December, 1966, of a dispute at a Stockport engineering firm and from that date have submitted 14 workers to jobs with the firm. By oversight two of these workers were not told of the dispute. The Employment Exchange Manager has explained the matter and expressed his regret to the workers concerned and to their trade union representative.

asked the Minister of Labour why the administrative headquarters of the Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Industry Training Board is to be located in Beckenham instead of some town more closely connected with the agricultural industry.

I understand that the Board considered the arguments for and against having its headquarters somewhere in the provinces, but decided that the balance of advantage was strongly in favour of a headquarters in the London area.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the position in Bristol on the implementation of the Docks and Harbours Act.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the position in Hull concerning the implementation of the Docks and Harbours Act.

My main responsibilities under the Docks and Harbours Act, 1966, are the requirements of Part II of the Act relating to the provision of welfare amenities in the ports specified in Schedule 1 of the Act among which are the ports of Bristol and Hull. It will not be possible to bring Part II into operation until the licensing procedure has been completed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish the plans for improved amenities in Bristol and Avonmouth docks as provided for under the Docks and Harbours Act.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish the plans for improved amenities in the Hull Docks, as provided for under the Docks and Harbours Act.

When Part II of the Docks and Harbours Act, 1966 becomes operative the National Dock Labour Board will submit welfare amenity schemes to me for my approval. I shall then give notice of the scheme to the persons named as being responsible for providing and maintaining the welfare amenities. Any person who is aggrieved by a requirement to provide or maintain the amenities prescribed in the scheme may then make an objection with in forty days of being given notice.In the meantime the Dock Labour Board are trying to bring about an improvement in amenities on a voluntary basis in advance of the coming into operation of Part II of the Act.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the fact that over 22,000 unemployed are on the professional and executive register, and only 1,836 have been found jobs in the last three months, what new action he is taking to find these men work.

On 7th December, 1966, there were 24,159 people on the Professional and Executive Register, but only 10,915 of these were unemployed. Over 2,000 were placed in jobs during the past three months and nearly 8,000 are placed each year. Constant efforts are made to bring the service's usefulness to the notice of employers.

asked the Minister of Labour what is his policy on the findings of the Honeyman Report, in view of the development of specific ports for dealing with container traffic.

Subject to consultation with the industry on points of detail, I propose to include provisions giving effect to the recommendations of the Report in the revised Dock Labour Scheme now being prepared for the introduction of a fully decasualised system of working. Decasualisation should lead to greater efficiency both in the handling of container and other types of traffic.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent the rise between May and November of 68,468 and 47,587 in wholly unemployed who were previously employed in the service and manufacturing industries, respectively, is accounted for by seasonal factors.

For purposes of seasonal adjustment, registered unemployed persons aged 18 years and over who are not classified to any particular industry because they have not been in employment in this country for a prolonged period are grouped with those previously employed in service industries other than distributive trades and transport and communications. The estimated changes during the period attributed to normal seasonal factors are a decrease of about 3,000 among those previously employed in manufacturing industries and an increase of about 20,000 (out of an actual increase of 74,683) among those previously employed in service industries and those with no recent employment.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the extent to which unemployment in Bridport is reduced by workers travelling daily considerable distances to their work.

The Bridport Employment Exchange area is largely self-contained for employment purposes, and travel to work in and out of the area has little effect on the general level of local unemployment.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he has taken arising out of the recommendations of the North-West Economic Planning Council.

The Council has made no recommendations relating specifically to the work of my Ministry. As regards the Council's recommendations in general, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State and Secretary for Economic Affairs.

asked the Minister of Labour how many establishments in Doncaster have registered for premiums or refunds of the Selective Employment Tax; and how the figures of registration compare with those anticipated by his Department.

Up to 16th December, 95 establishments in the Doncaster Employment Exchange area had been registered by my Ministry as eligible for premium, and 51 as eligible for refund. Twenty-four applications for registration were still being considered. It was estimated that a further 115 establishments in the area had still to apply for registration.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the number and success of vocational classes under his authority.

On 14th November there were 531 classes at the 32 Government Training Centres. The number of trainees in the classes was 5,488. The success of the classes may be judged by the fact that more than 90 per cent. of those who complete their courses are placed in jobs using the skills they have been taught at the end of their training or very shortly afterwards.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the number, location, use and plans of training centres in Scotland.

There are seven training centres in Scotland. They are at Dumbarton, Dunfermline, Glasgow (Hillingdon), Glasgow (Queenslie), Irving, Motherwell and Port Glasgow. Seventeen different trades are taught at Scottish centres. As regards plans for the future, I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave him about Scottish centres on 5th December.—[Vol. 737, c. 196.]

asked the Minister of Labour how many school-leavers in Scotland are absorbed directly into industry and training establishments, respectively; and what action is taken under his authority to secure that they are not just left to become delinquents.

In the first eleven months of this year, 52,893 young people under 18 entered employment in Scotland. The number who entered training establishments in this period is not available. Youth Employment Officers will continue to do everything possible to help the 317 school-leavers in Scotland still registered for first employment to find suitable work and training.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the recently published statistics of the principal fire losses in the United Kingdom in September showing a further increase in such losses, whether he will arrange each month to analyse the cost of the more substantial losses in industrial buildings with a view to ascertaining to what extent these losses could have been reduced or prevented by stricter building regulations in respect of protection of such structures against damage by fire.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25th July to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner). My right hon. Friend does not think an analysis on the lines suggested would be practicable.—[Vol. 732, c. 193.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to introduce a land use plan to give a background against which physical planning decisions can be made.

Land use plans are prepared and periodically revised by each local planning authority to give a background against which all physical planning decisions can be made. Regional studies by economic planning councils are now being undertaken which will provide a framework for the better guidance of local planning authorities in their land use planning.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he has taken arising out of the recommendations of the North-West Economic Planning Council.

Recommendations of particular interest to the Department were made in the final reports of the Housing and Environment Committees of the Council, which are under consideration.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what study he has made of proposals put to him by the hon. Member for West Lothian for British aid to developing countries being partially tied to underused capacity in Great Britain.

The suggestions made by my hon. Friend in his Questions to myself and other Ministers have been studied, but I have nothing to add to the replies which my hon. Friend gave him on 24th November.—[Vol. 736, c. 1566–67.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the duties of the 652 persons employed in the Paymaster-General's office; and why the cost of overtime has increased by 66⅔ per cent. in the current year as compared with the previous year.

Of 643 staff in post, 580 are engaged in banking and pensions work; 48 in common services; and 15 in planning a computer installation.The Pensions (Increase) Act, 1965 required heavy overtime; expenditure in 1965–66 was £25,550, and in the current year is expected not to exceed £15,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the 652 staff in the Paymaster-General's office are engaged on Northern Ireland affairs; and how many live in Northern Ireland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the Paymaster-General's staff are employed on Northern Ireland affairs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase the sum included in the estimates of the Paymaster-General's office recoverable by deduction from the Northern Ireland share of reserved taxes.

The Office has no staff exclusively concerned with Northern Ireland affairs or resident there. It pays the pensions of the disbanded Royal Irish Constabulary and of certain Civil Servants who were "existing Irish Officers" on the appointed day under the Government of Ireland Act, 1920. The cost of these pensions, and of their administration, attributable to Northern Ireland, is recovered from the Northern Ireland share of reserved taxes. I see no case for altering the basis of charge.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the installation of a computer in the Paymaster-General's department and of the advantages expected from it.

An English Electric Leo-Marconi System 4/50 computer, to be installed at Crawley in autumn 1967, will absorb the Department's routine, both banking and pension services, during 1968 and 1969; and will enable a rising work load to be handled at lower unit cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the Paymaster-General's staff are engaged on information services work.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the cost to the Revenue of collecting Capital Gains Tax for the year 1965–66 and the estimated cost for 1966–67.

The cost of collection cannot be segregated from the cost of collecting other taxes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if rte will give the cost to the Revenue of collecting Corporation Tax for the year 1965–66 and the estimated cost for 1966–67.

The cost of collection cannot be segregated from the cost of collecting other taxes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases arrangements have been made for Income Tax repayments to be paid monthly, quarterly and half-yearly.

I am afraid that this information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to promote the sale in Europe of the advanced gas-cooled reactor and other British nuclear power systems; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of sales prospects in a number of European countries. The Board of Trade and Export Credits Guarantee Department are already in touch with the industry on matters where they can offer help and they are open to approaches on other points if further assistance is needed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the volume of goods passing through the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim during the last convenient three-month period and during a similar period one year ago, respectively; and what steps are being taken to enlarge the accommodation for handling freight at this airport.

Goods passing through Aldergrove Airport during the three months period ending 30th April, 1966, that is before the seamen's strike distorted the figures and for the corresponding period in 1965 amounted to 4,701 short tons and 2,789 short tons respectively. The freight handling accommodation has been nearly trebled this year and plans are being prepared for a new building for the freight agents. The freight area will be further developed to keep pace with the increase in demand.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what study he has made from the trade returns of all those imports which rise sharply when production rises; and if he will make a statement.

Regular studies are made of the behaviour of imports in relation to the home economy, using methods of analysis broadly as described on page X of the article "Short-term economic forecasting in the United Kingdom" in the August, 1964, issue of Economic Trends. I have always emphasised that we must expect imports to increase with the growth of the home economy. This is the experience of all modern industrial countries. It underlies the need for increasing exports, signs of our success in which have been appearing in recent figures.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the next regular annual review of the statistical classification for imported goods will take place; and by what means Parliament will be informed of any changes.

The 1967 edition of the Statistical Classification for Imported Goods and for Re-exported Goods has just been published and a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Changes in headings compared with those in the 1966 edition are indicated by an asterisk. The Classification is reviewed each year; the next review will be completed in the course of 1967 for use in recording trade statistics from 1st January, 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what he has done in the past two years to improve the quality of after-sales servicing in British export markets.

The improvement of after-sales servicing is a matter for the individual exporter. In advising firms who wish to export my Department takes every opportunity to stress the importance of this factor. The Department also discusses with industry cases where difficulty has arisen through apparently inadequate servicing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is proposed to introduce blind landing equipment at Belfast Airport.

No. Belfast (Aldergrove) Airport is however one of a number of airports to be surveyed by my Department to establish whether in terrain and other respects they are suitable for the installation of higher performance instrument landing systems. If this proves possible, aircraft will be enabled to land in conditions of poorer visibility and lower cloud base than at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what controls he places on the import of foreign birds; what facilities exist at airports for examining consignments of imported birds to ensure freedom from disease; what regulations exist to ensure that birds are properly packed and cared for during flight; and whether he will make a statement.

The Board of Trade imposes no controls. No veterinary examination of imported birds is required at airports, but an Order made under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1950, requires certain live domestic fowl and other birds to be accompanied on import by a veterinary certificate. No statutory provisions govern the carriage of birds by air, but the International Air Transport Association is currently studying this international problem.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT statistics relating to the import of foreign birds by number and value for each month during the last two years.

I regret the information is not available.