asked the Minister of Power what studies he is sponsoring into the potential use of North Sea gas other than for town gas supply.

The studies being undertaken on the absorption of North Sea gas include supply to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers, burning of natural gas in electricity power stations and use as a chemical feedstock.

asked the Minister of Power what is his most recent estimate of the amount of capital invested by public and private enterprise industry, respectively, in North Sea gas exploration and production.

My Department does not publish estimates of this type.

asked the Minister of Power if he will specify the technical and economic problems involved in using North Sea gas; what scientific and other workers are employed in attempting to solve those problems; where they are working; what success they have achieved; and how their achievements will benefit the trade, industry, commerce and home life of the people of North-East Scotland.

The aim is to use the gas in the way most beneficial to the whole country. Work on technical aspects is being undertaken primarily by the gas industry. The wider economic aspects are being studied by my Department together with other Departments and with the gas and other industries as part of the general review of fuel policy which my right hon. Friend has put in hand. It is not possible to say how consumers in North-East Scotland in particular may be affected.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that the present arrangements whereby coal miners who live in areas designated as smokeless zones have to surrender their concessionary coal at pit head price while having to pay the retail price for smokeless fuel means that such miners suffer a financial loss; and whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the National Coal Board to discontinue this practice.

No. Arrangements about concessionary coal and its replacement by smokeless fuels are agreed between the National Coal Board and the Unions. I have asked the Chairman of the National Coal Board to write to my hon. Friend to explain these.

asked the Minister of Power what future pit closures are envisaged in Scotland in the year 1967; and what are the names of the collieries.

Closures will be announced individually by the National Coal Board after normal consultation with the Unions.

asked the Minister of Power if he will take steps to ensure that all power points in domestic and industrial use are equipped with earthing sockets.

No, it is the responsibility of the consumer to ensure that he has a proper earth, and I understand that the provision of earthing sockets is accepted practice in new installations work.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that overhead transmission lines produce an induced current in electric fences running parallel or near to these lines; and whether he will issue a general direction to the Central Electricity Generating Board to pay compensation for the inconvenience caused to farmers.

Yes, but the current induced is harmless, and a statement prepared by the National Farmers' Union in consultation with the Central Electricity Generating Board explains simple ways of eliminating it. A general direction would not be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Power when the order for the Hinckley "B" advanced gas-cooled reactor will be placed by the Central Electricity Generating Board.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 16th December to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir G. Wills).—[Vol. 738, c. 173.]

asked the Minister of Power if the Hinckley "B" nuclear-power station in Somerset will be operational before the winter of 1971 as originally planned, in view of the delay in giving Treasury approval to the project; and if he will give reasons for the delay.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 16th December to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir G. Wills).—[Vol. 738, c. 173.]

asked the Minister of Power if he will publish an up-to-date comparison of the economics of British advanced gas-cooled reactors and the competitive United States boiling water reactors.

No. A meaningful comparison can be made only on the basis of firm tenders for a specific station. Since the tenders for Dungeness "B" last year, a comparison of which was published by the Central Electricity Generating Board, no tenders for boiling water reactors have been invited in this country.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the Electricity Council to amend the pricing system operated by the electricity industry so that prices charged for peak-demand power more accurately reflect the marginal cost of providing such power.

The electricity boards design their tariffs with the objective of reflecting as far as practicable the relevant costs. The Central Electricity Generating Board has announced its intention of introducing a revised structure for the bulk supply tariff which will reflect costs more accurately to the area boards than hitherto.

asked the Minister of Power for what reason Mr. Rex S. Frost was requested to resign from the South Western Electricity Consultative Council.

Mr. Frost was not asked to resign. He recently completed the second term for which he was appointed, but was not invited to serve for a third term.

asked the Minister of Power what is the nature of the reply he has sent to the resolution sent to him by Salford City Council viewing with concern the cost of Phimax and other fuels and calling on the Government to relieve the physical and financial hardships caused through failure to maintain the price of Phimax and other fuels at the levels of last winter.

I have sent my hon. Friend a copy of the reply which has been sent to the Clerk to the Council.

asked the Minister of Power how many development schemes listed in Appendix IX of the Iron and Steel Board Report of 1965, which received the Board's consent during 1965, and in previous years are now under construction; what is the value of this work; how many schemes so listed have been postponed and how many have been cancelled; and what is the approximate value of the postponements and cancellations, respectively.

Thirty-eight with a value of about £90 million. One scheme, estimated to cost £2¾ million, has been postponed, and none has been cancelled.

asked the Minister of Power whether he intends to continue his policy of granting licences to private companies to exploit the resources of the North Sea for gas and oil; and if he will take steps to exploit those resources for the benefit of the British Exchequer.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bristol. Central (Mr. Palmer).

asked the Minister of Technology what recent discussions there have been between the management of Fairfields and Government Departments concerning a further loan or other financial aid to the company from public funds.

The present Governmental investment in Fairfields (Glasgow) Ltd is as stated in my answer to the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborn) on 29th November. There have been no discussions with the company about increasing this investment. It is of course open to Fairfields, as to other companies in development areas, to apply for assistance under the relevant legislation.—[Vol. 737, c. 138]

asked the Minister of Technology what action he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Geddes Report on the shipbuilding industry.

The Government have maintained their part in the programme outlined in the Geddes Report.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will speed up the implementation of the Geddes Committee Report on Shipbuilding in advance of the present programme, in view of the position obtaining in the industry and its importance to the nation's economy.

The timetable proposed in the Geddes Report was itself a tight one and I do not consider it practicable for me to accelerate it.

asked the Minister of Technology what action he is taking to encourage the development of new research establishments in the Northern Region.

I have no present plans for setting up any new research establishments.

asked the Minister of Technology 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 Minister of Technology what was the cost of acquiring the site and buildings of Holland House, Green Street, W.1, for the British Standards Institution; how much has been expended on alteration to the latest available date; what the total cost is estimated to be for site, alterations and furnishings; what is the rateable value; and what is the amount of the rates payable for the current year.

The British Standards Institution is an independent body, grant aided by my Department. The Director is writing to the hon. Member on this point.

asked the Minister of Technology what progress he is making towards assisting companies to meet conflicting national standards in United Kingdom export industries, which at present necessitate different designs for different markets.

The Government, with the full support of industry and the British Standards Institution, are endeavouring to ensure that all national standards embody without deviation the recommendation of the appropriate international and European standards bodies.

asked the Minister of Technology how much Government money was spent in 1965 on research on new materials; how this was divided between metallic and non-metallic materials; and what proportion this expenditure was of the total annual expenditure on Government research.

This is a difficult Question to answer accurately since research on new materials is frequently undertaken as part of broader research projects, but it is estimated at £30 million divided almost equally between metallic and non-metallic materials. This represents about 15 per cent. of Government expenditure on research.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give instructions for the building of a prototype British nuclear merchant vessel as a matter of the highest priority.

The prospects of developing a reactor which is likely to be economically and operationally attractive to shipbuilders and shipowners are, as yet, too remote to justify any building of a prototype nuclear merchant vessel.

asked the Minister of Technology what consultations he has had with Rootes Motors Limited about their possible acquisition by an American manufacturer; and if he will make a statement on the structure and ownership of the United Kingdom motor vehicle industry.

I have had preliminary discussions with Rootes about financial arrangements which may lead to a closer association with Chrysler. As regards the second part of the Question, I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Minister of Technology what recommendations he will make to the three nuclear power consortiums to develop a replication system on the basis of the advanced gas-cooled reactor; what benefits he expects to realise in technological, design and commercial terms by such methods; whether he is satisfied that full advantage will be taken of the decision to build the Dungeness "B" station; and if he will make a statement.

Consideration is being given to all the matters to which my hon. Friend has called my attention on this subject. I will make a statement when there is something of substance to tell the House.

asked the Minister of Technology if any of the nuclear power stations under construction are being geared to the needs of desalination of sea water for public water requirements.

Not specifically, but the A.E.A. as part of its R & D programme on desalination is studying schemes for coupling desalting plants both to the Advanced Gas-cooled and the Steam Generating Heavy Water power reactors.

asked the Minister of Technology when he last officially visited the northern region, and for what purpose; and when he plans to make a further visit, and for what purpose.

On 9th December, when I was glad to meet informally some members of the Northern Economic Planning Council concerned in technological industry.I also visited Associated Ship Builders at Wallsend and the Durham Technical College.No date for my next visit has been fixed.

asked the Minister of Technology what proposals he has for giving greater impetus to the technological development of the northern region; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Bob Brown) on 15th December, 1966.—[Vol. 738, c. 149.]

asked the Minister of Technology whether the study by the National Computer Centre of the use of linked high-speed computers will include the implications for increased and improved telephone facilities to serve any national computer grid.

The provision of communication links for the transfer of data between computers is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General, who is well aware of this potential need.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now initiate a review of the operation of the Selective Employment Tax in preparation for the next Finance Bill, in view of the growing evidence of its adverse effect upon the hotel industry.

We are keeping the Selective Employment Tax generally under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to ensure that the cost of the Selective Employment Tax is not offset by increased charges on hotel, restaurant and bar bills to the public.

As the White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill indicated, all enterprises are expected to make every effort to absorb rises in costs, but rises caused by increased taxation which cannot be fully offset are permitted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, when reviewing the application of Selective Employment Tax, he will seek to minimise its detrimental effect upon economic growth in the development areas.

I do not accept that the tax has had the effect described. My hon. Friend will be aware that these matters are under review, and that the Government is giving considerable assistance to strengthen the development areas.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross estimated amount of revenue to be derived from the application of Selective Employment Tax to the construction industry in the first complete year of operation; and how the sum compares with the gross amount collected to the last available date for computation.

The annual revenue from the construction industry is broadly estimated to be in the region of £80 million. It is not possible to provide actual collection figures for particular industries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a detailed statement on the working of the Selective Employment Tax, indicating its effect on industrial employment and unemployment, respectively.

As I have said, we are keeping a careful watch on the operation of the Selective Employment Tax. It is too early to make a useful assessment of its effects.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that large sums, including hard currency, have been expended on visits overseas by Ministers and their staff when the business undertaken could have been performed by embassy staffs to the countries concerned, and that duplication and repetition of visits have taken place; and whether, in view of the need for economy, he will take action to restrict expenditure on such visits.

No. Programmes of overseas visits have been reduced to as low a level as can be justified without damage to the important interests which these visits serve, and all economies are observed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in view of the fact that the information is readily available, he will not publish details of all the Ministerial overseas visits made during the past two years and the costs involved.

The information is not available centrally. The cost of extracting it from departmental records and of collating the results would be excessive.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies have shown reduced profits in the last six months; and how many reductions he expects in the next six months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much dividends and profits of public companies reporting since 20th July, 1966 have increased or decreased.

The information asked for is not available and I cannot make any predictions about the next six months

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it has now been agreed to count the foreign exchange cost to the United States Treasury of stationing United States troops withdrawn from France in this country against the foreign exchange cost of United Kingdom troops in Germany; and to what extent this has been agreed for the current financial year and for 1967–68, respectively.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now announce a decision on Rootes' approach to the Treasury regarding a closer association with Chrysler.

No. I have nothing to add at this stage to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 12th December.—[Vol. 738, c. 21.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the aver- age difference in rates of pay between men and women industrial civil servants engaged in comparable work.

I regret that this information is not available. It would involve undue effort and expense to identify those jobs that fitted whichever of the possible definitions of comparable work might be used.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the export record of the wool textile industry, why he has increased export rebate on cotton and man-made fibre fabrics and not on wool products.

Because the rates of export rebate depend not on export performance but on the extent to which certain indirect taxes enter into the costs of the industries concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue to the Exchequer by the growth of self-employed persons in the construction industry; in how many cases the description self-employed has been challenged for revenue purposes; and how many cases he has submitted to the courts for the years 1963, 1964, 1965 and in the first 11 months of 1966.

No estimate has been made. I regret that the other information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state in table form and alphabetical order all the various taxes, including each of the main classes of Purchase Tax and Excise, at present levied on the people of Great Britain, the original date when each was levied, the revenue each tax brings in, and the approximate cost of collection of each tax.

The main classes of central Government taxation at present Levied in the United Kingdom(^a) are as follows:

				Date of introduction	Estimated net yield in 1966–67	Estimated cost of collection in 1965–66 as a percentage of receipts
				(b)	(c) £m.	(d)
CUSTOMS AND EXCISE TAXATION
Alcoholic drinks—
Beer	…	…	…	1880	360	0·86
British wine	…	…	…	1927	7
Spirits	…	…	…	1833	267
Wine	…	…	…	1860	38
Betting and gaming	…	…	…	1948	43
Hydrocarbon Oil	…	…	…	1928	880
Matches	…	…	…	1916	10
Mechanical lighters	…	…	…	1928	1
Protective (import) duties	…	…	…	1932	188
Purchase tax	…	…	…	1940	688
Tobacco	…	…	…	1863	1,030
Miscellaneous minor duties	…	…	…		1
INLAND REVENUE TAXATION
Capital Gains Tax.	…	…	…	1965	5	N.A.
Corporation Tax	…	…	…	1965	1,000	N.A.
Estate Duty	…	…	…	1894	310	0·93
Income Tax	…	…	…	1842	3,600	1·40
Mineral rights duty	…	…	…	1910	0·16
Surtax	…	…	…	1910	248
The Stamp duties	…	…	…	1694	80	2·03
OTHER TAXATION
Vehicle Excise Duties	…	…	…	1949	246	N.A.(e)
Selective Employment Tax	…	…	…	1966	300 220 in full year	N.A.(f)

NOTES:(

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the White Paper on Decimal Currency was not available for sale in Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Manchester at the same time as it was made available in London; and if he will review the current arrangements for the distribution in the provinces of White Papers and other Government publications.

The White Paper on Decimal Currency was on sale at the Government Bookshop in Manchester from 3.30 p.m. on Monday, 12th December. This was the time it was published in London. On the second part of the Question, I would refer to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East on 10th May, 1966.—[Vol. 728, c. 43–4.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for the Public Record Office Hanlbook No. 11 and all subsequent Handbooks relating to the Records of the Cabinet Office to be made available to such Members as may apply for them on green demand forms.

As works of historical reference these publications are outside the scope of the green form arrangements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost, and the average cost per Member, of non-Parliamentary Government publications supplied to Members of Parliament in the most recent period for which figures are available.

The estimated value of non-Parliamentary Government publications supplied to Members during the last twelve months is about £2,500 or about £4 for each Member of Parliament.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used in deciding which non-Parliamentary Government publications shall not be available to Members on green demand form procedure.

Non-Parliamentary publications are provided only when they are required for a Member's Parliamentary duties.Historical, technical, and scientific works and similar classes of publications such as reference books, guides and catalogues are not included in the scope of the arrangements. A note to this effect is printed at the head of the green form.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has decided whether drawing office assistants and tracers in the Civil Service will receive a pay award on 1st January, 1967.

No decision can be taken until the negotiations on the pay of these grades have been completed. These will be resumed as soon as practicable after the current discussions with the Staff Side of the National Whitley Council on the application of the White Paper "Prices and Incomes Standstill: Period of Severe Restraint" to the civil service have been concluded. Payment of revised salaries in the period of severe restraint will depend upon the extent to which they are justified under the criteria for this period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost for Income Tax relief for children in the year 1966–67.

About £575 million for Income Tax, excluding Surtax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of Surtax relief for children in the year 1966–67.

About £5 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will exempt from Income Tax the last year's earnings of persons who retire on retirement pension.

I could not justify an exemption of this kind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made a survey of sites in Scotland suitable for the establishment of the Royal Mint; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add at present to the Answer I gave the hon. Member on 6th December.—[Vol. 737,c. 265–6.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he is unable to state by how much the Civil Service and the number of other public employees has increased since 20th July; and what is the normal period of time which elapses before this information becomes available.

Numbers of civil servants are reported centrally each quarter; and are subsequently published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics. The figures for other employees in the public sector are not compiled centrally in this way and I would refer the hon. Member to the Ministers who answer for these bodies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of his discussions with M. Debré in Paris; and, in particular, whether it has now been agreed that the price of gold will in future be included within the scope of discussions of the Group of Ten.

I had useful and confidential talks with M. Debré in Paris last week. The price of gold is not on the agenda of the discussions in the Group of Ten.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will issue a circular to local authorities on the avoidance of offence to the religious susceptibilities of those employed by them or by undertakings under their control.

My right hon. Friend prefers to leave this to the good sense of individual local authorities. The Government's dislike of any form of racial or religious discrimination is well known.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received concerning the public danger which still exists in many abandoned mining areas from uncovered deep pitshafts associated with disused workings; what action he proposes to take in regard to the Eatock pit-shaft at Westhoughton following representations made to him; and if he will make a statement.

On 7th December the Westhoughton Urban District Council notified my right hon. Friend of its concern about the danger from two disused pitshafts at Eatock pit, which is owned by the National Coal Board. The Department is in touch with the Ministry of Power and a full reply will be sent to the Council as soon as possible. The Department is also in touch with the Camborne-Redruth Urban District Council about a similar problem.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement and report on the official inspection carried out by his Department of the Great Northern London Cemetery on 22nd November, 1966, following representations by the hon. Member for Hornsey on behalf of constituents disturbed by the condition into which the cemetery has been allowed to fall.

The report of the Inspector on this privately-managed cemetery should be received this week, and will then be considered by the Department in consultation with the Home Office. I will let the hon. Member know the outcome as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he proposes to take to see that officers in local government superannuation schemes do not suffer from the lowering of their pensions as well as deferment of their remuneration as a result of current restrictions.

The local government superannuation scheme contains no provision for calculating pensions otherwise than by reference to remuneration actually received. My right hon. Friend has no proposals for amending the scheme.

asked the Minister qt Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to assume financial responsibility for the taking over of drill halls by local authorities.

No, but my right hon. Friend is ready, within the limits of the investment available, to give loan sanctions to help local authorities to purchase suitable drill halls in England which are surplus to Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve or other government requirements.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what percentage of local government revenue in England and Wales was made up by local rates, general and specific grants, rents and other incomes, respectively, in the year 1965–66.

The latest figures available of local government revenue in England and Wales are for 1964–65 and for that year the information is shown below. Percentages for 1965–66 are not expected to be materially different.

	Percentage of local government revenue*
Rates	37·9
General and Specific grants	42·1
Rents and other income	20·0
* Excluding trading services.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what percentage of local government expenditure in the year 1965–66 was attributable to education and housing, respectively.

Local Government expenditure on all services in 1965–66 is not yet known. The latest figures available of total local government expenditure in England and Wales are for 1964–65 and for that year the information is shown below. Percentages for 1965–66 may be somewhat different mainly on account of a major pay award to school teachers from 1st April, 1965.

—	Percentage of gross revenue expenditure*	Percentage of revenue expenditure* net of fees, rents and recoupments
Education	42·2	49·9
Housing	15·2	5·4
* excludes trading services.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now make a statement on the reorganisation of local government in Tyneside.

I shall be consulting the Royal Commission on Local Government at an appropriate stage after I have completed my consideration of the Inspector's report of the inquiry.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on the expansion of Basildon New Town.

My predecessor asked the Basildon Development Corporation to examine to what extent the target population of the town could be increased beyond the present agreed figure of 106,000. They have concluded that on present plans this figure will be substantially exceeded by the natural increase of population and that a population of about 140,000 can be accommodated within the designated area—which would allow Basildon to give some further relief to London's needs. They have submitted to me a revised master plan proposing how this should be done.I have considered the Corporation's analysis of the population targets, together with the views put to me by Essex County Council and others. I think it right that provision should be made within the designated area for the natural increase now forecast and for some increase over present plans in the numbers to be received from London. A public inquiry will now be arranged into the Corporation's master plan proposals.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he has now reviewed his policy covering England and Wales on the granting of dispensations to allow councillors who are tenants of council houses to vote on council house rents; and if he will make a statement.

The whole question of councilors speaking and voting on matters in which they have an interest is under review with the local authority associations. However, as an interim measure, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I intend to give general permission to councilor-tenants to speak and vote on housing matters. This permission will be issued shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will list the number of slums cleared in each year since 1945 in the United Kingdom;(2) if he will list year by year since 1945 the Government estimate on 1st January of each year of the number of slums still to be cleared in the United Kingdom.

The information is not available in the form requested.Latest figures for the clearance of unfit houses are set out on pages 34 and 35 of "Housing Statistics—Great Britain: No. 3 1966". Estimates of the number of unfit dwellings still to be cleared are not obtained annually, but an estimate is given as at 1965 for England and Wales on page 39 of "Housing Statistics, No. 1" and the figure for Great Britain was then estimated as about one million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will estimate how many house units will have to be built in the United Kingdom between now and 1970 to meet the demand, without people living in dwellings classified as slums; and if he will similarly estimate how many house units will have to be built between 1970 and 1980, 1980 and 1990, and 1990 and 2000;(2) if he will estimate how many house units will be required to meet the demand by 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000.

The Housing Programme 1965 to 1970 (Cmnd. 2838) estimated that in Great Britain about 1 million houses were needed to replace slums, up to 2 million more to replace old houses not worth improving and about 700,000 to meet shortages; and that a further 180,000 houses would be needed annually to cater for new household formation and to meet losses through demolition. Needs beyond 1970 will depend on factors such as the rates of new household formation and of replacement of old houses, which cannot be forecast with confidence at present.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will list year by year from 1945 the number of house units on 31st December of each year in the United Kingdom, showing the number that were owner-occupied, the number rented from private landlords and the number rented from local authorities.

Accurate statistics about the ownership of dwellings are not available annually. Firm data were collected for the first time through the 1961 Census. Estimates based on the Census and other data are made annually for Great Britain and are published in "Housing Statistics" (No. 1 March 1966).Some sample surveys were made prior to the 1961 Census, but these are subject to a considerable margin of sampling error. The first of these was made by the Social Survey in April, 1947. It gives the following distribution of dwellings in Great Britain:—

—	Million Dwellings	Per cent.
Rented from a Council	1·68	13
Otherwise rented	7·36	57
Owner-occupied or buying	3·35	26
Tenancy part of wages	·51	4
All Dwellings	12·90	100

It is thought that changes in tenure in Northern Ireland have not been such as to alter materially the distribution of tenures in the United Kingdom from those given for Great Britain.The 1961 Census gave the following distribution of tenures in Northern Ireland:—

—	Thousand Dwellings	Per cent.
Rented from local or public authorities	79	21
Owner-occupied	115	31
Privately rented	127	35
Other rented	6	2
Farmhouses	41	11
All Dwellings	368	100

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will list the number of house units built each year since 1945 in the United Kingdom. showing the number built for owner-occupation, the number to be rented from a private landlord and the number built for local authorities.

The number of permanent houses built in each year since 1945 for the private sector, for local authorities and the: rest of the public sector is given in the table below. Nearly all of the houses built for the private sector are for owner-occupation and virtually all of those built for the public sector are for letting, so that the figures in the table represent in broad terms the new houses built for owner-occupation and those built for letting.Returns are not collected on the number of new houses built for the private sector which are for letting, but the number is known to be small. A small number of houses built for local authorities are for sale to owner-occupiers; about 2,000 houses a year in recent years.

PERMANENT HOUSES COMPLETED* UNITED KINGDOM
	Public Sector		Private Sector
Year	For local†	Other‡		Total
1945	1,936	60	1,099	3,095
1946	25,245	168	30,566	55,979
1947	98,028	1,370	41,487	140,885
1948	193,537	4,537	34,411	232,463
1949	170,806	5,994	28,457	205,257
1950	167,917	7,270	30,240	205,427
1951	166,483	9,888	25,485	201,856
1952	199,177	12,472	36,670	248,319
1953	244,916	17,021	64,867	326,804
1954	239,318	22,388	92,423	354,129
1955	196,024	12,306	116,093	324,423
1956	170,710	10,533	126,431	307,674
1957	169,629	9,177	128,784	307,590
1958	143,283	5,130	130,220	278,633
1959	124,545	3,857	153,166	281,568
1960	128,216	4,634	171,405	304,255
1961	116,118	6,316	180,727	303,161
1962	128,577	6,855	178,211	313,643
1963	123,903	6,024	177,787	307,714
1964	154,754	7,174	221,264	383,192
1965	164,957	9,115	217,162	391,234
1966—9months	125,381	7,882	154,713	287,976
* Including flats—each flat being counted as one unit.
† Including New Town Development Corporations, the Scottish Special Housing Association and the Northern Ireland Housing Trust.
‡ Houses provided for the families of police, prison staffs, the armed forces and certain other services. Including houses built for housing association other than those in ‡

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what he has done or intends to do in connection with the future residential development of valley bottoms in the Pennines, mentioned in paragraphs 17 and 18 of the First Report of the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Economic Planning Council.

The Regional Economic Planning Board has already begun a study of the Calder Valley, and will subsequently review the Colne Valley.In the light of this, further consideration will be given to the suggestion that the valley bottoms should be redeveloped as residential areas.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the specific tests which local authorities in England must satisfy to qualify for the backdating of housing subsidies under Clause 1(3,c) of the Housing Subsidies Bill; and if he will give a full list of qualifying authorities.

All local authorities in England with more than 12½ per cent. slums according to returns submitted to Circular No. 11/65 or with 10 per cent. or more excess of households over dwellings according to the 1961 census, and who had 100 or more houses or flats approved but not started, or under construction, at the end of November, 1965, will qualify for the backdating concession.The full list of qualifying authorities is as follows:—

Region	Authority
Northern	Gateshead C.B.
	West Hartlepool C.B.
	Bishop Auckland U.D.
	Eston U.D.
	Hebburn U.D.
	Jarrow B.
Yorks and Humberside	Bradford C.B.
	Dewsbury C.B.
	Halifax C.B.
	Kingston-upon-Hull C.B.
	Sheffield C.B.
	Batley B.
	Brighouse B.
	Elland U.D.
	Normanton U.D.
	Rawmarsh U.D.
	Shipley U.D.
North West	Blackburn C.B.
	Liverpool C.B.
	Manchester C.B.
	Oldham C.B.
	Preston C.B.
	Rochdale C.B.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether the present Government in Nigeria have now been fully recognised by Her Majesty's Government.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the number of white and coloured citizens in Rhodesia, and the education and industrial facilities available to and used by coloured and white citizens, respectively.

The estimated population of Rhodesia at 31st December, 1965 was Africans 4,080,000, Europeans 224,000, coloureds 13,000 and Asians 8,100. It is not possible within the com- pass of a Parliamentary Answer to give a comprehensive account of the facilities available to the respective races, but I am arranging for copies of the latest available reports of the Rhodesian Ministry of Education and Department of African Education to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to summon a British Commonwealth conference to discuss social services, industrial security and the spread of better provision for the weak-minded invalids and the aged.

No. A great deal of consultation already takes place between this country and other Commonwealth countries at Governmental and non-Governmental levels. We are always ready to discuss these matters with individual Governments, and where possible to help them within our technical assistance programmes. I consider that nothing more would be gained by a large Governmental conference to deal with these topics.

asked the Minister of Labour, what action the Government now propose to take to secure the elimination of restrictive practices by trades unions and employers, which are wasting manpower, increasing costs and making British exports less competitive.

The Government will continue to encourage industry at all levels to promote measures to improve efficiency by both management and workers. Where appropriate, we shall take initiatives similar to those already taken in a number of industries.

asked the Minister of Labour what retraining facilities are available to redundant workers living in the Huntingdon district.

There is no Government Training Centre within convenient daily travelling distance of Huntingdon. People who want and are suitable for the training in skilled trades given at these Centres can apply for a course at a Centre in the London area or in the Midlands. Most training needed by redundant workers is, however, at the semi-skilled level and is best given by industry itself.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the Government's declared intention to join the Common Market, the incomes policy will be interpreted to facilitate equal pay between men and women.

NUMBERS PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT BY EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN GREAT BRITAIN BETWEEN 7TH JULY AND 9TH NOVEMBER, 1966
Standard Industrial Classification Order		Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total	Percentage of placings in all industries and services
XIX.	Transport and Communication	17,650	3,337	3,076	1,725	25,788	3·7
XX.	Distributive Trades	30,217	18,993	24,798	26,880	100,888	14·4
XXI.	Insurance, Banking and Finance	1,467	1,277	2,130	4,021	8,895	1·3
XXII.	Professional and Scientific Services	4,742	2,017	10,918	4,635	22,312	3·2
XXIII.	Miscellaneous Services	36,169	9,667	44,098	8,431	98,365	14·1
XXIV.	Public Administration	16,901	3,782	9,133	3,888	33,704	4·8
	Total—XIX to XXIV	107,146	39,073	94,153	49,580	289,952	41·5

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons who have lost employment in service industries in Wales since July have been given employment in manufacturing and export industries in Wales; and if he will give detailed figures.

This information is not available. The Department's statistics show the numbers of persons unemployed on a specific date each month, analysed according to the industry in which they were last employed. No statistics are available giving an industrial analysis of persons coming on to the unemployed registers.Placings are analysed according to the industries the workers enter and not the industries in which they were last employed.Between 7th July and 9th November, 10,494 persons (3,952 men, 2,114 boys,

The Government support the principle of equal pay, and, in the discussions with both sides of industry about the problems to which this gives rise, the implications of the relevant article of the Treaty of Rome are being considered.

asked the Minister of Labour how many people were placed in employment between July and November in occupations listed under Orders XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, and XXIV, respectively; and what percentage of total placings these figures represent.

:2,653 women and 1,775 girls) were placed in employment in manufacturing industries by Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices in Wales.Industries cannot be divided into those which are exporting and those which are not.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that the approximate number of agricultural workers above the minimum rates prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board is known, he will now institute an inquiry to determine the number of workers receiving above the minimum rates prescribed by the wages councils for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

To obtain comprehensive information on the lines suggested by the hon. Member would be a complex and costly task; I am considering whether useful information on a more limited basis could be obtained without disproportionate expenditure of staff time.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 112,412 persons placed in employment in industries in Orders VI, VII, VIII and X between July and November were school-leavers and known to have become redundant since 20th July, respectively.

This information is not available.Between 1st August and 30th November, however, 33,797 school leavers (23,573 boys and 10,224 girls) entered their first employment in the industries specified. Some of these young people may have obtained the employment other than through the Youth Employment service.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons previously employed in service industries in Wales have been registered as unemployed since July; and what percentage they are of the total number of unemployed.

We do not compile statistics giving an industrial analysis of persons coming on to the unemployed registers. We do compile an industrial analysis of the numbers unemployed on a specific date each month.At 14th November, 1966, the latest date for which information is available, there were in Wales 13,590 persons registered as unemployed whose last em-

		Employees in Employment (Thousands)			Numbers registered as unemployed
		Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
October, 1962	…	154·2	8·1	162·3	14,240	233	14,473
October, 1963	…	143·7	7·7	151·4	14,292	238	14,530
October, 1964	…	143·4	8·1	151·5	7,469	175	7,644
October, 1965	…	146·8*	8·2*	155·0*	4,824	113	4,937
October, 1966	…	142·7*	8·7*	151·4*	5,103	139	5,242
November, 1966	…	—	—	—	5,872	153	6,025
* Provisional.

I will write to the hon. Member, on the second part of the Question as soon as possible

asked the Minister of Labour why he made the Wholesale Mantle and Costume Wages Regulation Order No. 1495, granting extra annual holidays for the year 1966, to be taken up to April 1967, which is contrary to paragraph 23 of the Prices and Incomes Standstill Command Paper No. 3073; and whether he will make a statement.

All Wages Council proposals adopted before 20th July but not by that date embodied in Wages Regulation Orders were postponed in accordance with the White Paper (Cmnd. 3073) as existing commitments. All such proposals are being made effective from 1st January, 1967 by Wages Regulation Orders, of which this is one.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the number of workers employed and unemployed in Great Britain's shipyards during each of the last five years, indicating the names of the various shipyards and the kinds of ships, naval and merchant, built and repaired, respectively.

The following table shows for Great Britain (1) the estimated numbers of employees in employment in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry and (2) total numbers registered as unemployed whose last employment was in this industry.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if he will give figures to show the relationship between the introduction of the Industrial Training Act, 1964, the formation of the industrial training board for the construction industry, the introduction of the industrial training levy and the increase in the number of self-employed persons in the construction industry;(2) what increase there has been in the number of self-employed persons in the construction industry since the introduction of the Contracts of Employment Act, 1963, and the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965, respectively, as an absolute figure and as a percentage.

I regret that no figures are available to show changes over the periods in question in the number of self-employed persons in the construction industry.

asked the Minister of Labour in the event of the Industrial Court making an award stating that workers are employees and not self-employed in the building industry, what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that the Selective Employment Tax is paid by the employer named in such an award; and, in the event of such an award by the Industrial Court ruling that a particular company is the employer of a group of men, what steps are taken by the construction industry's training board to assess such an employer for the payment of the industrial levy.

The liability of employers to pay Selective Employment Tax is a matter for the Minister of Social Security, who has regard to all relevant circumstances. All employers in the construction industry who are known to the Construction Industry Training Board and to whom the levy order applies are assessed to levy.

asked the Minister of Labour what difficulties the constructional industry training board has experienced in tracing labour-only sub-contractors in the building industry; how many of these firms have conceded liability for paying the industrial training levy; how many have claimed exemption; and whether the board has received replies from all circularised labour only sub-contractors.

I do not require Boards to supply me with the kind of detailed information asked for in the Question. The Board has, however, been good enough to inform me that they circularised about 45,000 employers thought to be labour-only contractors, of whom 15,000 could not be traced by the Post Office. Replies were received from about 14,300. Of this number all but 647 were found to be not liable to levy, either because they employed no labour or because emoluments paid were less than £5,000. Information about the number who have appealed against assessment to levy is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is satisfied that the statistical services of the Government now enable the identification of lower-paid workers, and the movement of their wages relative to the movement of salaries; and if he will make a statement.

It is possible to estimate the number of persons with earnings less than a certain amount, and I gave the figures for 1965 in reply to the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Dickens) on 24th October, 1966. These figures include salary earners as well as wage earners, so that the second part of the Question does not arise.—[Vol. 734, c. 100.]

asked the Minister of Labour what plans he has for the redeployment of labour in the event of redundancies occurring through the rundown or closure of the Beagle aircraft factory at Shoreham-by-Sea.

I know of no redundancies which are likely to occur at this factory.

asked the Minister of labour how many persons, male and female, were registered unemployed at

TOTAL NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES AT GRAYS, TILBURY AND STANFORD-LE-HOPE
	Grays			Tilbury			Stanford-le-Hope
	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
14th November, 1966	420	112	532	227	12	239	91	28	119
8th November, 1965	263	54	317	113	10	123	58	25	83
9th November, 1964	244	63	307	121	19	140	84	34	118
11th November, 1963	302	114	416	237	33	270	80	29	109
12th November, 1962	383	105	488	208	32	240	86	21	107
13th November, 1961	268	65	333	151	60	211	29	18	47

asked the Minister of Labour how many dockworkers were unemployed at Tilbury on the latest convenient date; and how many at a similar date in the last five years.

Occupational analyses of the unemployed register are made in March, June, September and December. At September, 1966, and September in each of the five preceding years, no dockworkers were registered as unemployed at Tilbury Employment Exchange.