asked the Minister of Aviation (1) what is the total number of personnel employed at present at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford; how many of these are scientific officers or of more senior rank; how many flying staff are employed; and whether he intends to increase the number of persons employed at this establishment during 1967;(2) what is the total number of per. sonnel employed at present at the Naval Air Establishment, Bedford; how many of these are scientific officers or of more senior rank; how many flying staff are employed; and whether he intends to increase the number of persons employed at this Establishment during 1967.

In the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, as a whole 1,480, 200 and 18 respectively, of whom 120, 49 and 7 respectively are employed in its Naval Air Department. No increases are expected in 1967.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether, in view of the rationalisation of the aircraft industry, he proposes to recommend the merging of the Aircraft Research Association, Bedford, with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford.

I see no case for such a merger at the present time but if the industry has any proposals on this matter, I would of course be glad to consider them.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many Concord aircraft need to be sold to cover the total development and building costs of the air- craft; and how many firm orders have been received so far.

The number of Concord aircraft which we will need to sell to meet the objective stated will depend on how large a development levy we find that the market will bear. So far, 53 options have been taken out, and eight aircraft each are reserved for Air France and B.O.A.C.

asked the Minister of Aviation which United States aero-space companies have been awarded contracts to supply equipment for the Anglo-French Concord; and by what criteria such contracts have been awarded.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answers given to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 11th May, 1966, and to my hon. Friend on 2nd November, 1966, in reply to similar Questions.—[Vol. 728, c. 377–8, Vol. 735, c. 122.]

asked the Minister of Aviation what proportion of the value of each Concord will be represented by United States equipment and materials.

None of the equipment for the production aircraft has yet been chosen, and it is therefore too early to give a reliable estimate.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will list the industrial consultants currently being used by the National Board for Prices and Incomes for the various references that are now being investigated; and whether he has delegated powers to these consultants to enable them to require disclosure of commercial information on terms similar to powers vested in the National Board for Prices and Incomes itself under Part I of the Prices and Incomes Act.

The Answer to both parts of the Question is "No" My right hon. Friend does not consider it would assist the Board's inquiries to list the consultants employed by it. The Prices and Incomes Act does not enable him to delegate the powers referred to in the second part of the Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants were employed in 1965–66 in Wales and England, respectively; and what percentage this was of the total number of employees in both countries.

The number of non-industrial civil servants excluding the Post Office employed in Wales and England during 1965–66 was 16,600 and 351,400 respectively, representing 1·7 per cent. of the total number of employees in both cases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make temporary concessions on the foreign travel allowance for private persons wishing to visit Montreal for the forthcoming world exhibition, EXPO 67.

I regret I cannot do this. Currency issued for travel to one non-sterling country is freely convertible into any other currency. A special allowance for visitors to Canada would therefore be impracticable as well as contrary to our international obligations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications have been made and accepted, including the amount of money involved, for loans from the Rural Industries Loan Fund's Workshop Fund, Equipment Fund, and Working Capital Fund, respectively, in each of the last five years.

No records are kept of the annual value of applications received. The remaining information is given below. The figures refer to the applications received by the Rural Industries Loan Fund Main Committee. The Working Capital Fund was not set up until 1963–64.

	Number of applications	Number accepted	Value of applications accepted
1961–62			£
Workshops	75	61	66,000
Equipment	315	298	63,551
1962–63
Workshops	46	37	47,235
Equipment	283	264	58,309
1963–64
Workshops	62	47	55,318
Equipment	262	249	63,478
Working Capital	10	3	3,500
1964–65
Workshops	79	66	80,694
Equipment	258	253	78,928
Working Capital	12	7	12,480
1965–66
Workshops	116	96	136,540
Equipment	274	266	115,000
Working Capital	40	30	59,258

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contribution he has made to the Rural Industries Loan Fund in each of the last five years; and what increased contribution has been approved in the current year.

The following is the information requested:

	£
1961–62	Nil
1962–63	Nil
1963–64	21,500
1964–65	55,000
1965–66	140,000

The contribution for 1966–67 has been increased from £130,000 to £175,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what interest rates are charged on loans from the Rural Industries Loan Fund; and what other rates have been charged in the last five years.

Present rates are 7¼ per cent. on loans for equipment and workshops and 7½ per cent. on loans for

			Equipment and Workshops			Working Capital
			Up to 5 years	5–15 years	15–20 years	Up to 5 years	Over 5 years
			per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
1961–62
1. 4.61 to 2. 6.61	…	…	6½	6½	6½	Not set up until 1963–64
3. 6.61to 4. 8.61	…	…	6⅞	64⅞	6¾
5. 8.61 to 13.10.61	…	…	7¾	7¾	7¼
14.10.61 to 10.11.61	…	…	1½	7½	7¼
11.11.61 to 31. 3.62	…	…	7⅛	7⅛	7
1962–63
1. 4.62 to 6. 4.62	…	…	7⅛	7⅛	7
7. 4.62 to 17. 8.62	…	…	7	7	7
18. 8.62 to 14. 9.62	…	…	6⅞	6⅞	6⅞
15. 9.62 to 5.10.62	…	…	6¾	6¾	6¾
6.10.62 to 19.10.62	…	…	6½	6½	6⅝
20.10.62 to 7.12.62	…	…	6⅛	6⅛	6⅜
8.12.62 to 15. 2.63	…	…	6⅛	6⅛	6⅛
16. 2.63 to 31. 3.63	…	…	6	6	6
1963–64	…	…	6	6	6	6¼	6¼
1964–65
1. 4.64 to 2. 4.64	…	…	6	6	6	6¼	6¼
3. 4.64 to 15. 5.64	…	…	6⅜	6⅜	6⅜	6⅝	6⅝
16. 5.64 to 7. 8.64	…	…	6⅛	64¼	6¼	6⅜	6½
8. 8.64 to 5. 2.65	…	…	6⅜	6⅜	6⅜	6⅝	6⅝
6. 2.65 to 31. 3.65	…	…	7¼	7¼	7¼	7½	7½
1965–66	…	…	7¼	7¼	7¼	7½	7½

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Circular 27/66 proposing an increase in fees for students from outside the United Kingdom is intended to reduce the number of such students studying in Great Britain, or to increase the amount of overseas currency earned in respect of their courses; and if he will give an estimate of the anticipated reduction in the number of overseas students from the Commonwealth and foreign countries, respectively, and of the increased earnings anticipated in sterling and foreign currency, in 1967–68, and in a subsequent full year when the proposed arrangements are fully effective.

The intention of the Government's decision which I announced on 21st December was to reduce the cost to the Exchequer of the concealed subsidy to overseas students represented by the difference between the cost of providing courses and the tuition fees. Even the higher fees will cover on average only about one-third of the cost. The level

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what length of residence or employment in this country is required before a Commonwealth citizen and a foreign subject, respectively, is exempt from the requirement to pay the enhanced fees for students from outside the United Kingdom prescribed in Circular 27/66.

The Circular is intended to apply from the beginning of the 1967 –68 session to further education students who have by then been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for less than three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department will give additional help to overseas students studying in this country with grants from private trusts, or on their own resources, to enable them to meet the increased fees which they will be charged from October 1967.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reports he has received of the consideration given to the relationship between the Certificate of Secondary Education and the General Certificate of Education, O level, by a joint committee of the Certificate of Secondary Education and General Certificate of Education Committees of the Schools Council; and if he will make a statement.

The joint committee reported to the Schools Council last year in a report entitled "Examining at 16+". This was published and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. The Schools Council is now considering the views of interested parties on the recommendations put forward by the joint committee with a view to further discussion.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will

DWELLINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR: 1946–1966 GREAT BRITAIN
				Public Sector			Private Sector	Public and Private Sector
Year				Local Authorities	Others	Totals		Totals
1946	…	…	…	19,978	—	19,978	6,716	26,694
1947	…	…	…	158,483	1,785	160,268	43,437	203,705
1948	…	…	…	217,006	4,346	221,352	34,355	255,707
1949	…	…	…	166,497	5,502	171,999	19,129	191,128
1950	…	…	…	164,437	6,655	171,092	24,328	195,420
1951	…	…	…	174,472	10,169	184,641	16,767	201,408
1952	…	…	…	190,701	13,686	204,387	21,296	225,683
1953	…	…	…	227,034	13,921	240,955	39,303	280,258
1954	…	…	…	230,012	20,022	250,034	59,608	309,642
1955	…	…	…	202,311	13,813	216,124	75,753	291,877
1956	…	…	…	186,618	10,866	197,484	89,818	287,302
1957	…	…	…	170,548	8,749	179,297	86,073	265,370
1958	…	…	…	150,108	4,972	155,080	85,243	240,323
1959	…	…	…	127,331	4,395	131,726	93,950	225,676
1960	…	…	…	148,663	5,313	153,976	112,656	266,632
1961	…	…	…	143,247	7,883	151,130	126,799	277,929
1962	…	…	…	147,484	7,981	155,465	138,699	294,164
1963	…	…	…	155,008	7,523	162,531	149,875	312,406
1964	…	…	…	195,232	11,876	207,108	174,415	381,523
1965	…	…	…	214,145	16,003	230,148	203,774	433,922
1966	…	…	…	226,374	16,715	243,089	201,043	444,132

The maximum penalties under the Rent Act, 1965 for the offences of unlawful eviction and harassment are fines of £100 for a first offence and £500 thereafter, or six months imprisonment, or both. My right hon. Friend has no evidence to suggest that these penalties need to be increased. He looks to local authorities thoroughly to investigate all complaints and to institute any necessary action against offenders; and tenants should have no hesitation in seeking the protection which the law provides.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the number of council houses under construction at 1st January in each year, the number of council houses completed in each year since 1946, and similar figures for privately built houses under construction at 1st January in each year since 1946 and completed in each year since 1946.

The information requested is given in the tables below. Figures of completions in 1966 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of houses built in Great Britain by public authorities and in the private sector, respectively, for each month since January, 1966.

The information requested is published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics and in Housing Statistics.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to ban 22-year leases on rented property.

Provision to bring long leases of dwellings at full market rents within the Rent Act, 1965 will be included in the forthcoming Bill on Leasehold Reform.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage growth of wholly unemployed between June 1966 and December 1966 in each development area, in the United Kingdom as a whole, and in the United Kingdom for development areas, respectively.

Following is the information:

Percentage increases between June and December 1966 in numbers registered as wholly unemployed
	Percentage increases
Development Area
South Western	160·9
Merseyside	37·8
Northern	72·7
Scottish	48·0
Welsh	68·2
All Development Areas	58·7
United Kingdom	78·6

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if he will set up an inquiry into the extent of sub-contracting for labour only in the various sectors of the building industry;(2) whether he will introduce legislation to ban labour only sub-contracting in the building and civil enginering trades.

As already announced, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works and I have decided in principle that an independent inquiry into this subject is desirable. We have had consultations with the Economic Development Committees for Building and for Civil Engineering and a further statement will be made shortly. The question of legislation is a matter to be considered in the light of the outcome of the inquiry.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what increases have taken place during the period July-November, 1966 in the price charged to local authorities for ordnance survey sheets.

There has been no increase in the prices of Ordnance Survey publications since April, 1966.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what consultations have taken place or are planned between his Department and those of the developing countries of the Commonwealth with regard to the recent increased payment for overseas students' fees; and what assessment has been made of the immediate and long-term needs of each territory respectively.

Prior notice of the details of the decision to increase fees for higher education was conveyed to our Embassies and High Commissions in overseas developing countries to enable them to inform the Governments of those countries as soon as the announcement of the increase was made to the House. Calculations have been made, on the best available evidence, of the amounts required to enable Her Majesty's Government to meet the increased fees in the future in respect of overseas students financed from British official sources, and to meet the increases in the next two years in respect of students who have already embarked on courses of study and who are financed by the Governments of developing countries. The House will be asked to vote money to enable these costs to De met. It is proposed that the British Council should administer a fund on behalf of the Ministry out of which the increased costs in respect of existing students financed by overseas governments will be met and the Council will consult the representatives of Overseas Governments in London on the extent of their commitments in this respect.With regard to other students from developing countries who are privately financed, it will be open to Overseas Governments, if they consider these students to be worthy of governmental support, to make representations for an increased allocation of training funds from the overall total of technical assistance funds which we are able to make available for allocation to those countries.

asked the Postmaster-General what reply he has sent to the Grimsby fish merchants' protest at the closure of the post office on the Fish Docks, Grimsby; and if he will reconsider this decision.

I am explaining in reply to the representations I have received that the amount of business transacted at this office had fallen away considerably; and that, in these circumstances and as there is another post office some 700 yards away, I should not be justified in authorising its reopening.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephones per thousand households there are in Wales and England, respectively.

Separate figures are not kept for Wales with which the Border Counties are associated in our Wales and Border Counties Directorate. The current estimates of residential telephone connections per thousand households in that Directorate and in the English Post Office Regions are:

Post Office Directorate, Wales and Border Counties—150.

Post Office Regions, England—256.

The corresponding figures for the year of the last general census (1961) were 101 and 188 respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he is satisfied that the mechanical systems of accounting employed by the telephone service are accurate; and if he will make a statement;(2) what proportion of complaints regarding excessive charges on subscribers' telephone accounts are attributable to errors arising from faults in the mechanical functioning of subscriber trunk dialling accounting machinery; and what is the nature of these faults;(3) on how many occasions during the past 12 months the General Post Office has made reductions to telephone subscribers' bills due to errors in accounting procedures;(4) on how many occasions during the past 12 months he has made adjustments to telephone subscribers' accounts on grounds of goodwill and without prejudice;(5) what discretion he gives to members of his Department to reduce telephone bills following complaints of overcharging.

Telephone bills usually coverthe rental, which depends on the type —of installation;and the call fees, derived from each customer's meter which records dialled calls and from tickets prepared by the operators for the calls which they handle.There may also be other items.I am satisfied that the meters are reliable. They have been proved over a a very long period of use; they are tested periodically, and if one goes wrong it tends to cease recording, which safeguards the customer.The mechanised accounting system now in general use was introduced in 1958. It employs punched cards produced either manually or by optical scanning of call tickets, the information being processed electro-mechanically. In London a computer has been in use since 1964 for some of the operations and later this year it will take over most of them. Computers will be used for all bills in the course of the next few years, except in Northern Ireland where manually operated accounting machines are used, and for which no plan for a computer has yet been prepared. I am satisfied that the various machines are dependable and that the system is satisfactory. It includes several checks aimed at avoiding errors.About 26 million bills are issued a year to about 6½ million customers for about 7,000 million calls. Immunity from error cannot be guaranteed in so large an undertaking. I am, however, satisfied that errors are rare; that those which occur are isolated, and usually attributable to human failures to observe the prescribed procedures. Surveys of opinion obtained by questionnaires indicate a high degree of customer satisfaction.Discretion to settle bills for calls is devolved to Telephone Managers and I am sorry that the figures asked for are not available centrally. They could only be obtained by a substantial effort throughout the country, which I do not consider to be justified.

asked the Postmaster-General when BBC2 will be relayed to the West Country.

The extension of the coverage attained by BBC2 is primarily the responsibility of the Corporation. It tells me that it plans to bring into service a BBC2 station at Caradon Hill in East Cornwall by the end of 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of the subsidies paid from the Exchequer in 1965–66 to civil airlines in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what immediate steps he is taking with regard to existing motor insurance companies to prevent further failures of such companies as has happened with the Fire, Auto, Marine Insurance Company Limited and the London and Cheshire Insurance Company Limited, in order to protect the motorist.

I shall make use, where appropriate, of the powers under the Insurance Companies Act, 1958. In the Companies Bill I am seeking wider powers of supervision over insurance companies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many motor insurance companies carrying on business in the United Kingdom have a paid-up share capital of less than £100,000; and whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of such companies.

According to the latest information available to the Board of Trade, 34. The names of the companies are as follows:

• American Officers Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Army, Navy & General Assurance Association Ltd.
• British & European Insurance Co. Ltd.
• British Equitable Assurance Co. Ltd.
• Carriage Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Craven Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Essex & Suffolk Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Europa Private Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Falcon Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Farmers' Finance & Insurance Office, Ltd.
• Federated Employers Insurance Association Ltd.
• Fine Art & General Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Halifax Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Irish-American Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Law Accident Insurance Society Ltd.
• Leadenhall Underwriting Agency Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Liverpool Insurance Society Ltd.
• Local Government Guarantee Society Ltd.
• London & County Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Metropolitan & Northern Counties Insurance Co. Ltd.
• ^*Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd.
• ^*National Employers' Mutual General Insurance Association Ltd.
• ^*National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Ltd.
• National Insurance Co. of Gt. Britain, Ltd.
• Paramount Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Royal Scottish Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Scottish Metropolitan Assurance Co. Ltd.
• South Yorkshire Motor Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Tower Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Transport Indemnity Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Warwick Insurance Co. Ltd.
• West of Scotland Insurance Office Ltd.
• Western Australia Insurance Co. Ltd,
• Westminster Motor insurance Association Ltd.
• ^*Mutual company without a share capital.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the investigation of the affairs of the London and Cheshire Insurance Company Limited was authorised; when the investigation was begun; Whether a report has yet been received; and whether this report will be made public.

On 7th October, 1966, the Board of Trade appointed Mr. J. G. Wilmers, Q.C., and Mr. G. F. Ansell, chartered accountant, as inspectors under Section 165(b) of the Companies Act, 1948, to investigate the affairs of the company. They have made good progress, but cannot yet indicate when they expect to make their report to the Board.When it is received, a decision will be made about its publication.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of private cars registered in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, respectively, at the latest time for which the figures are available.

Following are the in provisional figures for the quarter ending 30th September, 1966:

Wales	474,000
Scotland	720,000
N. Ireland	234,000
England	8,316,000

asked the Minister of Transport if, to avoid desecration of country and town by old disused cars, she will seek to reimburse the last year's taxation payment to car owners who provide a certificate showing that they have surrendered their car at a local authority car breaking-up yard.

No. Current plans should be given a fair chance to succeed before further consideration of such a far-reaching proposal.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now permit the installation of pedestrian crossings in Falmer Road and Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, in view of the difficulty that elderly people have in crossing those roads, in view of the fact that to gain access to the library and community centre entails crossing a blind section of road.

No. The number of pedestrians crossing and vehicles passing here are not sufficient to justify a crossing.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the total number of persons currently employed by the Forestry Commission in Wales; and how this compares with the preceding five years;(2) how many of those employed by the Forestry Commission in Wales are employed in agriculture, either on their own account or otherwise.

The numbers employed by the Forestry Commission in Wales at 31st December in the years question were:

1961	3,393
1962	3,218
1963	3,172
1964	3,031
1965	2,866
1966	2,752

To the best of the Commission's knowledge about 200 of their staff are employed in agriculture in their spare time.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount of timber felled in Forestry Commission plantations in Wales in 1966; how much of this was felled by the Commission itself; and how much was felled by private timber operators.

The total was 4·8 million hoppus feet, of which 2·2 million was felled by the Forestry Commission and 2·6 million by private operators.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of timber felled in 1966 in Forestry Commission plantations in Wales was purchased by firms or individuals resident in Wales.

About 70 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied that the reservoirs on the upper tributaries of the Wye, Severn and Dee rivers have proved their value in controlling floods; and if he will make a statement.

Regulating reservoirs can make a contribution towards flood control and Llyn Celyn and Llyn Tegid are both being used for this purpose on the River Dee. Research is now being carried out into the most effective way of using them jointly to regulate the river. The Clywedog reservoir which has recently commenced filling will be similarly operated so as to reduce flood flows in the River Severn. The reservoirs on the upper tributaries of the Wye were not designed as regulating reservoirs and make very little contribution to flood control.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings have been held by the committee appointed to advise the Welsh Office on translation of official forms and documents into the Welsh language.

One. It is hoped to arrange a second meeting shortly.

asked the Minister of Health what further action he will now take to prevent the encouragement of and to reduce smoking, in view of its danger to health.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the increasing sales of cigarettes resulting from the price war, what further action he intends to take to safeguard the health of the community.

This question is being actively considered but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the recent outbreaks of anthrax in Kent and elsewhere.

Three outbreaks of anthrax were confirmed amongst cattle in Kent on 2nd January, 1967, each resulting in the death of one cow. The farms were more than 15 miles apart and no common source of infection has been traced. During the preceding six months there was only one other outbreak in the county, on 5th December, 1966. In the two months to 18th January over the whole of Great Britain there have been 60 outbreaks of anthrax causing the death of 64 cattle. This figure is higher than that for the preceding two months, when there were 24 outbreaks involving 26 animals, but the increase follows a seasonal pattern and is not thought to have any other significance.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give figures for the quantity of malting and feeding barley produced in Great Britain in 1966, or the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the total was exported.

The latest figures available relate to the 1965 barley crop. The proportion of malting quality is unknown but 1,208,000 tons were taken up by maltsters and distillers, and usage for animal feeding is estimated at 5,362,000 tons. Separate figures for exports from Great Britain are not available, but exports from the United Kingdom in the cereal year 1965–66, which included some 1964 crop barley, amounted to 738.000 tons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms receiving hill cow or hill sheep subsidies are not in development areas; and in which regions they are to be found.

The approximate number of farms in England and Wales receiving hill cow and hill sheep subsidies which are not in development areas are as follows:

Hill cow subsidy	2,900
Hill sheep subsidy	2,000

These farms are situated in Cheshire, Derbyshire, part of Devon, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire West Riding.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in the light of an Estimates Committee Report, drawing attention to the fact that the Government services have only two-thirds of the statisticians needed, he will consider what practical steps can be taken to increase the number of statisticians in the Government service;

The recommendations on Government statistical services in the Estimates Committee Report are under consideration, and a statement about them will be made to the House as soon as possible.

asked the Prime Minister what changes have been made to the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The hon. Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Kirk) has been appointed a representative from the Conservative Party; and the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Fitch) has been appointed a substitute member from the Government benches in place of the hon. Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill).

asked the Minister of Power whether the price offered by the Gas Council to North Sea gas producers was worked out in consultation with officials of his Department.

As I have said on numerous occasions I have kept myself very closely informed about developments in the North Sea including the price negotiations between the Gas Council and the producers.

asked the Minister of Power what is his estimate of the foreign currency which would be required annually for profit remittances abroad by North Sea gas producers assuming an output of 4,000,000 cubic feet a day at the following assumed landed prices, namely, 3d., 2d., and ld. a therm, respectively.

I cannot make estimates of this type.

asked the Minister of Power what would be the difference between average prices of 2d. and 3d. a therm in the total amounts payable for North Sea gas by the Gas Council over a period of 20 years for an estimated output of 4,000,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily.

About £1,200 million. This would be subject to Royalty and to tax in respect of the profit element. It should not, however, be assumed that the price and quantity are unrelated.

asked the Minister of Power what scope he estimates to exist for saving imports if natural gas were wholly substituted for imported feed-stocks in the chemical industry.

The Chemical Industries Association has estimated that a total of 320 million cubic feet per day of natural gas could be used in 1970 for the manufacture of ammonia and alcohols. This would represent a saving of about 2·6 million tons a year of naphtha. It is not possible to say how much of this naphtha would otherwise have been imported as such, and how much supplied from United Kingdom refineries.

asked the Minister of Power what proportion of the tinplate and steel sheet produced in Wales in 1965–66 was processed for the production of finished products in Wales, and in the rest of Great Britain and was exported overseas, respectively.

The Iron and Steel Board estimate that the proportions are as follows:—For tinplate 11 per cent., 56 per cent. and 33 per cent. respectively.For steel sheet 4 per cent., 65 per cent. and 31 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the total defence expenditure in 1965–66 was spent in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and overseas, respectively.

A fresh analysis of expenditure is being made and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the results are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what increase in the naval and air forces engaged in the blockade of Moçambique has been occasioned by mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia; and at what cost to public funds.

None. There is no blockade of Moçambique. H.M. ships and aircraft continue to patrol in the Moçambique Channel in pursuance of the Security Council Resolution of 9th April, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now issue the report of the official inquiry into the fire which destroyed the No. 2 Slipway at Chatham Dockyard in July last.

As the hon. Member was informed on 21st July, it is not normal to publish reports of Service Boards of Inquiry, but I am now able to make a statement on the fire at Chatham Dockyard in No. 2 Slip. A large building erected in 1700, it was of unique wooden construction and of considerable historical interest. The building was used as a naval store for packed equipment, copper tubing, packaging material and some sailing gear.The Board of Inquiry concluded that the fire started as a result of the action of an employee who has since been discharged. It spread very rapidly, partly because of the explosion of wood and other dust which has accumulated in the wood members over centuries, and partly because the open-ended structure of the building formed a natural wind tunnel which drove the fire its whole length. As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were completely destroyed. As previously stated, 41 people received minor injuries. The total loss is estimated at about £80,000.The Board of Inquiry made an exhaustive investigation into the adequacy of the fire precautions and prevention measures in the slip, and in the light of their recommendations we are undertaking a review of the fire precautions for all old buildings used as stores.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is aware that the Army Pensions office at Stanmore has reduced an industrial civil servant's pension by 4d. a year because he missed his last day at work before retirement; whether similar action would require to be taken under the regulations in the case of a non-industrial civil servant in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The industrial civil servant in question completed thirteen years' service on 6th December, 1966. As, however, he had expressed a wish to retire "at about 7th December" it was assumed that he intended that day to be his last day of service and his pension was assessed on that basis, to be payable from 8th December.He did not apply for leave of absence on 7th December, but before leaving work on 6th he made arrangements for handing in his tools which made it clear that he did not intend to return. It was therefore concluded that he had intended that 6th December should be his last day of duty. As he could not get pay for 7th December it was necessary to change the arrangements so that he could have his pension for that day. This was done, but in accordance with the provisions of the Superannuation Acts (which apply to industrial and non-industrial civil servants alike) the rate of pension had to be slightly adjusted.

asked the Postmaster-General by how much the British Broadcasting Corporation external services will increase or decrease their broadcasts to other countries during 1967.

I have been asked to reply. Provision is being made for a net increase in broadcasting hours but it is impossible at this stage to provide precise details.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British Broadcasting Corporation's Albanian service is to be abolished.

Priorities in overseas information expenditure are always being reviewed in order to permit the continuation and expansion of more important services within the resources available at the time. After full consultation with the British Broadcasting Corporation and consideration of all the factors involved it was decided that there was insufficient ground for continuing the Albanian Service after the end of the present financial year. This question has been looked at again in the light of recent developments but we see no reason to change our decision. The British Broadcasting Corporation's English language services will of course continue to be audible in Albania.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish a list of the British Broadcasting Corporation's external services that are to be reduced; and if he will state by how many hours per week in each case.

As part of the redeployment of our expenditure on broadcasting, the Arabic Service's broadcasts will be reduced from 84 to 70 hours a week and the Albanian Service which at present broadcasts for 31 hours a week will be discontinued.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has received from British officials and British Chambers of Commerce abroad about intended cuts in the British Broadcasting Corporation's external broadcasts.

Her Majesty's representatives overseas were fully consulted and their advice taken into consideration.No representations have been received from British Chambers of Commerce.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is now the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the inclusion of the National Liberation Front in peace negotiations in Vietnam.

I have nothing to and to my Statement in the House of 18th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the three-point peace programme for Vietnam proposed by U Thant, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

I have nothing to add to my Statement in the House of 18th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he has about how many civilians have been killed by United States bombing of North Vietnam; what reports he has received concerning the consequent impact on the morale of the North Vietnamese people; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to numbers of civilian casualties in operations of this kind.

I have nothing to add to my Statement in the House on 18th January and to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a Question by the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Dickens) on 19th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the terms of reference of the review of British Overseas Information Services to be carried out by Sir Harold Beeley.

This departmental review, which is being undertaken for the information and guidance of the Ministers concerned, will review overseas information work, with special reference to objectives and effectiveness and the need to contain Government expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will provide comparative details of the

	(£000)
	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966
United Nations Regular Budget	1,702	2,526	2,190	2,261	2,578
Voluntary contribution in 1965 to the United Nations Organisation	—	—	—	3,571	—
Special Accounts
Middle East Operation (UNEF)	283	289	551	384	553
Congo Operation (ONUC)*	2,159	1,233	467	—	—
Congo Civilian Operation	—	179	179	179	—
UN Bond Issue	4,284	—	—	—	—
Cyprus Operation (UNFICYP)†	—	—	1,762	2,358	2,002
Expanded Programme for Technical Assistance	1.071	1,339	1,339	1,697	1,697
Special Fund	1,786	2,232	2,232	2,500	2,500
Special Industrial Services Trust Fund‡	—	—	—	—	300
World Food Programme§	—	—	596	850	829
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)	1,929	1,929	1,929	1,929	1,768
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)	335	335	335	400	400
UN High Commissioner for Refugees║	100	200	80	111	121
International Atomic Energy Agency Regular budget	141	178	176	180	180
Operational budget	52	51	52	53	47
UN Institute for Training and Research¶	—	—	—	36	36
Specialised Agencies
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)	527	520	642	676	807
FAO Voluntary Schemes	3	124	133	93	103
World Health Organisation (WHO)	608	763	850	967	999
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)	394	488	491	590	566
International Labour Organisation (ILO)	371	468	540	610	665
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)	127	167	158	178	197
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)	58	70	83	83	97
Universal Postal Union (UPU)	7	7	11	10	12
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)	15	19	27	38	47
International Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO)	23	15	27	35	42
IMCO Headquarters*	7	7	7	16	26
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)	12·69 per cent. of capital	12·4 per cent. of capital	12·4 per cent. of capital	12 per cent. of capital	12 per cent. of capital
International Development Association (IDA)	600	10,300	3,850	14,500	11,200
International Monetary Fund (IMF)	12·95 per cent. of capital
International Finance Corporation (IFC)	14·6 per cent, of capital
Total	16,582	23,439	18,707	34,305	27,790
*Account terminated on 30th June, 1964.
† Includes the cost of the United Kingdom contingent.
‡ Established in 1966.
§ Started in 1963.
║ £12,313 also given for assistance to Algerian refugees.
¶ Established in 1965.
* Location changed in 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the allega-

The following is the information requested:tions of violence by British interrogators at Aden; what new evidence he has received; whether Mr. Bowen, Q.C., was able to interview all the officials he desired to; who was the senior official

responsible at the time of the shortcomings described in Mr. Bowen's report; and what action has been taken regarding the three officers against whom there was some

On 6th January Amnesty International sent my hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore, then Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Padley), a copy of a statement by a detainee in Aden, Mohammed Ali Shamsher, alleging ill-treatment after his arrest last July.Mr. Bowen was able to interview all the officials he desired to.The High Commissioner has overall responsibility in Aden.As my right hon. Friend said on 19th December last, the Ministry of Defence is making the appropriate inquiries to see whether there is a

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what construction work is now being carried out, or is planned to commence, in the years 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969–70 in Aden by or for his Department; on what date the decision on each contract was made; and what was the financial amount involved in each contract.

Apart from minor works, no new construction is now being carried out. None is planned for the future.

asked the Minister of Social Security what is the average minimum sum paid in National Assistance to a married man with two children in Carmarthen, Leicester, and Coventry, respectively.

I regret this information is not available.