asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the Report of the Poisons Board on the Sale of Quinine.

I understand that this matter has been considered by the Technical Committee of the Poisons Board and will be considered by the full Board on 3rd February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many imported foreign birds die within 24 hours of arrival in this country.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that certain polystyrene ceiling tiles at present on sale constitute a fire hazard; and if he will take steps to have them withdrawn.

My Department is consulting the Joint Fire Research Organisation and the British Plastics Federation with a view to assessing the nature of this hazard. Meanwhile, I do not think, on the information before me, that I should be justified in seeking the withdrawal of these ceiling tiles from sale.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the maximum number of Commonwealth immigrants it is the Government's policy to allow to settle in England; when this figure will be reached; and what proposals he has then to prevent further immigration.

I would refer the hon. Member to the White Paper "Immigration from the Commonwealth" (Cmnd. 2739). It is not desirable to fix a total figure for the future which is independent of changing circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the net increase in the numbers of Commonwealth immigrants during 1966; and to what extent the net increase consisted of immigrants from Asia, Africa and the West Indies.

51,348, of which 44,527 is the figure for Commonwealth territories other than Canada, Australia, New Zealand and those in the Mediterranean.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are now being taken to implement proposals contained in the Littlewood Report for the breeding and housing of animals for research purposes.

The Littlewood Committee's recommendations on these matters, as on others, would require legislation and I cannot at present say when this will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have now been taken to increase the inspectorate to ensure the proper control of laboratories engaged in research in which animals are used.

As an interim measure the complement has been increased by two and appointments willl be made as soon as possible. The question whether there should be some further strengthening of the inspectorate is being examined.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the institution of a special auxiliary force to assist the police during the Christmas and other holiday periods.

Special constables are already used for this purpose in some areas, and my right hon. Friend accepts the finding in the recent report of a working party of the Police Advisory Board that there is room for a further attempt to recruit men to assist the police not only in emergency but, as part of their training, in routine traffic and other types of duty. With this in mind, my right hon. Friend has asked police authorities and chief officers of police to review the strengths of the special constabularies in their areas and the duties upon which they are engaged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will revise the regulations relating to taxicabs under the London Cab Order 1934, with a view to enabling cheaper and smaller vehicles to be used as taxicabs as a contribution towards solving the traffic congestion problem in London.

Power to lay down the specifications for London taxicabs is vested in the Deputy Commissioner of Police, whose advisers have hitherto taken the view that smaller vehicles would be unsuitable. This matter is kept under review, but there are no present proposals for a change.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of public concern that children privately fostered for many years in secure and satisfactory homes can be arbitrarily removed by natural parents who have for lengthy periods had no contact with their children; and whether, in order to ensure that the welfare of such children shall be the paramount consideration, he will seek to amend the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1925 so that a foster parent may be included in the categories of persons who may be granted custody of a child.

I am aware of the concern which has been expressed about some cases of this nature. But I believe that the existing law already provides adequate protection for the welfare of foster children in such circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware the concern by many children's departments of local authorities that children who have been in their care for many years and have been placed in secure foster homes are bound by law to be discharged in response to peremptory demands by feckless parents who for three or more years have had no contact with their children; and whether he will seek to amend the law to enable a children's department to assume parental rights after a child has been in its care for lengthy periods with an opportunity to a parent to obtain restoration of such rights only if it can be shown to be for the welfare of the child.

The law was amended in 1963 to cover the child whose parents persistently fail to discharge their obligations, and local authorities already have powers to deal with such cases. I see serious difficulties in the way of the further amendment suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce automatic fixed-tariff penalties on motorists committing minor traffic offences, such penalties to be enforceable by means of tickets handed out by traffic wardens.

My right hon. Friend is considering with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport the possibility of widening the scope of the fixed penalty system, but he is not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extra police were required for the meeting in Trafalgar Square on 15th January last; and what was the additional cost to public funds incurred thereby.

345 police officers were on duty on this occasion. But they would have been on duty elsewhere, if they had not been in Trafalgar Square.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges have now been made against motorists for drink and driving offences during the five-day Christmas holiday period; and if he will make a statement.

The statistics of traffic offences do not distinguish dates on which offences are committed. I regret that these figures are therefore not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the following immigrant doctors issued with B vouchers in 1966 have come here to secure higher qualifications and specialist experience with a firm intention of returning to serve in their own countries, namely, from Ceylon 59, from India 1511, for Pakistan 282; and if he will classify these as students and remove them from the quota reserved for immigrants intending to settle here.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available. Doctors whose primary purpose is to follow courses of study, including post-graduate courses, are already admitted as students, without limit of number, for the period of their studies; vouchers are needed only by those who come for employment initially or wish to be free to remain here and take employment after completing their studies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many escapes have taken place from the Portland Borstal Institution in the last 12 months; if he will estimate the cost falling upon the rates in respect of police action in the matter of these escapes; and if he will reimburse the local authorities on account of this expenditure.

During 1966 23 boys escaped from Portland Borstal and 7 others absconded while outside the establishment. The cost of police action in the matter of these escapes cannot be reliably estimated. As regards reimbursement of local authorities, I do not propose to change the existing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the salary and emoluments to be paid to the person recently appointed as the public relations officer to the Metropolitan Police; how this compares with the salary received by the former occupant of this official position; and why, in view of the Government's policy of severe restraint, this salary has been increased.

The salary of the Public Relations Officer to the Metropolitan Police will be £3,585 on appointment, rising by six annual increments to a maximum of £4,585. This post, to which I attach great importance, is a new one, and the remainder of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department is spending on anti-crime advertising on television; what is the nature of the campaign; and if he will make a statement.

The National Crime Prevention Campaign, which was launched on 21st November last, was designed to enlist the assistance of the public in combating crime. The campaign was in two parts, the first concentrating on the protection of cars and the second on the protection of premises. All media of publicity were used and about £100,000 was allocated to television advertising. The centrally-directed part of the campaign is now over and I hope soon to be able to form an opinion on its effectiveness.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that suitably qualified coloured applicants are employed in the fire service.

I am keen to ensure that suitable coloured applicants should be given every opportunity to join the fire service, and am asking fire authorities, who are responsible for recruitment, to let me have information on which a central record can be kept of the number of coloured firemen employed. I have arranged for H.M. Inspectors of Fire Services to discuss on their visits to brigades the question of recruiting men from among the coloured population.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will exercise his powers to direct that chief constables shall not, while holding office, become associated with the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association or any similar association established primarily for the purpose of influencing the character or content of publications, entertainment or radio and television programmes.

I have no power to issue such a direction. My own view, however, is that it is preferable for chief officers of police to avoid association with bodies which express views likely to be the subject of considerable public controversy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the extent to which betting shops are now continuously frequented during racing by the same punters, rather than only visited to place the day's bets, as intended by the Betting and Gaming Act, 1960.

I am aware that there is a good deal of loitering in some betting offices, but this is not a matter which lends itself easily to accurate analysis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek further powers to control the number of betting shops.

My right hon. Friend is watching the situation but he has no proposals at present for legislation on this point.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received urging the establishment of open prisons on uninhabited or thinly inhabited islands around the British coast; and what replies he has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the details of loose security in Her Majesty's Prisons recently uncovered by the Mountbatten Inquiry were made available as news to the general public, including prison inmates.

Because I thought that Lord Mountbatten's findings in full, were matters of legitimate public interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that persons convicted of crimes causing loss or damage which can be assessed in monetary terms should be required to make good that loss or damage, in whole or in part, and that industries should be established in prisons on a commercial and unsubsidised basis paying trade union and market rates to employed prisoners, thus enabling them to make payments to their victims and contribute to the cost of prison maintenance.

As I stated on 25th November last in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Accrington (Mr. Arthur Davidson), I have referred the question of reparation by the offender to the Advisory Council on the Penal System. The question of legislation on this matter will be considered in the light of the Council's recommendations.The Government's policy with respect to prison industries and prisoners' earnings is set out in paragraph 23 of the White Paper "The Adult Offender" published in December, 1965.—[Vol. 736, c.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the ignorance of the public, particularly of younger people, about the steps they should take if approaches are made to them to peddle or to take drugs, he will institute a publicity campaign to secure more effective co-operation between the public and the police and other authorities in stamping out the drug menace.

I propose to invite the Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence to consider the need for measures of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Bain Report on Drug Addiction and, in particular, in measures to restrict the prescribing of addictive drugs.

Legislation is being prepared to implement the recommendations for the compulsory notification of addicts by doctors, and for limiting the authority of doctors to prescribe or supply heroin and cocaine to addicts. The Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence held its inaugural meeting on 12th January and will meet again shortly. Following conferences of doctors experienced in the treatment of drug addiction, hospital authorities in the London area, where the problem is most acute, have been informed of the facilities for the treatment of heroin addicts that are required and have been asked to make such provision. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health proposes to issue general guidance to other hospital authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is contemplating to control more carefully the production and distribution of addictive drugs.

The manufacture and distribution of these drugs are already closely controlled, as required by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1965 and the Dangerous Drugs Regulations. I am not contemplating any further measures of control at the production or distribution stages.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the incidence, social implications and sources of drug addiction amongst young people, includ- ing schoolchildren, in Portsmouth and its surrounding district; how this compares with cities of similar size; what advice is being given to the local authority is appropriate measures which should be taken to control the situation; and whether he is satisfied that everything possible is being done to combat the social problem.

In 1966 the number of persons charged with offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act in Portsmouth was 18. All were aged 24 or under, two being schoolboys aged 16 and 17. Most of these prosecutions related to unauthorised possession of cannabis. Information is not available which would allow a valid comparison to be made of the extent and nature of the problem between this and other areas of similar size.I understand that the problem of addiction in Portsmouth is at present being studied in all its aspects by the local health authority and the police. If advice is needed on any particular aspect of the problem I shall be glad to consider what help can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Civil Defence Corps.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 14th December last—Vol. 738, c. 458–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that taxi drivers are not compelled to carry sums of money for commercial undertakings without adequate protection against violence.

I doubt whether there is need for legislation. But if the hon. Lady will indicate in what way the existing law has led to difficulties in this connection I shall be glad to consider the matter further.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate legislation to amend Section 60 of the Licensing Act 1964 so as to empower the licensing justices to permit the closing of licensed premises, upon the application of the licensee, in the evening on Sundays and Christmas Day, respectively.

No. It is not a statutory requirement that licensed premises must remain open throughout the permitted hours.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of assaults made on the police since 1964; and how these were dealt with in the magistrates' courts.

It will take a little time to produce this information. I shall send it to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Wilson Committee on Commonwealth Immigration is expected to issue its report; when it will be published; when legislation based on it will be introduced; and whether he will make a statement.

I understand that the Committee, which is still hearing evidence, expects to present its report within the next few months. It will then be published. It would be premature for me to say anything more.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in order to reduce the risk of prisoners breaking parole, he will arrange that periods on parole shall not end in the week or two before Christmas.

I will bear this suggestion in mind in the current review of the home leave scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that large numbers of motor vehicles in the Metropolitan area do not display a current road fund licence; and what action he now proposes to take to ensure that the existing law is enforced.

Between July and September of last year over 34,000 cases of vehicles apparently kept or used unlicensed on the roads were reported by the Metropolitan Police to the appropriate local taxation authorities. It is for these authorities to decide what action should be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to implement the proposals in the report, Police Manpower, Equipment and Efficiency, which was recently published.

I issued a circular to police authorities and chief constables on 11th January commending a large number of recommendations, and I have asked H.M. Inspectors of Constabulary to watch their implementation. A second circular, about the introduction of new systems of beat patrolling, is to be issued next month. Some of the proposals are to be considered further by the Police Advisory Board on 1st February, and others are being followed up by my Department in consultation with the interested associations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures have now been taken at Dartmoor Prison to safeguard the many hundreds of isolated people who live on the edge of the moor from the fear of escaped prisoners.

Additional security arrangements have been made at Dartmoor. Improved supervision has also been arranged for the outside working parties, which, with the exception of the honour party, are now being resumed. The arrangements include radio links with the prison and thence to police headquarters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police and prison authorities who have to deal with the escape of prisoners from Dartmoor Prison have adequate equipment at their disposal such as 4-wheel drive cars, walkie-talkies and other modern equipment to help capture prisoners as quickly as possible.

I have been assured that adequate equipment is available, but the position is kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were, on 1st January, 1966, and on 1st January, 1967, or the nearest

	On licence under supervision		In prison having served more than 1 year
	At 1st January, 1966	At 1st January, 1967	At 1st January, 1966	At 1st January, 1967
Persons sentenced to terms exceeding 18 months but not exceeding 3 years	240	180	1,850	1,900
Persons sentenced to terms exceeding 3 years	380	330	3,050	3,100

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the growing number of fires causing death and injury to children resulting from oil heaters being knocked over; and, as there is now a device which automatically extinguishes these oil heaters when tilted from a level setting, he will seek to require manufacturers of oil heaters.

I have heard with regret of recent cases in which children have lost their lives in fires originating in oil heaters. I am asking the British Standards Institution whether the present British Standard for oil heaters will now be amended to take account of the device in question. If so, I will certainly consider the need to make a corresponding amendment to the Oil Heaters Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that complaints about British immigration proceedings have been made by Australian and Canadian visitors; and if he will take steps to improve them.

Exact figures are not available. Estimates (which include persons sentenced to corrective training or preventive detention) are:

Control over entry into this country is applied impartially to all Commonwealth citizens. I am always ready to look into specific complaints, but I do not think that there is justification for general criticism of the way in which immigration officers carry out their instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why a reply has not been sent to a letter from a Cleethorpes solicitor of 8th December, 1966, concerning permission for a person to enter this country, a copy of which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Louth; and if he will take action to make his Department work more efficiently.

A reply was sent on 17th January. I much regret the delay.Subject to the need for reasonable economy in expenditure on the public service, of which the hon. Member is an advocate, we are taking all possible steps to deal promptly with the greatly increased volume of inquiries on immigration and nationality.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed breakdown of the British economic aid

AID TO INDIA
New Loans signed 1965–66 and 1966–67
		Amount
Date of signature		£ m.	Purpose
1. 15th June 1965	…	5	General purpose aid available for a wide range of imports of immediate value to the Indian economy.
2. 20th October 1965	…	10	General purpose Aid (as above).
3. 20th December 1965	…	4	Components and spare parts for metal using industries in India (Kipping Aid).
4. 11th February 1966	…	7·5	Food Emergency Loan towards the foreign exchange costs of shipping emergency supplies of wheat and other foodstuffs from Commonwealth countries, the provision of grain handling equipment for Indian ports and the purchase of commodities of immediate value in helping to deal with the food emergency including pesticides and fertilisers.
5. 20th April 1966	…	4·833	Components and spares for the Heavy Electrical Plant at Bhopal.
6. 20th April 1966	…	0·167	Sulphuric Acid plant at Sindri.
7. 10th May 1966	…	10·0	General purpose Aid (See 1).
8. 10th May 1966	…	4·0	Kipping Aid (See 3).
9. 10th May 1966	…	3·0	Components and spares for the Heavy Electrical Plant at Bhopal.
10. 5th December 1966	…	13·5	General purpose Aid (See 1).

Disbursements 1965–66									£m.
From loans made prior to 1965–66	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	17·053
From new loans signed in 1965–66	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	15·067
Technical assistance	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	·754
						Total		…	32·874

Disbursements 1966–67
It is not possible to forecast precisely how much will be disbursed in the current financial year. The relevant figures for the calendar year 1966 are as follows:—
Disbursements 1966										£m.
From loans made prior to 1966	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	21·495
From new loans signed in 1966	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	22·370
Technical Assistance	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	·794
							Total		…	44·659

Aid in 1967–68
Aid to India for 1967–68 is subject to the usual negotiations and consultations and it is not possible at this stage to forecast the amounts that will be pledged or disbursed.
Total flow of aid to India net of capital repayments and interest on previous aid loans
										£m.
1965–66 Total disbursements	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…		32·874
less principal repaid	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	6·274
interest	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	8·222	14·496
						Net	…	…		18·378

										£m.
1966 Total disbursements	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…		44·659
less principal repaid	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	11·797
interest	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	8·731	20·528
						Net		…		24·131

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Overseas Development to what extent political criteria enter into his Department's decisions on the allocation of overseas aid; and, if they do, whether he will specify them.

Within the broad framework of the policy laid down in Section 1 of the White Paper of August, 1965 (Cmnd. 2736), appropriate consideration is given to the political aspects, which are liable to vary from case to case.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the total annual amount paid out by the Crown Agents and other agencies on behalf of Commonwealth Governments to pensioners living in this country.

Approximately £10½ million.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what was the value of British exports resulting directly from loans and grants of overseas aid in 1966; what percentage this was of total overseas aid; and how it compares with previous years.

		1963–64		1964–65		1965–66		1966–67
								(provisional)
		Cadets	Graduate Qualified	Cadets	Graduate Qualified	Cadets	Graduate Qualified	Cadets	Graduate Qualified
Voluntary Service Overseas	…	349	152	395	332	451	594	510	939
International Voluntary Service		—	24	—	35	—	76	—	112
United Nations Association	…	—	51	—	94	—	96	—	130
National Union of Students		—	22	—	46	—	106	—	23
Catholic Institute for International Relations	…	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	29
Scottish Union of Students	…	—	6	—	—	—	—	—	—
TOTALS	…	349	255	395	507	451	872	510	1,233
GRAND TOTALS	…	604		902		1,323		1,743
Note: Years referred to are "volunteer years" viz. September to August.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what progress has been made in diversifying the activities of Short

Information for 1966 is not yet available and no complete answer can be given for previous years. Identified exports in 1965 arising from aid programmes amounted to approximately £65 million. This was equivalent to 33 per cent. of total aid disbursements in that year, or 45 per cent. of the loans and grants disbursed. Unidentifiable exports also arise from partly tied and local cost aid. The proportion of exports to aid has not apparently varied greatly in recent years.

asked the Minister of Oversesas Development if he will give the number of cadets and graduates sent abroad by Voluntary Service Overseas in the years 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66 and 1966–67, provisional; and if he will give equivalent figures for the other groups in the British Volunteer Programme, namely, the Catholic Institute for International Relations, International Voluntary Service, National Union of Students and the United Nations Association.

Figures of volunteers sent abroad in a particular year could give a misleading picture because many stay on for part or the whole of the following year. For this reason statistics have for some time been kept to show the number of volunteers actually serving overseas in a particular year. The table below has been compiled on this basis.Brothers and Harland; and if he will make a statement on the prospects for 1967.

We and the Northern Ireland Government are continuing our efforts. The new Rolls-Royce factory near Belfast has recently started production. I hope that a further development can be announced fairly soon.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs which regional economic development councils have published regional plans and which propose doing so in the future; and what were the dates and what are the expected dates of publication.

The following regional studies have been published by the regional Economic Planning Councils:

Title	Date of Publication
Challenge of the Changing North (Northern Region)	24th October, 1966
A Review of Yorkshire and Humberside	14th November, 1966
The East Midlands Study	1st December, 1966

None of these studies is a full development plan. Reports from all the other English Regional Councils should be available this year.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he is aware that Mr. David Frost who receives £1,500 per week as a radio and television commentator is to have his income increased as a consequence of a £350,000 deal affecting three commentators; whether this increase is in accord with the Government's policy on wages, prices and incomes; and what action he proposes to take.

I understand that the arrangements entered into with Mr. Frost and others do not relate to payments to be made before September, 1967, and that they cover services between then and early 1969. There is no increase in remuneration during the period of standstill and severe restraint.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what steps he is taking in co-operation with the Government of Northern Ireland, to establish new industries in Ulster; and what consultation he has been having with leading British manufacturing companies to encourage such diversification, in order to help meet the problems created by the recent serious rise in unemployment.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to him by the then Minister of State on 11th August last. As regards the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend's responsibilities relate to the future of Short Brothers and Harland and on this there is at the moment nothing to add to what is said in answer to the hon. Member's previous Question today.—[Vol. 733, c. 1860.]

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the proposed 30 per cent. increase in membership fees to the Confederation of British Industry; and whether he will issue an Order to hold up these increases until the Board have submitted their report to him.

That would not be appropriate. In common with union dues, the subscription in question differs materially in character from a price or a charge and it not subject either to the requirements of the standstill or to the provisions of the Prices and Incomes Act.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to what extent the intervention of the Industrial Reconstruction Corporation in the Rootes-Chrysler deal represents a change of policy in defining the future rôle of this Corporation.

This transaction does not represent any change in the policy previously announced.

asked the Postmaster-General how many letters, cards, packets and parcels were posted and delivered during the Christmas period; and how this compares with previous years.

Some 1,045 million letters and cards were dealt with from 13th December to 2nd January, an increase of 0·4 per cent. over the previous year and 0·9 per cent. above Christmas, 1964. I estimate that the figures for packets and parcels were about 110 million and 21 million respectively; in total about 7 per cent. lower than in 1965.

asked the Postmaster-General how many pensions and allowances are issued each week at the sub-post office in Bostall Lane, London, S.E.2; and if he will reconsider his decision to close this sub-post office on 25th February.

Some 530 pensions and 280 allowances. There are two post offices only a short distance away from Bostall Lane; and, as all the residents in the area live within half a mile of one or other of them, I am sorry that I should not feel justified in reversing the decision to close the Bostall Lane office.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of the funds of the Post Office Savings Bank's ordinary and special departments is invested in Northern Ireland.

It is difficult to isolate the figures required since many Government Loans in which the deposits are invested cover the United Kingdom as a whole. However, holdings of exclusively Northern Ireland securities, when current purchases are completed, will represent by nominal value about ·3 per cent. and 1·25 per cent. respectively of the assets of the ordinary and investment account funds.

asked the Postmaster-General what economies have been made in his Department since 20th July, 1966, in expenditure on hospitality and official entertainment.

Expenditure has been limited to essentials such as international conferences and seminars and entertaining overseas visitors, as well as for important official Post Office ceremonies. I do not think Post Office practice is unreasonable or that there is real further scope for economy.

asked the Postmaster-General what efforts are being made to persuade industrial firms to have their own collecting boxes for inward mail at head post offices in all major towns.

We have made considerable efforts to advertise, and to persuade industrial firms to use, the new locked box service at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, London Western District Office, Warrington, Worcester and Basildon. If these experiments are successful the service will be extended to post offices in all major towns.

asked the Postmaster-General what response he has received from firms to his invitation to suggest improvements either in general or in relation to the particular needs of business for the National Giro Service.

The invitation has been warmly received by the business community and the general public, and discussions have already been held with a wide range of institutions about the way in which the National Giro can meet their needs. I have had no proposals from firms to alter the basic facilities to be provided and, in general, the flexibility of the system is proving to be adequate to meet the demands which business concerns expect to place on it. I have, however, received a good many valuable suggestions about special features of the system which particular organisations require.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the value of contracts for the supply of telephone and other Post Office equipment placed in Northern Ireland during each of the past five years and the estimated value of such contracts to be placed during 1967 or to the nearest convenient date to which future supply is estimated.

The figures for each of the past five years were:

(£000s)
1961–62	1962–63	1963–64
813	1,332	977
1964–65		1965–66
1,005		2,879

The figures include supplies of telephone and allied equipment obtained by competitive tender as well as under the Bulk Supply Agreement.As regards the future, I cannot of course forecast where contracts will be placed.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in Liverpool the rental of telephone coin boxes installed in private houses has been increased by 150 per cent.; whether he is aware that this cannot be reconciled with Government policy on price increases; and whether he will make a statement.

At the same time as the rental for all coin boxes was changed the renters' rebate on the money they collect was also increased. The combined effect will depend on the calls made from a particular box, the renter being better off if his box is used frequently.Overall, Post Office revenue from this source is expected to fall.

asked the Postmaster-General how many names are on the waiting list for telephones on the Fair Oak exchange in Hampshire; and what is the average dealy in installing telephone service for subscribers on this exchange.

Excluding orders being met, 102 at 31st December, 1966, all of whom should have telephones installed this summer. They have on average been waiting for six months.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will extend the telephone service to enable subscribers to telephone for details of all types of sports results, stock exchange prices and other matters of public interest.

Several telephone information services are already available in many towns. These include the Speaking Clock, Test Match Information, Weather, Road Weather, Recipe and Teletourist Services.The scope for introducing further services, which would be profitable, is kept under review and I will keep the hon. Member's suggestions in mind. For the time being my first concern is, however, to augment the plant so as to remove congestion which detracts from the service in some places.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make it a condition of entrance to a teachers' training college that students give either three years' service teaching when they have qualified or repay the cost of their training.

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for these two suggestions which I shall bear in mind. But I have considerable reservations about their desirability and effectiveness.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to encourage the formation of regional arts associations.

The value of regional arts associations was emphasised in the White Paper on a Policy for the Arts published in 1965 and also in the broadsheet—"Report on the Arts"—which the Department issued last May. The more active the association the more substantial the financial support from the Arts Council, but the success of such associations depends primarily on local enthusiasm and initiative.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has reviewed plans for further and higher educational facilities in the Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire area in the light of the Buchanan Report.

Full account will be taken of this Report in considering proposals for the development of higher and further education provision in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what stage has now been reached with regard to the establishment of an agricultural college for Wales.

As stated in previous Answers, the Welsh Joint Education Committee have decided to go ahead with this project, and in August last they set up a panel to report on the courses to be provided at the College, the location of the College and the acquisition of a site, and the question of costs. This panel has been meeting regularly but it has not yet reported to the Joint Committee. The Department have said that they will consider the project for a place in a Further Education Building Programme when detailed plans with a schedule of accommodation can be submitted.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many colleges of education in Wales are providing for courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Education of the University of Wales.

All the nine colleges of education in Wales have sub- mitted to the University of Wales schemes for B.Ed. courses. These are currently being considered by the University.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many colleges of education in Wales provide courses for study through the medium of the Welsh language.

Two colleges, Normal College, Bangor, and Trinity College, Carmarthen, have received the approval of the University of Wales School of Education and have been equipped and staffed for providing courses of training through the medium of Welsh. These two colleges and six of the remaining seven colleges of education in Wales provide courses in Welsh.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he had before deciding to increase fees for overseas students.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Dewar) yesterday.—[Vol. 739, c. 306.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the steps being taken to improve the handling and slaughtering of broiler chickens at poultry processing plants; and if he will make a statement.

More effective equipment for the stunning of poultry has recently become available and is in use in some packing stations. As the hon. Member will be aware, the House on 25th November gave a Second Reading to the Slaughter of Poultry Bill introduced by my hon. Friend, the Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. Ensor) which contains provisions dealing with the stunning of poultry before slaughter for sale for human consumption, and with the treatment of poultry awaiting slaughter for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now state the acreage of wheat which has been sown in the autumn of 1966; and how this compares with the previous year.

It is estimated that 1,345,000 acres had been sown in England and Wales at 2nd December, 1966, compared with 1,499,000 acres at the same date in 1965.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his estimate of increased production costs per live hundredweight which beef producers would have to pay if Great Britain were to enter the European Economic Community under the present agricultural arrangements for the Community;(2) what is his estimate of increased production costs per gallon which milk producers would have to pay if Great Britain were to enter the European Economic Community under the present agricultural arrangements for the Community.

I accept that these are important questions but I am afraid that I cannot give precise estimates. Feeding and husbandry practice varies widely on both beef and dairy farms and affects the amount of cereal feed entering in production costs. The high cereal costs agreed upon by the Community will of course greatly increase the cost of cereal feeds. But its incidence will depend partly on the season and partly on the extent to which cereal feeding features in the individual farmers feeding policy. Winter milk and beef costs will, of course, be greatly increased.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much more per gallon the cost of milk production is in Wales than in England.

According to a recent survey by university departments of agricultural economics in England and Wales, about 3½d. more per gallon in the year ending 31st March, 1966. This difference is mainly attributable to a smaller size of dairy herd in Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much more per live hundredweight the cost of beef production is in Wales than in England.

Information is not available on which any such comparison can be based. The traditional system of fat cattle production in Wales is based on the widespread use of grass and is generally regarded as a relatively low-cost system in terms of cost per live cwt.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the average sale prices of beef and mutton in markets in Wales during 1966 compared with the average sale prices for the same commodities in English markets.

No figures are available on which comparisons can be made of carcase meat prices in England and in Wales but average market prices for fat cattle and sheep certified under the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme in the first 11 months of 1966 were:

CATTLE (PER LIVE CWT,)
	England		Wales
	s.	d.	s.	d.
January-March	180	6	176	8
April-June	189	10	189	9
July-September	172	4	165	1
October-November	139	8	131	11

SHEEP (PENCE PER LB.)
	d.	d.
January-March	37¾	37¾
April-June	42	44
July-September	35	34¾
October-November	28¾	28

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department last had international talks about the preservation of sea fisheries; with whom they took place; and when he expects the next talks to take place.

Officers of our Department take part in the regular meetings of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries which are the bodies responsible for fisheries conservation in their respective areas. The meetings are held each summer, and the next meetings will be in May and June respectively.The membership of each Commission includes all the countries which have any substantial fishing interest in its area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the acreage of wheat which has been sown in the autumn of 1966; and how this compares with the previous year.

No separate figures are available for autumn-sown wheat acreage in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue appropriate instructions making clear that dentists must be responsible for the treatment of post-extraction dental haemorrhage.

No. A patient requiring such treatment should first try to get it from his dentist, but when this is not possible he should consult a doctor.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reports he has received of the state of inshore hake fisheries in the Clyde and elsewhere.

The main Scottish inshore hake fisheries are in the Clyde and Moray Firth areas. In the Clyde the 1966 catch was one of the best for a number of years with good landings of large-sized hake during the winter fishery. In the Moray Firth area the landings have declined over the last few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the acreage of barley on farms qualifying under the winter keep scheme; and how much barley is sold off those farms.

It is estimated that 28,000 acres of barley are grown on farms qualifying under the winter keep scheme and that 48 per cent. of the 1964 crop (the latest cropping year for which such information is readily available) was sold off.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many regular officers' widows, by ranks, are receiving ordinary pensions, and how many of these, by ranks, are receiving pensions at the minimum rates.

Following is the information:

	Number of officers Widows receiving ordinary pensions	Number of officers Widows receiving pensions at minimum rates*
Field Marshal and equivalents	11	—
General and equivalents	53	5
Lt.-General and equivalents	107	2
Major-General	367	9
Brigadier	853	84
Colonel	864	99
Lt.-Colonel	2,677	451
Major	2,698	828
Captain and below	3,386	1,825
* Excludes Indian Army widows.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many widows of officers of colonel's rank and equivalent and below, who retired prior to 19th December, 1945, are drawing ordinary widows' pensions; and how many of these are on the minimum widows' pension rate.

4,763 and 1,772 respectively; a small number of Indian Army widows are excluded from the latter figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum rate of pension of the widow, aged 68 years, of a flight lieutenant.

£165 7s. 0d. a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much retired pay was received by a major who retired in 1952 after maximum service; how much he receives today, assuming he is 59 years of age; and by how much the cost of living has risen during this period.

A major retired in 1952 after maximum service received £500 a year retired pay. He would receive the same rate today at the age of 59, unless he has since become permanently incapacitated. The cost of living as measured by the Ministry of Labour retail price indices has risen by 57·5 per cent. since 1952.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by what amount the maximum retired pay of a lieutenant-colonel, on the 1919 Code and the 1956 Code, respectively, was increased as a result of the last two pensions increase measures.

£229 a year and £249 a year respectively, if he was over 60 but under 70 years of age at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by what percentage the retired pay of a major, under 60 years of age, retired on the 1950 Code, would have to be increased to bring it up to that of a major retiring today, assuming both had 25 years' service.

100 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the retired pay today of a major-general who retired at the end of the 1939–45 war on the 1919 Code after maximum service and who, having no terminal grant, had found it necessary to commute half of his retired pay on retirement; what is the maximum retired pay of a major-general who retires today; and what terminal grant he would receive.

A major-general who retired at the end of 1939–45 war would have normally retired on the 1945 code and, with maximum service, would have received £1,100 a year retired pay. If he commuted half his award as soon as he retired, his present rate of retired pay, increased under the Pensions (Increase) Warrants, would be £918 a year.A major-general retiring today with maximum service receives £2,590 a year retired pay and a terminal grant of £7,770.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the retired pay of a major who retired with maximum service in 1935, and is now over 80 years of age, has been increased; and by how much the cost of living has risen since his retirement.

By £393 to £800 a year. The increase in the cost of living since 1935 as measured by the Ministry of Labour cost of living and retail price indices is about 300 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the pension of the widow of a private soldier discharged after 32 years' service in August 1950; and what would be her pension had he been discharged in December 1950.

The widow of a private soldier discharged in August, 1950 after 32 years' service does not receive a forces family pension. The widow of a private soldier discharged after 32 years' service in December, 1950 would receive a pension of 27s. 4d. per week. If she has not reached the age of 40 she would receive a smaller pension. When she attains the age of 70 she would receive a further 6s. per week.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the pension received today by a sergeant, under 60 years of age, who was discharged in December, 1955, after 22 years' service; and what would be his pension were he discharged today.

About £2 a week depending on the number of years he had spent in each rank. A sergeant with 22 years' service who is discharged today will receive a pension not exceeding £5 6s. 4d. a week.

asked the Minister of Health how many children have died through accidentally taking drugs, tablets, and household fluids over each of the past five years; and what

DEATHS OF CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE DUE TO ACCIDENTAL POISONING BY CERTAIN SOLID AND
LIQUID SUBSTANCES, ENGLAND AND WALES, 1961 TO 1965 INCLUSIVE
	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965
Accidental Poisoning by:—
Barbiturate Acid and Derivatives (ICD* No. E.871)	6	2	3	3	3
Aspirin and Salicylates (ICD No. E.872)	9	9	7	14	8
Other Analgesic and Soporific Drugs (ICD No. E.874)	2	—	1	1	6
Strychnine (ICD No. E.876)	—	1	—	—	—
Other and unspecified Drugs (ICD No. E.878)	14	12	14	13	12
Alcohol (ICD No. E.880)	—	—	—	1	—
Petroleum Products (ICD No. E.881)	1	1	—	—	—
Industrial Solvents (ICD No. E.882)	—	—	1	2	1
Corrosive aromatics, acids and caustic Alkalis (ICD No. E.883)	1	2	1	4	—
Arsenic and antimony and their compounds (ICD No. E.886)	—	—	—	—	1
Other and unspecified solid and liquid substances (ICD No. E.888)	—	5	2	4	2
Totals	33	32	29	42	33
* International Classification of Diseases, 1955.

asked the Minister of Health how many four-wheeled vehicles have been issued to disabled drivers in the years 1965 and 1966; what is his estimate for 1967 and 1968; and if he will make a statement.

1,122 in 1965 and 951 in 1966. On the same basis of eligibility, the estimates for 1967 and 1968 are 1,350 and 1,700 respectively. I shall be making a statement in the near future about my review of our provisions of vehicles for the disabled.

asked the Minister of Health what he is doing to support research into kidney machines, with a view to making them cheaper and to reducing the amount of professional and technical skill required to supervise their use by patients themselves.

I am supporting financially evaluations of equipment for use both in hospital and in the home in the treatment by intermittent dialysis of patients suffering from chronic kidney failure. My Department in conjunction with a working party of experts is in touch with firms manufacturing and de- action his department is taking to bring to the notice of the public, especially parents, the dangers created for young children due to neglect and carelessness.

My Department issues to newspapers and women's magazines editorial notes drawing attention to the need to keep medicines and cleaning materials out of the reach of children.veloping this specialised equipment, and with university and hospital staffs working on the problems involved.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what recommendations have been made to him by the Water Resources Board concerning the Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth barrage schemes; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether, following publication of the consulting engineers' reports on their desk studies on barrages across Morecambe Bay, he will authorise a full feasibility study embracing fieldwork and hydraulic model studies.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what conclusion he has reached on the need for further study of the feasibility of an estuarial barrage to provide water from the north of the country.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he will make a statement on the report of the study which he has received on the Morecambe Bay and Solway barrage schemes.