asked the Minister of Health whether he will set up a permanent national committee to advise Her Majesty's Government on the need for population control in the United Kingdom in relation to the social and economic problems consequent upon the continuing growth of the population.

No.

asked the Minister of Health what types of machines are used in the home dialysis service for persons suffering from renal failure; how many of these have to be imported; and from which countries.

There are at present two types of machines in use, one of which is imported from the United States of America. Several other British machines are in course of development.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of abortion of all types are admitted to hospital annually; how many of these are therapeutic and how many septic; and what is the average length of hospitalisation.

The most recent estimates available for England and Wales for discharges (including deaths) after abortions from National Health Service hospitals only, based on a 10 per cent. sample inquiry, are:

Year		All abortions	Therapeutic abortions	Septic abortions
1961	…	69,000	2,300	2,900
1962	…	72,000	2,800	2,600
1963	…	72,000	2,600	2,800
1964	…	75,000	3,300	3,000

The average length of stay is available only for 1962 and 1963 and was 5·7 and 5·6 days respectively (all abortions). The figures given may not include some cases of therapeutic abortion where the diagnosis is attributed to the major cause which may be the disease for which the operation was performed rather than the operation itself.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made in the Oxford region with the provision of hospital accommodation for mentally subnormal children; and if he will make a statement.

Hospital accommodation for the mentally subnormal is not normally designated separately for children and for adults. The Oxford Regional Hospital Board propose to provide 20 extra beds at Rushden Hospital, Northants, by change of use and 126 extra beds at Borocourt Hospital, near Reading, in new accommodation for mentally subnormal patients this year. Negotiations have reached an advanced stage for leasing Burderop Hospital, near Swindon, part of which will provide an extra 200 beds. Some of these beds will be used to relieve overcrowding at other neighbouring hospitals for the mentally subnormal.Work will start this summer on the first phase of a new hospital at Upton, near Northampton, to provide 140 extra beds for subnormal children. The first phase of the redevelopment of Manor House, Aylesbury, which will provide a further 36 beds, is expected to start in 1968–69.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average weekly cost of keeping a civilian in a hospital in the United Kingdom, includng the cost of medical treatment and nursing.

£39 4s. 7d. per in-patient week for 1965–66 in acute non-teaching hospitals in the National Health Service in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the fact that the Pressed Steel Fisher factory in Coventry was shut down on 20th February for the fourth time in two weeks and the entire labour force of 1,200 sent home indefinitely because of the go-slow tactics of only 12 internal drivers, if he will ask Mr. Scamp to investigate and report.

Mr. Scamp held an inquiry on 23rd February into this disput on behalf of the Motor Industry Joint Labour Council. Mr. Scamp's report will be available in the near future. I understand that normal working was resumed this morning.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the fact that Vauxhall Motors workers average wage has fallen from £26 to £18 a week, caused largely by the unofficial walk-out of 300 men at 4 p.m., and is now endangering the permanent jobs of another 4,000 workers, if he will ask Mr. Scamp to investigate and report.

Normal working was resumed at Vauxhall Motors on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give a list of all wage claims which have come to his notice where a rise has been given in England, but the Scottish equivalent workers have had their claim frozen by the measures of 20th July.

For the purposes of applying the standstill policy each pay agreement is considered separately. This has led, in many instances, to the interruption of customary relationships in pay. In applying the policy no distinction is made between different parts of the United Kingdom, but as some industries or occupations negotiate separately for England and Wales and for Scotland it has sometimes happened that the standstill has affected groups north and south of the Border in a different way because of the different timing of negotiations and agreements.The principal groups affected in this way have been electricians and local government employees in Scotland.

asked the Minister of Labour following Mr. Scamp's Report of 10th November 1966 on the motor industry, what is Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to legislation for power to impose sanctions against indiscipline to be vested in authorities outside or independent of the motor car industry.

The Government propose to await the report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions before taking any decision on the general question of legislative sanctions. Meantime I have urged both sides of the industry to consider what can be done to improve the position.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking pursuant to his statutory responsibilities under Sec- tion 3(3) of the Employment and Training Act 1948 to provide allowances for staff at present employed by the chief accountant, British Railways, at Newcastle, who are required to move consequent upon the merger of British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions.

As British Railways pay allowances to workers whom they transfer, these workers are not eligible to receive similar assistance under this Ministry's Scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the average gross weekly earnings of a building trade craftsman in the Greater London area for the last convenient three-month period.

Figures for average earnings by occupation in Construction are obtained twice each year in June and January. In June 1966, the latest date for which information is available, the average gross weekly earnings of a building trade craftsman in the Greater London area were 427s. 10d.

asked the Minister of Labour how many places were available for training and retraining in the North-East at 31st March 1966; and how many were available on 31st January 1967.

713 and 715 respectively. Later this year some 60 extra places will be added to existing Government Training Centres in the North East and a new Centre with 200 training places will be opened.

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the expenditure under the Local Employment Acts to assist expanding firms in the North-East with training costs since the improved rates of assistance became available on 1st April, 1966.

Under the scheme of assistance with industrial training costs to expanding firms in Development Areas, between 1st April, 1966 and 31st January, 1967, the Department paid out a total of £202,600 to firms in the Northern Development Area (and the earlier Development Districts of Northern England).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what consideration he has given to the application of Coventry City Council for consent, under Section 8 of the Allotments Act, 1925, to the release of land on which a Roman Catholic school may be built at Wilderness Close, Radford, Coventry; and what alternative arrangement he is proposing to the existing allotment holders.

My right hon. Friend cannot give his consent to the release of this allotments land for other purposes until adequate arrangements are made for the plotholders. We are now examining fresh proposals recently made by the Council.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of the need for pre-school play group and nursery facilities, he will advise local planning authorities to consider favourably planning applications for the partial use of adequate residential property for these purposes.

The policy statement that a school or residential nursery is in place in a residential area, appearing on page 19 of the booklet "Selected Planning Appeals" (Second Series, Volume One), published by H.M.S.O. and circulated to planning authorities in 1959, is still valid and applies equally to preschool facilities. My right hon. Friend does not consider that any further advice is necessary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to what extent he intends to consult the Government-aided Centre for Environmental Studies before he con- firms any more development plans and Green Belt proposals.

The Centre for Environmental Studies will be concerned to advance research in the planning field. It would not be appropriate to consult the Centre on individual development plans and Green Belt proposals.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will confirm the compulsory purchase order in relation to properties in Newhaven Street, Brighton.

My right hon. Friend's decision on this Order was issued on 23rd February.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will seek powers to make special grants to local authorities for small seaside towns to help them with the heavy initial cost of modern sewage disposal schemes.

No. My right hon. Friend sees no justification for treating seaside towns differently from others.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing how many applications to fix rents have been made by tenants to rent officers in each of the London boroughs in the last twelve months, the number of rents reduced, the number of rents unchanged, the number of rents increased, and the number of rents increased by a sum smaller than that asked for by the landlord.

19,056 applications for registration of rent had been made to rent officers in London up to 18th February, 1967, of which 13,701 had been determined. The original rent was reduced in 6,677 cases, unchanged in 2,180 and increased in 4,844. I regret that the other details asked for are not available.

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 in Greater London at 1st January in each year since 1960, including 1967.

The figures requested are given in the table below:—

Dwellings under construction for local authorities in Greater London At 1st January
1960	…	…	…	24,587
1961	…	…	…	24,640
1962	…	…	…	23,850
1963	…	…	…	25,939
1964	…	…	…	30,442
1965	…	…	…	38,302
1966	…	…	…	42,755
1967	…	…	…	41,122*
* Revised basis: the figures on the previous basis was 45,745.

The figure of the number of dwellings under construction for the Greater London Council has been revised following a change in the definition of "dwellings started" in the statistical return made by the Council. Until the end of 1966 the Greater London Council provided information on the same basis as previously provided by the London County Council, defining a start as being the date when instructions were given to the contractor to proceed rather than when work on the laying of foundations (or slabbing) began. Thus starts were recorded earlier than they should have been.Figures on the standard basis are not available for past periods. It is not thought that the difference in definition greatly affected the number of starts reported year by year. The figures on completions are not affected by the change.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the number of council houses completed in Greater London for each year since 1960, including 1966.

The figures requested are given in the table below:—

Dwellings completed for local authorities Greater London*
Year				Completed During Year
1960	…	…	…	14,095
1961	…	…	…	13,177
1962	…	…	…	13,895
1963	…	…	…	14,314
1964	…	…	…	14,475
1965	…	…	…	17,782
1966	…	…	…	19,859
* Greater London Council Area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that costs are not asked for in successful uncontested prosecution appeals against acquittals in magistrates' courts.

The decision whether to ask for costs in a successful appeal by the prosecution rests with the prosecution, but I shall consider whether any guidance could appropriately be given to prosecuting authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange that Fraud Squad officers have a career structure inside that department so that they are not transferred as at present backwards and forwards to other departments, particularly when in the middle of technical and complicated investigations; and if he will make a statement.

It is necessary for some officers in the Fraud Squad to have all-round divisional experience, and for some officers in divisions to have experience of fraud investigation. It would not be in the interests of officers to limit their careers to the Fraud Squad. Unnecessary movement is, however, avoided; a number of officers have remained in the Squad on promotion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Scotland Yard Fraud Squad detectives have to pay their own fees and go in their own time to lectures in accountancy and other subjects necessary for their work.

Lectures in subjects such as accountancy, banking and company law are normally given at New Scotland Yard, and are attended by officers of the Fraud Squad in the course of duty and without personal expense. Attendance at lectures arranged at other centres in London is entirely voluntary, and officers who wish to do so attend in their own time and meet any expenses incurred.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many indictable offences involving the use of firearms, other than shotguns and shotguns only, respectively, were known to the police in each year from 1955 to the latest available year; and how many of the cases involving shotguns concerned those with a barrel length less than 24 inches, more than 24 inches, or with a barrel length unknown, respectively.

The numbers of indictable offences known to the police in England and Wales involving shotguns and other firearms in the years 1961 to 1966 are set out below. The information for earlier years is not available.During 1966, 45 of the shotguns had barrels less than 24 inches in length. Corresponding information for other years is not available.

Year			Indictable offences involving shotguns	Indictable offences involving other firearms
1961	…	…	107	445
1962	…	…	122	466
1963	…	…	144	434
1964	…	…	215	516
1965	…	…	318	822
1966	…	…	404	1,107

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many of the indictable offences involving the use of firearms, other than shotguns, during the last three years for which figures are available the user, any other person, or no person, respectively, held a certificate for that firearm; and in which cases the information is not available.

I regret that none of this information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards the general appointment of court ushers to replace policemen, in view of the fact that many policeman who so act do so when they have cases up before the court.

That wherever possible the police should be relieved of ushers' duties and civilians appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the definition of charity in British law with a view to its amendment.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Alexander W. Lyon) on 25th October 1966.—[Vol. 734, c. 825–6.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the position of the cotton and man-made fibre textile industry and the long delay in the publication of up-to-date figures of production and employment, he will arrange with the Textile Council for provisional figures and information to be made available in the Library.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16th February, 1967. The Textile Council do not consider that reliable estimates can be prepared any sooner than at present I am arranging for the Library to receive each month a copy of the Textile Council's press statement containing these figures.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take immediately to assist the textile industry; and if he will make a statement.

This Government have already imposed severe restrictions on imports of cotton textiles from most countries in the world for five years up to the end of 1970. The expanded and reconstituted Textile Council has been set up. I am discussing with the Council the need for a special committee to advise me on the import situation. My officials are in close touch with the Council and the industry to see whether there is evidence of foreign dumping or subsidisation and of its effects on the industry. We have had, and will continue to have, the industry's problems constantly in mind in discussions in the Cotton Textiles Committee of the G.A.T.T. and elsewhere; and we are working with the new Textile Council on a major study of productivity in all its aspects. I expect the industry, for its part, to take the fullest advantage of the breathing space we have provided to increase its own competitiveness. Production of man-made fibre yarn increased in January.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the joint education of the legal professions is among the questions to be considered by the Monopolies Commission.

The Commission will be free to consider any matters which it regards as being within the terms of reference given to it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the recent closure of textile factories in the greater Wigan union area, which has created hardship and increased the number unemployed, especially in the over 40 years of age group, he will consider declaring this area of South Lancashire a development district.

No. Recent experience of unemployment in Wigan would not at present justify this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total import/export trade with Rumania for 1965–66; and what proposals are being considered for an extension of trade in this field.

Our total trade with Rumania was £20·9 million in 1965 and £25·9 million in 1966, made up as follows:—

		£ millions
	1965	1966
Imports from Rumania	11·2	15·2
Exports and re-exports to Rumania	9·7	10·7

The trade arrangements with Rumania are kept constantly under review with the aim of increasing trade in both directions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated number of additional hotel bedrooms required to meet tourist demands by 1970; and what steps the Government are taking to help meet this demand.

The British Travel Association has estimated that 30,000 additional hotel beds will be needed by 1970. Any such estimate needs, however, to be based on assessments of such uncertain factors as the rate of growth of tourist traffic, the numbers of overseas visitors and of Britons who go abroad for their holiday, and the changing pattern of demand for different types of accommodation.For an outline of the Board of Trade's selective development loan scheme for hotels I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's description of it in the debate on economic affairs on 26th July, 1966 [Vol. 732, c. 1570–80.] and his subsequent Answer of 6th December to my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth (Mr. Milne).—[Vol. 737, c.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered the economic consequences of a rise of 34 per cent. in the home domestic price of barley which his Department considers probable in the event of Great Britain joining the Common Market; and what would be the estimated increase required in the retail price of a pint of beer to cover such increase in the price of barley.

Assuming no change in the Community's present arrangements, barley prices in the U.K. would increase substantially, but it is not possible to give a precise estimate. The profitability of barley production would greatly increase and so would the cost of feeding-stuffs. This would lead to lower profitability for poultry, pig and dairy farming and increase the cost of other products made from barley. It is not possible to estimate precisely the increase required in the retail price of beer to cover increases in barley prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the shortest interval between the notification of a claim for repayment of Selective Employment Tax by a farmer and the date on which such repayment has been made.

Six days.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many repayable advances to bacon curers have been applied for; what was their value; and what proportion of total bacon production these curers represent.

Up to the 23rd February, 133 curers responsible for about 98 per cent. of the bacon produced in Great Britain have made claims covering all or part of the period 19th December to 17th February. Claims eligible for advances cover 345,000 cwt. of bacon and amount to £301,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the representations made by organisations interested in his proposal to sterilise by cooking all meat sold for feeding dogs; and if he will make a statement.

Our proposals would not require the sterilisation of all meat sold for feeding dogs. They would require the sterilisation of all knacker meat and meat imported without an Official Certificate of fitness for human food, as well as unfit slaughterhouse meat and unfit imported meat, to which the sterilisation requirement applies at present. We are considering with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health the substantial volume of representations which we have received both for and against the proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the decision was taken to reoccupy the former Admiralty depot at Ditton Priors, Shropshire, on behalf of the United States forces.

On 6th January, 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what length of the former Cleobury Mortimer—Ditton Priors railway has been pulled up since 16th January last; how much has been realised since that date from the sale of rails and other materials; and when it is proposed to replace them.

The railway was sold as a whole in November, 1966; about 3 miles of track has been removed since 16th January. No decision has been taken about its reinstatement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Army is negotiating to secure Glen Affric for infantry training; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is seeking through the Scottish Landowners Federation the permission of the owners and tenants at Glen Affric for the Army to undertake a limited amount of adventure training in the area. The training would involve small parties of about eightmen in camping there for some ten days and carrying out such activities as cross-country movement, patrolling and map reading. Supplies would sometimes be dropped by helicopter, but no vehicles or firing would be involved. The exercises would be arranged only at periods convenient to the owners, and would not affect any existing rights of public access.Similar training was successfully carried out with the full consent of the owners at Glen Trool last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many military and civilian hospitals are under his control in Malta; what is the total number of beds available in each if used at optimum efficiency; how many are now being used; and how many may be needed if the five-year defence rundown is carried out.

The following is the information:

Number of hospitals—2 Service hospitals.

Total number of beds—185.

Beds in use—about 70 per cent. per week.

Beds needed after rundown—65.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average weekly cost of keeping a Service man and a civilian member of his family in hospital in Malta, including costs of medical treatment and nursing.

I regret that this information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students at colleges of education failed to complete the three-year course in each of the last five years.

The length of the normal college course was increased from two to three years in 1960. Of the students admitted to three-year courses in 1960, 1961 and 1962 about 1,700, 1,400 and 1,450 respectively withdrew during the course or failed in the final examination; examination failures account for about one-third of these numbers, but many of the students concerned subsequently retrieved their failures. The figure for students admitted to three-year courses in 1963 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teacher trainees left training colleges fully qualified in the year 1965–66; how many of these took up posts in the education service as teachers; and what is the estimated cost per trainee.

About 19,250 successful students left the General, Housecraft, and Physical Education colleges last summer. The second figure asked for is not yet available.The average cost per student in 1965–66 was about £780 a year, giving a total of about £2,340 for a three year course.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to insist that none of the golf clubs to which his Department makes a grant discriminates on religious or racial grounds in admission to its membership.

This is already the policy of the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made with the transfer of the Teachers' Pensions and Salaries and Qualifications Branch of his Department to Darlington; and when he expects the transfer to be completed.

The dispersal to Darlington of Teachers Pensions and Salaries and Qualifications Branches is not expected to be completed before 1970, since the multi-storey office block, in which most of the staff will be accommodated, is unlikely to be ready before the end of 1969. It may, however, be possible, if suitable temporary office accommodation can be found, for part of the work to be transferred in 1968.The Department's Automatic Data Processing Unit will be moved to Darlington earlier. Specialist accommodation is expected to be available for them on the Mowden Hall site by mid-1968 when a new computer will be installed there. A small Automatic Data Processing training section, 16 in number, is already at work in the existing premises at Mowden Hall: the staff of the Unit will be increased progressively to more than 100 between now and mid-1968.When the dispersal is completed it is estimated that about 550 civil servants, many of whom will be recruited locally, will be employed on the Mowden site.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs by what date he now expects to publish the revised National Plan.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield, West (Mr. Lomas) on Thursday, 23rd February.—[Vol. 741, c. 326–7.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that 57 cotton and man-made fibre spinning and weaving mills have closed down since 1st November, 1966; and what steps he will take to remove restrictions on purchasing power for those textiles.

I am aware of the present difficulties of the textile industry. As to the second part of the Question, my hon. Friend will appreciate that I cannot anticipate my Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Commissioners of Customs and Excise intend to take to make it widely and publicly known that, following the case of Salomon versus the Commissioners, they are meet- ing claims for repayment duly made where supported by reasonable evidence, and that these claims are not confined to cameras, but apply to all goods where the wrong assessment has been made.

The decision of the Court of Appeal was fully reported in the Press.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to complete his review of the level of public service pensions.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my speech during the debate on the Public Service and Armed Forces Pensions Commission Bill on 3rd February, 1967.[Vol. 740, c. 979–990.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to Blackpool of the Selective Employment Tax on employees in hotels, restaurants and the amusement industry in the borough.

I regret that the required information is not available.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether, in view of the gravity of the situation in the cotton and man-made fibre textile industry, he will arrange in suitable cases for a portion of aid to developing countries to be made in home-produced textile products.

As my right hon. Friend said in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Brighouse and Spenborough (Mr. Colin Jackson) on 17th January, we are always interested in information about the products of British industries which may be made available to the developing countries. It will be recognised, however, that the choice of goods financed under the aid programme is primarily governed by the development requirements of the recipient countries and by the planning priorities established by the authorities in those countries.—[Vol. 739, c. 48.]

asked the Postmaster-General how many franked On Her Majesty's Service envelopes were issued in the last 12 months most convenient for computation.

About 450 million.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the agencies, organisations and embassies or commissions who receive a Supply of franked On Her Majesty's Service envelopes at a price less than the cost of postage.

None.

asked the Postmaster-General why he will not publish for sale in Wales bilingual stamps on which both the Welsh and English languages are used.

It would be premature to try to settle the designs of the new Regional stamps before the new definitive stamps are published but when the time comes I will bear the hon. Gentleman's suggestion in mind.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made with his plans for the old telephone exchange at Robertsbridge.

I am selling this property to the Battle Rural District Council for conversion to residential use.

asked the Postmaster-General how many public telephones in kiosks are available in the borough of Harrow; how many were not in working order at a convenient date about six months ago; and how many are now not in working order.

The information is as follows:

	End of August, 1966	End of February, 1967
Number of kiosks	274	274
Number completely out of order	7	7
Number with emergency service only	10	14

asked the Postmaster-General how many directions, general or otherwise, he has issued to the British Broadcasting Corporation or the Independent Television Authority since October 1964; and under what Sections of which Act they were issued.

Six, to the Independent Television Authority: one under Section 7(5) of the Television Act 1964; one under Section 21(2)(b) of that Act; two under Section 21(3) of that Act; and two under Section 22(1) of that Act.

asked the Postmaster-General what information he has received as to the type of music most likely to be preferred by listeners to the musical programme on 247 metres.

Various views have been put to me. The overall picture is that there are audiences for all kinds of popular music. As the 247 metres wavelength is the only one that can be spared to provide the service, it would be wrong to devote it exclusively to any one kind.

asked the Minister of Power how many collieries there are in the Northumberland and Durham coalfield at this date; how many he expects to be actively producing coal in 1970; what is the manpower at this date; and what it will be in 1970.

As at 11th February there were 86 collieries employing 76,340 men. No accurate estimate can be made yet of the number of collieries and men likely to be employed in 1970.

asked the Prime Minister what items were included in the figure of £100 million which he gave to the Commonwealth representatives last September as the total estimated cost to Great Britain of the consequences of Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence; what is his latest revised estimate on the same basis; and when he communicated this to the other Commonwealth Governments.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the Answers I gave to Questions on 21st February, to which I have nothing to add.—[Vol. 741, c. 1433.]

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what proportion of £1,960,000, being the total cost of his Director General, Research and Development, can be attributed to salaries, wages and pensions and to overheads and accommodation, respectively.

The sum of £1,960,000 is made up as follows:

	£
(a) Salaries, wages and pensions, etc.	1,306,000
(b) Overheads and accommodation	630,000
(c) Other staff costs (travelling and subsistence)	24,000
Total	£1,960,000

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works which of the 28 publications of his Director General, Research and Development, relate to the results of scientific research carried out by the staff of the Director General, Research and Development.

The primary functions of the Directorate General of Research and Development are to foster research into the problems of the Construction Industries, to co-ordinate and publicise its results and to develop new methods of construction. Its staff do not duplicate efforts made elsewhere by undertaking themselves fundamental research of the kind which my hon. Friend appears to have in mind.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is aware that many building companies costed contracts signed before 20th July last on the basis of an agreement with employees concerning periodical increases in wages which have not been paid owing to the prices and incomes policy; and what action he proposes to take to prevent the companies from making a profit out of the policy.

I have no proposals to ask the firms concerned to revise their prices since contracts, once entered into, are legally binding. Thus, any attempt to revise the terms of these contracts would entail their renegotiation, which would permit counterbalancing claims by the contractors for such increases in costs as may have taken place since the contract was let or are now in prospect. This would breach the policy of firm price contracting in the construction industry, which has been a major factor in price stability in recent years.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what additional expenditure has been incurred by his Director General, Research and Development, over and above £1,950,000 since its establishment; and if he will give details.

Expenditure incurred by Directorate General of Research and Development in respect of its share of the Ministry's production programmes has been £2,702,000. This figure comprises of £1,292,000 on staff costs and accommodation and £1,410,000 on consultants' fees.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will state in table form the differences between Great Britain and those nations within the European Economic Community in terms of social service.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Haseldine) on 31st January.—[Vol. 740, c. 91.]

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will take steps to amend the regulations covering supplementary benefits so that those paying off mortgages can be fully assisted as can people paying rent.

Repayments of mortgage capital by an owner-occupier buying his house are not the equivalent of rent paid by a tenant to a landlord and I do not think it would be right to treat them as such under the Supplementary Benefits scheme. In the exceptional case the Commission can of course use is discretionary powers to prevent hardship.

asked the Minister of Technology what action he will take to alleviate the difficulties of manufacturers of steel pressure vessels, heat exchangers and storage tanks for the chemical, oil and gas industries, in view of the fact that these products valued at about £20 million were ordered from abroad in 1966 for delivery to the United Kingdom while some British firms were working a four-day week.

My Ministry has had recent discussions with the Tank and Industrial Plant Association on this question and has undertaken, in collaboration with the N.E.D.C. Process Plant Working Party, to examine the problems of supply and demand in this sector of industry.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will remove the 40 miles-per-hour speed limit restriction on the Great West Road, the A4, between the Syon Lane junction and the A4/A30 roundabout.

No, this stretch of road is unsuitable for high speeds in view of its built-up character and its many signal-controlled junctions. The present 40 m.p.h. speed limit is therefore considered to be appropriate. The police agree.

asked the Minister of Transport what is her policy concerning speed limit restrictions on new lengths of dual carriageway on main roads.

Such roads may be subject to 30 or 40 m.p.h. speed limits in urban areas, and to 50 m.p.h. limits when they are of urban motorway charac- ter. In rural areas they are normally subject only to the 70 m.p.h. speed limit.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will remove the 50 miles-per-hour speed limit restriction on the recently completed dual carriageway section of the A3, between Ripley and Guildford.

Yes. My right hon. Friend proposes to make the necessary Order shortly. The 50 m p h. speed limit will remain at each end of the dual carriageway to cover road junctions.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the numbers of Welsh-speaking people living in the United Kingdom outside Wales.

I cannot add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardigan on 7th February, 1967.—[Vol. 740, c. 294.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will discuss with the Registrar-General the possibility of making provision on census forms for obtaining the number of people born in Wales, but living outside Wales, who are Welsh-speaking.

This possibility will be considered in connection with the next census.