asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the annual amount of foreign currency earned by the carriage of passengers and freight in British registered aircraft and ships, respectively.

It is estimated that in 1965, the overseas earnings of British airlines and British shipping companies from the carriage of passengers and freight were £106 million and £607 million respectively, before deducting expenses incurred abroad.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what reasons investment grants are made in respect of ships and hovercraft but not for aircraft.

Since the major British aircraft operators are the public corporations, which, in common with other nationalised industries, are not eligible for grant in respect of their main statutory functions, the Government do not consider it would be justifiable to give investment grants to the private aircraft operators. These considerations do not apply to either ships or hovercraft? In addition, aircraft operating within Britain are in competition with other forms of transport excluded from grants.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made on the effects of entry by Great Britain to the European Economic Community on Polish trade with Great Britain.

There are too many uncertainties, including the terms of entry, for any useful estimate to be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the effects of entry to the European Economic Community on British trade with sterling area producers of commodities which are leviable under European Economic Community regulations; and whether he will publish details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The effects would depend on the terms upon which we entered and world market conditions at the time: but any new obstacle to trade must of course have adverse effects on those concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the price of natural rubber has fallen recently to 17d. per pound, the lowest price since 1945; and, since the value of money has fallen by more than a half in those years, if he will seek to call an international conference of growers and users, with a view to at least doubling the price of rubber.

Natural rubber prices are at their lowest since early 1954. The International Rubber Study Group is closely studying the future prospect for natural rubber and we shall do best to await its recommendations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further proposals he has of differentiation in industrial inducements as between development areas.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what increase there has been in output in the shirt industry since July, 1966.

Separate information on shirts is not available; but sales by manufacturers mainly producing shirts, overalls and nightwear declined slightly in the second half of 1966.

asked the President of the Board of Trade who are the members of the Board of Trade; when the Board last met; and when it is proposed to hold its next meeting.

Below is set out a note of the membership of the Board of Trade. The last recorded meeting of the Board as a collective body was held on 23rd December, 1850. I have no present intention of calling another.The Board is a Committee of the Privy Council for Trade and Foreign Plantations appointed by an Order in Council of 23rd August, 1786. The members of that Committee appointed by that Order in Council were as follows:—The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.The first Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.The first Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty.His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State.The Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer; andThe Speaker of the House of Commons; such members of the Privy Council as hold any of the following offices, viz.:—The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.The Pay Master or Pay Masters General of His Majesty's Forces.The Treasurer of His Majesty's Navy, andThe Master of His Majesty's Mint;the Speaker of the House of Commons of Ireland and such members of the Privy Council as hold office in the Kingdom of Ireland; and10 named persons.The Right Hon. Lord Hawkesbury was appointed President.The present members of the Board of Trade are the President and the holders (if members of the Privy Council) of such of the offices referred to, as still exist.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now reduce the number of permitted night movements at London Airport, Heathrow, during the coming summer period from the present 3,500 to 3,000.

No. Such matters must be settled well in advance of the summer period which starts on 1st April to give the airlines time to plan their flight schedules. My right hon. Friend announced his decision last November to set the limit at 3,500 again this year, despite the much increased demand for night jet flights.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in measuring aircraft noise under the glide path made by aircraft landing at London Airport, Heathrow, he will use the Noise and Number Index adopted by the Wilson Report of 1963 or the newer Index of Community Nuisance, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will publish monthly reports of these measurements.

No. This suggestion is not practical but I am proposing to give the hon. Member sample measurements of the noise of landing aircraft in Perceived Noise Decibels.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the number of passengers using London Airport, Heathrow, has doubled since 1960; and if he will now limit the number of landings by day as well as by night.

Passenger traffic has increased by 125 per cent. since 1960 but aircraft movements by only 55 per cent. I do not consider that it is practicable to add to the severe restrictions already imposed for noise reasons, including the limit on summer night jet operations, by also placing a limit on the volume of daytime jet traffic.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the speed of the crosswind on Turn-house runway on Tuesday, 28th February; and how many diversions there were that day.

Between 0730 and 1000 hours the crosswind averaged 23 knots with gusts to 38 knots, and 7 flights were cancelled or diverted. There were no cancellations or diversions during the remainder of the day.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in the period 7th February to 7th March incoming flights to Edinburgh Airport have been diverted to other airports; and on how many occasions outgoing flights for Edinburgh have been cancelled or transferred to another airport.

31 and 39 respectively. In addition 8 flights to Edinburgh were cancelled.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many scheduled flights in and out of Edinburgh, Turnhouse Airport, were diverted on account of cross-winds from Monday, 27th February to Monday, 6th March, inclusive; how many of these were operated by British European Airways; what percentage of all Edinburgh flights in that period this figure represents; and what estimate is available of the financial expense incurred by British European Airways owing to the diversions.

The answers to the first three parts of the question are 59, 48 and 27 per cent. (including cancelled flights). I have no information about the cost to B.E.A. of these diversions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement about the need for a second runway at Edinburgh, Turnhouse Airport.

I am examining the need for a new runway in relation to the types of aircraft likely to be operating at Turnhouse in the early 1970s. This will depend in part on B.E.A.'s re-equipment plans which are at present under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his reference to the Monopolies Commission of the professions includes the Musicians Union and Equity.

It will be for the Commission to decide which professions to investigate. However, practices connected with contracts of service are specifically excluded from the scope of the inquiry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the increase in unemployment in the Hull area, what proposals he has to increase employment opportunities in the area.

Subject to the needs of the development areas, we are prepared to consider sympathetically applications for industrial development certificates for suitable projects in Hull.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the increase in unemployment in the Hull area, he will now accept the recommendation of the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Council to introduce special development grants for the area.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West (Mr. James Johnson) on 1st December.—[Vol. 737, c. 609.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that everything possible is being done to facilitate the development of exports to Latin American markets, particularly in such matters as steel and similar plant, having regard to the current plans for new capital investment in Latin America; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is very much alive to the opportunities for trade with Latin America. Two Board of Trade Ministers have recently visited the area, and ways of developing our exports are under constant study by my Department and by the British National Export Council.The facilities of the Board of Trade and E.C.G.D. are available to our manufacturers of steel works plant.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give instructions, in accordance with paragraph 5 of the Aerodrome Licence issued to the Dart Aircraft Company Limited, adequately to signpost the public footpaths crossing or bordering on the landing area at Blackbushe with notices to warn the public of danger from aircraft.

I have no information to suggest that the company are not carrying out their obligation in regard to signposting.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of cotton and man-made fibre cloth imports in January being the biggest monthly total ever, what steps he will take to fulfill his undertakings given to the Cotton Board conference in October, 1965 that cotton textile imports from low-cost countries should not for the time being be allowed to rise further as a percentage of United Kingdom internal consumption.

The question does not arise, because I have more than fulfilled the undertaking which I gave at the Cotton Board Conference. The global quota now in force ensures this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish details of the methods used to calculate the trade gap in balance of payments terms from the recorded figures provided by the Customs and Excise, distinguishing between the seasonal and any other adjustments made.

Details are already published. They appear mainly in the notes to the annual publication, United Kingdom Balance of Payments, issued by the Central Statistical Office. Methods of seasonal adjustment of the trade figures were described in detail in the Board of Trade Journal of 6th November, 1959.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the total sum paid by him to bus companies for transport of passengers diverted to Glasgow Airport from the Edinburgh destination and those transported from Edinburgh to Glasgow Airport in the four-week period 7th February to 7th March.

I have made no such payments. This is the airlines' responsibility.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will identify the authority by which he will implement the Report of the Monopolies Commission on Detergents.

The authority, if I were to use it, is contained in Section 3 of the Monopolies and Mergers Act, 1965.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is now taking to implement the recommendations of the Monopolies Commission on the sale of detergents.

I am still in discussion with the companies. I shall make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will issue a general direction to Birtish Overseas Airways Corporation to order more VC10s.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance he gave to the firm of Plessey and Company Limited to reach its five-year agreement with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and to what extent he estimates that this will increase British trade with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The company consulted me about its proposals, which I was glad to be able to endorse. I welcome the initiative it showed in negotiating this agreement and I hope substantial business for it will follow. It is not, however, for me to estimate the amount of business which may result.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he will introduce legislation to give State third party insurance indemnity to all pedestrians.

I am not intending to introduce such legislation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation requiring all overseas suppliers to the United Kingdom to make formal declaration on their export invoices as to the percentage of work done on the finished goods in the declared country of origin of the goods.

No; but the Protection of Consumers (Trade Descriptions) Bill, which the Government will introduce as soon as possible, would enable the Board of Trade to make Orders clarifying the existing statutory prohibition on the importation of goods bearing false indications of origin.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many countries to which Great Britain exports goods demand on export invoices the percentage of work done on the finished goods in Great Britain, the declared country of origin of the goods.

It is necessary or advisable in the case of seven countries for the United Kingdom exporter to state the actual percentage of value of the finished product represented by British labour or materials.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are his plans for reserving space for the sole use of passengers at the terminal building at Aldergrove Civil Airport in County Antrim during the summer months and particularly at weekends; and if he will make a statement.

None. I do not think it is practical to attempt to segregate passengers from their friends or spectators.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for handling passengers' luggage during the Easter traffic at the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim; and if he is satisfied that the present temporary arrangements are adequate.

The normal arrangements will be in force except that the auxiliary reclaim belt has been dismantled to make way for the second reclaim turntable. The alterations and additions to the building may not be complete till May and there therefore may be congestion during busy periods at Easter, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will use his powers to ensure that the take-over of Wallsend Hubbard Combustion Limited by Urquharts Limited of Perivale, Middlesex, involving the transfer of industry from a development area to an area of over full employment, does not take place.

This merger does not appear to fall within the scope of the Monopolies and Mergers Act, 1965. I accordingly have no power to prevent it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to whom the constituent of the hon. Member for Tynemouth, of whom details have been supplied, should make application for assistance to develop fuel injection services in this country.

The Board's Regional Controller, Wellbar House, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, will be glad to discuss the hon. Lady's Constituent's case with him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the recommendations of the Darlwyne inquiry, he has any further plans to introduce new safety regulations for passenger-carrying pleasure boats.

I am considering the findings of the Court of Formal Investigation, which were announced on 13th March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are currently the export and import figures for the printing industry.

Recorded exports and imports of printed matter are shown on pages 262 and 263 and 109 of the Overseas Trade Accounts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will seek to reduce the premium charged for credit cover on aircraft deals, in accordance with the recommendation in the Plowden Report.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 31st January. With the agreement of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council, most premium rates were reduced by an average of 15 per cent, on 9th May, 1966. Rates for sales of large capital goods, including aircraft, were cut by rather more than the general average.— [Vol. 740, c. 92.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of companies, and the approximate capital assets involved in the hands of the Official Receiver on 1st January, 1965, 1st January, 1966, and 1st January, 1967.

The numbers of compulsory liquidations being administered in England and Wales by Official Receivers and non-official liquidators were as follows:

respectively.I regret that figures for the two preceding years could not be obtained without an undue expense of time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of companies liquidated by the Official Receiver and the value of the assets realised during the year ended 31st December, 1966, 31st December, 1965, and 31st December, 1964, respectively.

The numbers of compulsory winding-up orders made in England and Wales were as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he is aware of the effect that increased imports of boots and shoes is having on the boot and shoe industry in this country; and if he will take steps to deal with the problem;(2) what representations he has received regarding the high level of imports of boots and shoes into this country; and what reply he has sent;(3) what machinery exists between his Department and the British Footwear Manufacturers Federation for consultation in respect of imports of boots and shoes; and if he will make a statement.

The Board of Trade and the trade associations representing the footwear industry are constantly in touch about these and other problems of the industry. For the British industry to compete successfully, both in the domestic and export markets, increased productive efficiency is necessary and I believe the industry realises this. We have recently received representations about the prices of rubber and canvas footwear imported from certain Eastern European sources: these are under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the results of the conference of the United Nations Commission for Trade and Development Group on preferences held in Geneva in February; and if he will make a statement.

The meeting of the Group on Preferences which was to have taken place in February was put off. It is now scheduled to take place in July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total area of factory space currently unoccupied in the Northern Region; how many jobs are represented by this figure; and what steps he is taking to remedy the situation.

No complete record of unoccupied factory space is kept by the Board of Trade. Even if such a record were available, the number of jobs which could be provided would be impossible to determine because of the different needs of different industries. My Regional Office in Newcastle keeps records of empty industrial space notified to them, and brings this information to the attention of suitable firms as necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to extend the range of State-owned industries in the development areas as a whole and particularly in the Northern Region.

No, but I shall continue to make full use of my existing powers under the Industrial Development and Local Employment Acts to provide publicly-owned factories in the development areas where this is essential to assist in the provision of employment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to announce the next programme of advance factory provision in the development areas.

The need for more Board of Trade advance factories is kept constantly under review. When further building is regarded as necessary I shall make an announcement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what inquiries he makes, before granting money to firms, about their donations to the funds of political parties.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the fact that the Commission set up to inquire into last year's accident to Vanguard G-APEE has reached a conclusion not necessarily related to the evidence given to it, if he will include for the future a practising pilot as a member of any official investigating team because of the specialist technical nature of the evidence to be assessed.

Without commenting on my hon. Friend's views about the Vanguard Inquiry, I should point out that one of the Assessors appointed by the Lord Chancellor was a practising pilot. The composition of investigating teams for major accidents was among the matters considered by the Cairns Committee in 1960. It was subsequently stated in Command 1695 that a pilot with suitable experience would normally be associated with the inquiry, if the conduct of the pilot was likely to be called in question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the closure of the older steel industries in North Lanarkshire, causing increasing unemployed among males, he will give an industrial development certificate for the new tinplate mill proposed for this area; and if he will make a statement.

I share the concern felt over the closure of the older steel industries in North Lanarkshire and every effort is being made to attract suitable projects to the area, but I have received no application for an industrial development certificate for a new tinplate mill.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the amount of aid being given by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of Zambia and the large number of contracts being awarded by the Zambian Government to foreign firms, what action he is taking to improve British trade with Zambia.

All the export promotion facilities and services of the Board of Trade and the Export Credits Guarantee Department are available as appropriate to assist British exporters to Zambia, and there is no evidence that a disproportionate amount of Zambia's increased demand for imports is being satisfied by foreign firms. The United Kingdom share of Zambia's imports went up from 17 per cent, in 1964 to 23 per cent, in the first half of 1966.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the directions he has given to the Air Transport Licensing Board in favour of its varying Provision I in its licences for inclusive tour charters to allow the operators to reduce the number of their flights taking off and landing by night.

There are no powers of direction in this matter. My right hon. Friend when Minister of Aviation indicated to the Licensing Board last July that he would welcome any steps the Board might find practicable towards a more flexible tariff base which might enable flights to take place outside the night hours.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to integrate coastal and home-trade shipping into the National Freight Authority.

My right hon. Friend and I are still considering this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the supplies of ware potatoes at present in this country will be sufficient for home consumption until the next crop is available; and what steps are being taken by him to arrange for the emergency importation of ware potatoes if necessary.

Allowing for normal imports of new potatoes, the present prospect is that stocks of ware potatoes should be sufficient for all requirements. The situation is being closely watched and imports will be authorised should the need arise.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what local authority loan was acquired by the Home Grown Sugar Beet Research and Education Fund as indicated in the balance sheet as on 31st March, 1965: Local Authority Loan (including accrued interest) £65,586.

The sum of £65,586 shown in the 1964–65 Account of the Home Grown Sugar Beet Research and Education Fund comprised a short-term loan of £65,000 made from the Fund to the Kidderminster Corporation. Interest accruing to the Fund on that loan to 31st March, 1965, was £586.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the accounts for the Home Grown Sugar Beet Research and Education Fund.

The Account for the financial year ended 31st March, 1966, was sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General on 29th November, 1966, in fulfilment of our obligation under Section 18(6) of the Sugar Act, 1956, to transmit the account to him by 30th November in the year following that in which the expenditure was made.I understand that the Comptroller and Auditor General has now examined and certified the 1965–66 Account and that Parliament ordered it to be printed on 2nd March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate his Department has made of the amount of bread which is thrown away in the United Kingdom in a year, its value, and the number of calories it represents.

This Department has not made an estimate of the amount of bread which is thrown away in the United Kingdom. A reliable estimate would necessitate a widespread survey involving considerable expenditure of money and effort and my right hon. Friend feels unable to authorise this.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what proportion of the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund he estimates that the United Kingdom will receive upon entering the European Economic Community under current conditions:

It is not possible to make precise estimates. U.K. receipts from the Guarantee Section would depend on the extent of eligible expenditure in the U.K. on market intervention and export subsidisation, which in turn would depend on market price levels and the volume of exports to third countries. U.K. receipts from the Guidance Section would depend on Community decisions on the eligibility of projects and on the apportionment of available Community funds between member countries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications his Department has received in the last six months from the manufacturers of animal feedingstuffs to increase their prices; how many of those he has agreed to; how many he has referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes; and what is the average increase per ton for all the applications he has received.

Under the early warning arrangements agreed with the compound feedingstuffs industry, manufacturers producing more than 50,000 tons a year give me advance notification of any proposed price increases. In the last six months I have received 19 notifications from major manufacturers. Of these, I have accepted 4 as submitted and a further 11 after they had been modified in discussion with my officials. The remainder are under consideration. The average increase I have accepted is of the order of 10s. per ton, or about 1¼ per cent.The industry is facing substantial increases in the cost of raw materials. The increased prices I have accepted reflect only part of the increased raw material costs; the firms concerned are absorbing the remainder and all other costs that may have occurred. In addition, some of these manufacturers made reductions in the prices of their feedingstuffs between May and September, 1966.In these circumstances I am satisfied that these price increases were necessary and were clearly justified within the terms of the White Papers (Command 3073 and 3150). There was no need to refer any case to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that peeled ready-for-use potatoes have the skins removed by the lye process and that they are then after washing dipped in a solution to preserve whiteness; and if he is satisfied that there is no danger to health as a result of this dipping.

Yes. The peeling process, which has been practised for many years, is followed by scrubbing or water-spraying or both, and there has been no evidence from the tests which have been made, of any harmful residues remaining on the potatoes. The subsequent dipping in a preservative solution is permitted within prescribed conditions by the Preservatives in Food Regulations, 1962, and I am satisfied that this practice does not present a hazard to health.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why it is proposed that the investment incentives, available to milk processors under White Paper Command Paper No. 2874, shall be denied to them in the event by being disallowed in the costings calculations.

Investment grants replace investment allowances and these have not hitherto been allowed in costs. There is therefore no obvious reason why investment grants should now be allowed but our Department has already agreed to receive representatives of the Dairy Trade to hear their arguments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farms have been bought by the Forestry Commission in each of the past five years; and how many acres were involved.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the estimated total costs with land acquisition of Glasgow's inner and outer ring roads.

At current prices, the inner ring road is estimated to cost about £45 million, including land. The total estimated cost of the proposed motorway link roads, which may be taken as constituting an outer ring road, is approximately £60 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of financial assistance given to the Highlands and Islands Development Board in the year 1966.

The annual grant-in-aid to the Board relates to financial years. As shown in the published Appropriation Accounts of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (Class V Vote 2), expenditure by the Board in the period from 1st November, 1965, when it was set up, to 31st March, 1966, was £106,700. The grant-in-aid provided for 1966–67 is £790,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a detailed and itemised account of the income and expenditure of the Highlands and Islands Development Board from the date of its establishment until 1st January, 1967, together with a statement of the Board's current assets and liabilities.

Detailed information for the period from 1st November, 1965, when the Board was set up, to 31st March, 1966 appears in the Board's audited account which was published on 27th January, 1967 and laid before the House. Copies are available in the Vote Office. Similar figures for the current financial year are not yet available but will be published in due course.The Board's first Report (covering the period from 1st November, 1965 to 31st December, 1966) is expected to be published next month and will give an account of the Board's operations during that period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what feasibility studies he has made regarding the possibility of tunnel motorways in Scotland;(2) what comparative costs he has available in regard to tunnel and surface motorways.

There have been no feasibility studies of motorway tunnels, nor is any information available about comparative costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance the Government now gives to golf clubs; and on what criteria it gives this assistance.

The provisions of the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937 enable me to assist local voluntary sports organisations and district councils in providing new, or improving existing, facilities for sport. Under these powers, seven golf clubs in Scotland and two district councils providing golf courses received capital grants in 1965–66. In the current financial year offers of grant have so far been made to seven golf clubs.To qualify for grant, a golf club must meet the same conditions as are applied for grant purposes to other sports organisaitons. Their facilities must be available to the general public without discrimination and for a modest annual subscription; the club must also show

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will alter the regulations governing the signing on of boys of 15 years of age for a period of nine years in the Royal Navy by permitting the option of re-enlisting or purchasing discharge from the Royal Navy after three years at the age of 18 years.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13th March by my hon. Friend the Minister of Defence for Administration during the Adjournment debate.—[Vol. 743, c. 185–190.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now grant the discharge from the Royal Navy of Able Seaman Michael Goldsworthy, of 13 Teddington Park Road, Teddington, on compassionate grounds of the ill-health of his parents, having regard also to the fact that he signed on at the age of 15 years and has wished to leave the Royal Navy during the five years since his enlistment.

No. I am unable to consider the case for this man's discharge on compassionate, or any other grounds, whilst he remains in desertion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the dangers of concentrating troops in the United Kingdom, which were formerly stationed overseas, in the event of an atomic attack; and whether he will make a statement.

No such study has been made and none is contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of the fact that it has proved increasingly difficult to maintain law and order in Aden in recent months, he will speed up the withdrawal of the wives and children of Servicemen in order to save further loss of life.

Present plans are for the withdrawal of Service families between 1st May and 31st July, 1967. We are keeping a close watch on the internal security situation to see if these plans should be brought forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will authorise the forward buying of Lancashire-produced cotton goods for the Services, in order to assist the textile industry in its present difficulties.

The difficulties of the Lancashire textile industry are appreciated and the assistance which might possibly be given to the industry by the forward buying of Lancashire produced cotton goods for the Services is currently under consideration.Service requirements of cotton materials for which contracts are placed by the Ministry of Defence are diminishing, however, and any advanced purchasing is unlikely to have any great effect on the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate cost per annum of cotton textile materials purchased by his Department; and what proportion of the total is in respect of home-produced materials.

The cost in 1966 was about £2 million of which 90 per cent. was for home-produced materials.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the acreage of land at present held by the Defence Department for tank training purposes in the United Kingdom and Germany, respectively; and how this compares with the total acreage of land held by the Defence Department for defence and training purposes in the two countries.

About 100,000 acres of the training land in the United Kingdom are used for tank training; and about 270,000 acres, which are shared with other N.A.T.O. forces, are available in Germany. There are about 623,000 acres of Defence land in the United Kingdom; and about 295,000 acres are available in Germany for United Kingdom forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what surveys have been made of potential training areas in the constituency of Hexham; and where these have been made.

No surveys have been made, but areas in the Hexham constituency and many other parts of the country have been considered during the last four years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been his total expenditure on the Polaris base up to 11th March; how much was spent on the Polaris school; and how much is likely to be spent at Faslane up to the end of 1967.

From Defence Votes, £14·5 million, £7·5 million and about £16·5 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are employed as grooms for polo ponies and private horses; what is the approximate consequent saving to the animals' owners; and whether, in view of the need for defence economies, he will in future either charge these owners this cost or transfer these soldiers to other duties.

Riding and polo are two of the recognised sports which are encouraged by the Army and the rules governing the use of military personnel and facilities are the same for riding and polo as for all other sports.In the United Kingdom there were about 100 soldiers employed as grooms and 70 in Germany when a survey was made last June. No figures were sought from overseas commands.Soldiers who volunteer to be grooms or to provide assistance for the carrying out of other sports remain fully liable for training and normal duties as required.The savings, if any, to the various Army Saddle Clubs and private owners of ponies and horses, would be extremely difficult to ascertain and would not warrant the effort required.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the services of private security firms have been used by the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force; and what was the cost during each of the last five years.

Private Security Firms are used for the transport and protection of cash and for guarding empty properties. Detailed costs are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the United States Army Floating Equipment Reserve was not advised to use Portland Harbour instead of Poole, in the light of the employment it would have provided in Portland.

Portland was one of the fifteen possible sites suggested to the United States Army, but from their point of view it had some disadvantages: there was a shortage of suitable space and buildings for storage ashore and of hard-standings or slipways; there was also a lack of the skilled and unskilled workers required for ship repair; for this type of craft the harbour was not sufficiently protected from the weather and there were the competing requirements of other commercial projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what savings in overseas expenditure in Malta in 1967–68 and at the end of 1967–68 he now anticipates, compared with those assumed for the purposes of Appendix H of the Defence White Paper.

The savings will be reduced by about £2 million under both headings.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which confidential Ministry of Defence (Army) documents were recently found in a public place in Greenwich.

There are separate arrangements for the disposal of classified waste on the one hand and unclassified waste on the other. In this instance a number of documents which, although out of date and of marginal security interest, were still classified Confidential, were erroneously included in a batch of unclassified waste and collected for disposal by Messrs. Maybanks of Greenwich. It has been established that all these documents have been recovered.Contrary to the allegation that they were found in a public place, they were in fact unlawfully removed from a sheeted and roped lorry on the private premises of Messrs. Maybanks.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the cost of bringing the retired pay and pensions of all Armed Forces personnel, excluding widows, who were retired or discharged before 1956 up to the current 1956 rates and awarding to those over 60 years the appropriate increases as if they had been retired or discharged in 1956; what would be the cost if it was confined only to those over 60 years of age; and what, in each case, is the increase in cost due to the Pensions (Increase) Warrant, 1965.

The cost would be respectively £6,822,390; £3,756,546; and £359,800 in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the cost of increasing the minimum pension rates for widows of members of the Armed Forces by one third.

About £470,000 per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel, below the rank of warrant officer 1, are on pension today who were discharged from service on the 1919 and 1945 codes, respectively.

About 42,600 and 30,200 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport how many passengers in private motor vehicles were killed and how many were injured during each of the last five years.

The nearest information collected relates to the number of passengers in cars and taxis who were killed or seriously injured. The number slightly injured is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will introduce legislation to make the insurance of passengers compulsory for all motorists whose vehicles are capable of carrying passengers.

asked the Minister of Transport what action she is taking to secure compulsory insurance of all passengers in motor vehicles.

I will consider this when I have completed my study of the report on this subject sent to me by the Committee on Motor Insurance as a Factor in Road Safety.

asked the Minister of Transport how many motor-cycle pillion passengers were killed and how many were injured in motor accidents during each of the last five years.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Transport if she has yet considered the first report of the committee set up to consider the relation of motor insurance and road safety; and what action she proposes to take upon it.

My right hon. Friend is considering this report.

asked the Minister of Transport how many car parking spaces have been provided by the London Transport Board at the stations on the Underground railway system.

I am informed by the London Transport Board that the number is now 6,900.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give a general direction to British Railways to establish a co-ordinated uniform policy for the disposal of surplus land in its ownership.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Maidstone (Mr. John Wells) on Wednesday, 8th March, 1967.—[Vol. 742, c. 1500.]

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals she has received from British Railways about the disposal of surplus railway land at Launceston; and if she will now give her permission for this land to be sold.

The Railways Board has asked for my right hon. Friend's agreement to the disposal of the formation of the line between Halwill and Wadebridge including the site of and access to Launceston station. She has asked the South West Economic Planning Council for its comments and she will make her decision as soon as possible after these have been received.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the decision by the Minister of Housing and Local Government to build a large new town at Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, she will reconsider her decision to close the Cambridge-Bedford-Bletchley railway line.

No. My right hon Friend's predecessor's consent to the closure of passenger services on this line was given only after full consideration of probable future development in the area including the new town planned for North Buckinghamshire.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the services of private security firms have been used by the Railways Board during the past five years; and what was the cost.

This is a detail of management which it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to inquire into.

asked the Minister of Transport how many serious accidents there have been in the last three years on the Bradford-Harrogate road on Pool Bank; and what steps she intends to take to make this stretch of the road less dangerous.

In the three year period up to the end of 1966 there were five serious accidents. My right hon. Friend has not received any proposals from the local highway authority for the improvement of this road.

asked the Minister of Transport why a section of the M4 was completely closed to traffic for a period at about 10.45 a.m. on Friday, 10th March; and if she will restrict such closures to occasions of extreme emergency having regard to the inconvenience caused to air travellers.

The westbound carriageway east of Lionel Road, Brent-ford, was closed between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to permit the repair of a sign gantry which had been damaged by the wind. The eastbound carriageway between Cranford and Lionel Road was closed between 9.25 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. because a heavy vehicle broke down on the elevated section. In both cases immediate closure was unavoidable; but except in emergency, closures are normally restricted to times when they will cause the least possible inconvenience to travellers of all kinds.

asked the Minister of Transport why signs warning motorists of the presence of stray animals have still not been erected on the Manchester-Burnley trunk road near the Bull and Butcher Hotel, despite a fatal accident there and despite a letter dated 15th November, 1966 to a constituent of the hon. Member for Bolton, West that such signs would be erected.

Signs warning drivers of the presence of stray animals were erected on this road on 11th March.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate her Department has made of the gross annual revenue from traffic through the Channel Tunnel; and what proportion of this will come from traffic coming from and going to the South-East, the Midlands, and the North of England.

At this stage in the negotiations on the financing and construction of the tunnel, estimates of revenue must remain confidential to the British and French governments. The regional make-up of cross-Channel traffic, as distinct from the routes used, is not available in detail but we expect the Tunnel, with its through rail services, to encourage an increasing amount of traffic from regions other than the South-East.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost involved in constructing the Channel Tunnel considerably further west than its present proposed site; and how far this has been balanced against the additional social and economic cost of increased congestion in the South-East which will result from the present proposed site.

There has been no detailed geological survey or engineering estimate but the additional cost of the longer Tunnel would certainly be prohibitive. No significant increase in con- gestion in the South-East is expected from the Tunnel as proposed. There will be adequate road access and through rail services to inland centres.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the heavy build up of traffic on Kenton Lane, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the resultant danger to pedestrians, if she will reconsider the possibility of the provision of a pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of Halewood Avenue.

My right hon. Friend has re-considered this case very carefully but the numbers of pedestrians are not sufficient to justify a crossing here.

asked the Minister of Transport if, following the increase in traffic on Stamfordham Road through Westerhope, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, due to the large scale building developments of recent years, she will give consideration to the immediate provision of a pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of the junction of Beaumont Terrace.

The matter is under consideration by the Divisional Road Engineer who is asking the Newburn Urban District Council for further information about vehicle flows at this junction. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as this information is available.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will define the difference in layout and design between roads built as motorways and roads built to motorway standards.

There may be no differences; or the differences may be of limited extent, in which case they would relate to the degree of control of access, or to the provision of continuous hard shoulders or self-contained service areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that 55,000 British troops in Germany will soon be returning to this country and will need housing accommodation, if he will restrict Commonwealth immigration until the Service men's housing requirements have been met; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Gentleman's premise is inaccurate, and I do not propose to introduce further restrictions, in addition to those already in force, on Commonwealth immigration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to employ interpreters at immigration control posts for Commonwealth citizens.

A number of Immigration Officers have a good knowledge of one or more languages spoken by non-English speaking Commonwealth citizens, and in addition specially-employed interpreters are stationed at the main air and sea ports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sums due in fines have been written off as unenforceable over the last two convenient 12-month periods.

The sums written off in respect of fines imposed by magistrates' courts in England and Wales were £100,444 in 1964–65 and £148,980 in 1965–66.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now introduce legislation to amend the Obscene Publications Act, and to extend the right to trial by jury and the right to call expert witnesses in cases concerning literary publications.

I am tabling an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill which will safeguard the right to trial by jury in proceedings under the Obscene Publications Act, 1959, by prohibiting private actions for forfeiture under Section 3 of the Act. There is already an entitlement to call expert witnesses in all proceedings under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken to provide entry certificates for those coming to Great Britain from Commonwealth countries.

Arrangements introduced in 1962, when the immigration control began, enable any Commonwealth citizen to apply for an entry certificate to the appropriate British representative in the country in which he is living.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue resulting from the reduction in tariffs on imported goods in the event of the United Kingdom joining the European Common Market.

It is not possible to make a precise estimate, but there would be offsets due to additional revenue from tariffs on imports from other countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now abolish or reduce Purchase Tax on boots and shoes, in view of the fact that they are a necessity.