asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce the scale of grants for farmers relinquishing occupation of uncommercial units.

These are still under consideration and will be announced as soon as possible.

asked the Minisster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to compensate those farmers who are unable to obtain grants because of the possibility of a new road being built across their farms.

None. Any question of statutory compensation is one for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ascertain whether hill farm subsidies and grants will be payable in this country in the event of Britain being admitted to membership of the Common Market; and if he will make a statement.

The E.E.C. has still to decide on the criteria for judging which State aids to agriculture should or should not be regarded as compatible with the Common Market.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the principles on which existing tenants of his Department's smallholdings are granted the tenancy of further land held by the Minister, or permitted to acquire additional tenancies elsewhere.

The smaller holdings on the farm settlement estates are being regrouped and amalgamated as and when opportunity arises. Tenants may apply for the tenancy of larger holdings when vacancies occur. To allow them to combine their farm settlement holdings with outside tenancies would tend to perpetuate the existing structure and delay amalgamation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take arising from recommendations of the Wise Committee on Statutory Smallholdings.

I am discussing with the organisations concerned the recommendations contained in the Wise Committee's report on local authority smallholdings, and am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the home market it is his policy that the British egg producer should supply.

The United Kingdom is virtually self-sufficient in eggs and the objective for the industry under the selective expansion programme is to meet any increase in demand.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an assurance that in the administration of production and improvement grants and subsidies under the Agriculture Bill there will be no discrimination against small farmers.

I am naturally anxious that small farmers should benefit as much as possible from the Agriculture Bill and they will benefit in the same way as other farmers from the subsidies on beef cows, calves, hill sheep and hill cows; and the grants for encouraging co-operation. They will be eligible for larger loans than the bigger farmer for purchasing land for amalgamations. We are of course setting as the target for grant-aided amalgamations a farm big enough to keep the farmer and the equivalent of one other man employed full-time. But where it is too difficult to reach this size in one step we will be prepared to approve the formation of one-man farms.Similarly one-man farms will be able to benefit under the Farm Improvement, Hill Land Improvement and Farm Business Recording Schemes. And the investment grants will be available to all full-time farm and horticultural businesses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many farmers in England left agriculture during 1966; and how this figure compares with the three previous years;

CHANGES IN THE NUMBERS OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS, 1962–66 ENGLAND
			Total holdings	Change	Under 20 acres crops and grass	Change	20 acres and over	Change
1962	…	…	289,762		130,114		159,648
				-4,237		-1,896		-2,341
1963	…	…	285,525		128,218		157,307
				-6,165		-3,546		-2,619
1964	…	…	279,360		124,672		154,688
				-4,360		-1,722		-2,638
1965	…	…	275,000		122,950		152,050
				-4,956		-1,866		-3,090
1966	…	…	270,044		121,084		148,960
WALES
1962	…	…	50,736		19,852		30,884
				-577		-367		-210
1963	…	…	50,159		19,485		30,674
				-715		-431		-284
1964	…	…	49,444		19,054		30,390
				-664		-359		-305
1965	…	…	48,780		18,695		30,085
				-771		-338		-433
1966	…	…	48,009		18,357		29,652

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the workings of the butter quota arrangements in relation to home production of dairy products; and if he will make a statement.

The production of butter in the United Kingdom is not restricted by quota. The purpose of the butter quota arrangements is to protect our traditional overseas suppliers from material injury by dumped and subsidised imports. The arrangements have stabilised prices on the U.K. market and the domestic industry has shared in the benefit of this.

Precise figures for the number of farmers are not available.The following table shows the fall in the number of holdings, i.e. in the pieces of land for which separate agricultural census returns are made. Many of the holdings recorded in the agricultural censuses have no significant farming activity on them or are farmed as part of larger farm units; this applies particularly to holdings in the smaller size range.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the names of the members of the Meat and Livestock Commission.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I are not yet in a position to announce the membership of the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where the headquarters of the Meat and Livestock Commission will be.

This cannot be decided before the Chairman and members have been chosen.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions were issued by his Department to new town corporations before the announcement of new rent structures.

None. The scheme was prepared by the four development corporations in response to my request that they should formulate a common rent policy for the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, since the alteration in the guaranteed prices for wheat and barley cannot influence farm policy in upland areas where conditions may be unsuitable for wheat growing and where barley is grown for feed, if he will reconsider making barley eligible under the Winter Keep Scheme and, if used as home-grown feed, making it eligible for the same premiums as other barley retained on the farm until spring.

No. The purpose of the Winter Keep Acreage Payments Scheme is to encourage the growing of crops for the winter feeding of livestock, and a considerable proportion of barley is sold as a cash crop. The Barley Incentive Scheme is designed to encourage orderly marketing and does not apply to barley retained for feed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many juvenile delinquents there have been in Scotland during each of the last 10 years; where they are detained; what rules govern their incarceration, reduction of sentence and release; and how many have been released during each of the last 10 years.

I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a Table setting out the number of juveniles against whom charges were proved and particulars of those committed to an institution in the years 1957 to 1966.Conditions governing the detention, reduction of sentence and release of juveniles committed to an institution are prescribed in the appropriate Acts and the rules made thereunder for the management of the institution concerned.The information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisons for male and female prisoners, respectively, there are in Scotland; how many prisoners of each sex there are in each; and how they are accommodated and segregated for residence and exercise, respectively.

There are nine prisons in Scotland. I am circulating details of the numbers of prisoners in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Only one prison, at Greenock, receives convicted women, but five others have small units for untried women. The accommodation for women is entirely separate, and they are exercised out of the sight of male prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many accidents took place at level crossings in Scotland since 1963.

The following are the figures for accidents in which personal injuries were sustained. The numbers of other accidents are not readily available.

1963	…	…	…	…	2
1964	…	…	…	…	1
1965	…	…	…	…	2
1966	…	…	…	…	1

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what total sums agriculture received in the county of Midlothian as a result of agriculture price reviews in the years from 1960 to date; and if he will list the undertakings and the amounts he estimates they have received.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what total sums agriculture received in the county of Midlothian as a result of the recent agriculture price review; and if he will list the undertakings and the amounts he estimates they will receive.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorway for which no line has yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction, and which were in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

The information requested is set out in the table below.

Motorways in Use
Miles
M.90	…	INVERKEITHING-PERTH
		Admiralty Road flyover to Duloch	1·9
M.8	…	EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
		Harthill Bypass	5·15
M.74	…	DRAFFEN-STONEHOUSE (A.74)-GLASGOW
		Hamilton Bypass Stage I	9·0
			16·05

Under Construction
M.74	…	DRAFFEN-STONEHOUSE (A.74)-GLASGOW
		Hamilton Bypass Stage II	4·45
M.8	…	EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
		Newhouse-West of Hart-hill	5·15
A.8(M)	…	GLASGOW-GREENOCK
		Renfrew Bypass	6·2
M.9	…	EDINBURGH-STIRLING
		Polmont and Falkirk Bypass	5·8
			21·60

Contracts Placed
Nil
Tenders Invited
Nil
Schemes Made
M.90	…	INVERKEITHING-PERTH
		Cowdenbeath-Kelty Bypass	7·23
M.8	…	EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
		Whitburn-Dechmont	7·55
M.9	…	EDINBURGH-STIRLING
		Newbridge-Polmont and Falkirk Bypass	11·25
			26·03

Draft Scheme Published
M.73	…	Maryville (M.74) to West of Mollinsburn (A.80)	6·3
M.8	…	EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
		Dechmont-Newbridge	4·95
M.90	…	INVERKFJTHTNG-PERTH
		Kinross and Milnathort Bypass	6·75
			18·0

Line not yet Published
Miles
M.74	DRAFFEN-STONEHOUSE (A.74)-GLASGOW
	Maryville-Carmyle	3·0
M.9	EDINBURGH-STIRLING
	Stirling Bypass (Northern section)	3·5
	Stirling Bypass (Southern section)	3·5
	Polmont and Falkirk Bypass-Stirling Bypass (Southern section)	6·2
M.90	INVERKEITHING-PERTH
	Milnathort-Perth Bypass	11·5
A.8(M)	GLASGOW-GREENOCK
	Bishopton Bypass	4·0
A.898(M)	ERSKTNE BRIDGE TRUNK ROAD
	Erskine Bridge Link	·63
		32·33

The total mileage of motorways proposed has been increased to about 114 miles by the inclusion of the whole of the Renfrew Bypass and the Bishopton Bypass sections of the Glasgow-Greenock Trunk Road and the link to the Erskine Bridge, and the extension of the Inverkeithing-Perth motorway to the proposed Perth Bypass.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to direct the offices concerned that for the purpose of resealing grants of probate or letters of administration made by the High Court of Justice in England and Wales, they should accept the description of the domicile of deceased persons whose permanent home was in Wales as Wales and that the inventory of the property of such persons, where described as situate in Wales, should be accepted as fulfilling the requirements for resealing such grants.

I have no power to give a direction to the Commissary Court in Edinburgh in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he is aware that the proposal to develop the firing range at Castlelaw in the Pentland Hills has provoked opposition from numerous organisations in Scotland concerned with the recreational use of the Pentland Hills, including the Scottish Council for Physical Recreation; and whether he consulted any of these organisations before taking this decision;(2) in deciding to develop the firing range at Castlelaw in the Pentland Hills, to what extent he took into account the use made of these hills for recreational purposes by the citizens of Edinburgh and others; and what effect he anticipates these changes will have on such recreational use;(3) whether he will reconsider his decision to develop the firing range at Castle-law in the Pentland Hills and examine the possibility of re-siting the range in an area not used for recreational purposes so extensively as the Pentland Hills;(4) what plans he has to control the present dangerous area of the firing range at Castlelaw in the Pentland Hills if the range becomes electrically controlled in 1969.

The firing range at Castlelaw is being developed by the introduction of electrical targets, and we are acquiring rights over two areas of land not owned by the Department. Consultation with the Scottish Development Department and with interested authorities is being carried out in the normal way. Existing safety precautions for the range will continue. Apart from the restrictions affecting the two extra areas covering some 64 acres, recreational use of Castle-law should not be reduced. The Ministry of Defence has no suitable alternative site near to Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to extend the danger zone of the military firing ranges on the Pentland Hills; and whether he will make a statement;(2) what consultations he has held with Edinburgh Corporation and the numerous bodies concerned with outdoor recreational activities in regard to his proposals to extend the danger zone of the military firing range in the Pentland Hills;(3) what investigations he has carried out with a view to finding an alternative site for a military firing range that is neither in close proximity to the city of Edinburgh nor of high amenity and recreational value, before he enters into any new scheme that involves an extension of the danger zone of the existing range in the Pentland Hills.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my Answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Wylie).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he now has to speed up the run-down of British forces and families in Singapore.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the results of his visit to South-East Asia, with particular reference to the run-down of United Kingdom military commitments there.

I would refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on Monday last.—[Vol. 746, c. 90–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, whether, in order to minimise the adverse effects on the economy of Singapore, he will concentrate the proposed reductions in United Kingdom military commitment there up to April, 1968, to Royal Air Force and naval establishments.

No. I have given figures of the reductions we propose to make. In effecting these in the forces in Singapore and Malaysia we will bear in mind that we must not destroy the balance of the forces for the commitments we have to undertake. We will of course also take into account the effects on the economies and local employment of the two countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that the percentage of cadet entrants to the Service Colleges from schools which are not members of the Headmasters' Conference adequately represents the potential officer material available from this source as compared with the percentage of entrants from Headmasters' Conference schools; and whether he will make a statement detailing the position with regard to each of the Services.

My hon. Friend will have seen from my Answer to him of 18th April that the proportion of officers in the Services from schools which are not represented on the Headmasters' Conference continues to rise. In the Royal Navy the percentage has increased from 48 per cent. to 63 per cent. since 1963, in the Army from 37 per cent. to 49 per cent. and in the Royal Air Force from 58 per cent. to 84 per cent. My right hon. Friend is anxious to encourage boys from all types of school to seek Her Majesty's commission.—[Vol. 745, c. 68.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will issue general directions, in the public interest, to nationalised public transport undertakings, requiring them to provide half-price fares for schoolchildren.

No. This is not a suitable subject for a direction.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will issue regulations requiring holders of motor cycle driving certificates to take a new test before being permitted to drive three-wheel cars.

No. There is no evidence to suggest that such a restriction is either necessary or desirable in the interests of road safety.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the need for an efficient railway service that will arise from the building of the Channel Tunnel, she will withhold her consent from any further closures of the existing railway links between Dover and Folkestone, and Sussex and the South-West.

The Channel Tunnel is one of the many factors my right hon. Friend would take into account in considering any passenger closure proposal related to the area in which the hon. Member is interested.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will start discussions with the Redbridge Borough Council forthwith about the necessity urgently to provide ramps leading to the subway at Gants Hill, Ilford, so that none of the five main roads converging there have to be crossed by mothers with prams and small children or by old people with wheeled baskets; and if she will receive a deputation of council members.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Arnold Shaw) on 2nd May.—[Vol 746, c. 58.]

asked the Minister of Transport what immediate action she is proposing to take to improve the traffic congestion at the approaches to London on the M4 at Hammersmith, Chiswick and Cromwell Road, in view of the present deteriorating situation particularly at rush hours.

Arrangements are in hand for a temporary flyover to be built at the junction of the A315 and the Cromwell Road extension to relieve traffic pressure on the Hogarth roundabout.The West London Traffic Control experiment, due to start this summer, extends westwards as far as Hammersmith and is intended to assist the flow of traffic in the area, including that on Cromwell Road.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorways for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction, and which were in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

The following table shows the position at 30th April. Information about Local Authority motorways is limited to sections in use or for which schemes have been made by the highway authorities concerned and submitted to my right hon. Friend for confirmation.

MINISTRY MOTORWAYS
Line not yet published
Miles
M.11	London-Cambridge
	South of Chigwell section	3·0
M.18	Thorne By-pass	2·2
M.18	Doncaster Southern By-pass	11·1
M.25	South Orbital Motorway	47·0
M.56	North Cheshire Motorway
	Bowdon-Preston Brook	11·0
	Sharston By-pass	2·5
M.62	Sale Eastern and Northenden By-pass	4·5
A. 1(M)	Birtley By-pass	2·5
		83·8

Draft Scheme published
M.1	London-Yorkshire
	S. of Fiveways Corner-North Circular Road	2·0
M.3	London-Basingstoke	39·9
M.4	London-South Wales
	Holyport-Liddington	47·2
M.5	Bristol-Birmingham
	East Brent-Edithmead	2·25
M.11	London-Cambridge
	Chigwell-Stump Cross	34·0
M.23	London-Crawley	26·0
M.56	North Cheshire Motorway
	Princess Parkway-Bowdon	6·5
M.61	Preston-Manchester
	Westhoughton-Middle Hulton	3·6
M.65	Gilder some Street-Leeds	3·92
		165·37
Schemes made
M.1	London-Yorkshire
	Fiveways Corner Flyover	0·5
M.4	London-South Wales
	Tormarton-Liddington	30·5
M.5	Birmingham-Bristol
	Oldbury-A.41	2·2
	Strensham-Almondsbury	41·5
	Avonmouth-East Brent	21·25
M.6	Birmingham-Preston-Carlisle
	Catthorpe-Ray Hall	37·05
	Carnforth-Hackthorpe	36·43
	Penrith-Carlisle	12·3
	Carlisle By-pass	6·9
M.56	North Cheshire Motorway
	Preston Brook-Hapsford	8·0
M.61	Preston-Manchester
	Preston-Westhoughton	13·1
	Middle Hulton-Manchester	5·6
M.62	Lancashire-Yorkshire
	Worsley-Moss Moor	17·0
	Pole Moor-A.1 (Ferrybridge)	31·48
A.1(M)	Durham Motorway
	Carrville-Chester-le-Street	5·5

Miles
A.20(M)	Ditton By-pass	6·75
A.40(M)	Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross By-pass	7·75
		283·81

Tenders invited
Miles
M.5	Birmingham-Bristol
	Quinton-Oldbury	3·6
	A.41-Great Barr	4·7
A.1(M)	Durham Motorway
	Bowburn-Carrville	4·7
		13·0

Motorways under construction
M.1	London-Yorkshire
	N. of Fiveways Corner-Brockley Hill (Hendon Motorway)	4·3
	Nuthall-Pinxton	8·6
	Pinxton-Barlborough	14·2
	Barlborough-Morthen	6·9
	Morthen-Doncaster By-pass	8·6
	Aston-Tinsley	6·5
	Tinsley Viaduct	0·75
	Meadowhall-Tankersley	5·5
	Tankersley-Horbury	13·7
	Horbury-East Ardsley	3·6
	East Ardsley-Stourton	4·5
M.5	Birmingham-Bristol
	Cribbs Causeway-Avonmouth	4·25
M.6	Birmingham-Preston-Carlisle
	Ray Hall-Darlaston	2·8
	Penrith By-pass	7·9
M.62	Lancashire-Yorkshire
	Moss Moor-Pole Moor	5·87
A.1(M)	Baldock By-pass	6·25
A.1(M)	Durham Motorway
	Aycliffe-Bradbury	5·5
	Bradbury-Bowburn	6·6
A.40(M)	High Wycombe By-pass
	Stokenchurch-Handy Cross	7·9
	Handy Cross-Burkes Road	4·83
	Loudwater Viaduct	0·3
		129·35

MOTORWAYS IN USE
(Ministry and Local Authority)
M.1	London-Yorkshire
	Brockley Hill-Aldenham	4·0
	Aldenham-Crick (incl. M.10 and M.45 Spurs)	73·2
	Crick-Markfield (incl. Enderby Spur)	26·7
	Markfield-Kegworth	11·0
	Kegworth-Sandiacre	5·0
	Sandiacre-Nuthall	6·0
M.2	Medway Motor Road	25·2
M.4	London-South Wales
	Chiswick-Langley	12·5
	Slough By-pass	5·4
	Maidenhead By-pass	5·9
	Tormarton-Hambrook	7·9
	Hambrook-Almondsbury (incl. Almondsbury Interchange and Hambrook Spur)	5·5
	Severn Bridge and Approaches	6·5

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the adverse balance of trade between Great Britain and Venezuela during 1967 to date; and what steps he is taking to increase Great Britain's exports to Venezuela.

No close estimate is possible. The value of imports from and of exports and re-exports to Venezuela in January to March, 1967 is shown on page 287 of the Overseas Trade Accounts for March. The difference between the two is not, however, a close measure of the balance of payments in respect of our visible trade with Venezuela, because imports are valued to include insurance and freight charges which will often be paid to British residents and because the country from or to which imports or exports are consigned may differ from the country to or from which payment is made, or liabilities arise. All the usual export services are available from my Department. My hon. Friend when Minister of State, Board of Trade, visited Venezuela last September on a trade promotion tour and an Economic Mission from Venezuela is expected to visit Britain shortly as guests of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress he has made in his negotiations with soap and detergent firms arising from the Monopolies Commission Report; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 26th April.—[Vol. 745, c. 1610–14.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will refer the proposed merger of Burton Limited and the United Drapery Company to the Monopolies Commission.

I am not yet able to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Ford) on 21st April.—[Vol. 745, c. 167.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the adverse balance of trade between Great Britain and the Argentine Republic during 1967 to date; and what steps he is taking to increase Great Britain's exports to Argentina.

No close estimate is possible. The value of imports from and of exports and re-exports to Argentina in January to March, 1967, is shown on page 288 of the Overseas Trade Accounts for March. The difference between the two is not, however, a close measure of the balance of payments in respect of our visible trade with Argentina, because imports are valued to include insurance and freight charges which will often be paid to British residents and because the country from or to which imports or exports are consigned may differ from the country to or from which payment is made, or liabilities arise. All the usual export services are available from the Board of Trade and special attention is being paid to promoting sales of heavy capital goods. In addition, Export Credits Guarantee Department, last November, removed certain restrictions on the percentage of credit insurance cover for Argentina and the full range of normal credit insurance facilities is now available for business in this market.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the progress made at the Kennedy Round negotiations.

Negotiations are still proceeding. I shall make a statement as soon as they are concluded.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what agreement has been reached at the Kennedy Round of trade negotiations concerning aluminium, steel, and pulp and paper.

Negotiations on all these matters are still proceeding.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the rate of duty applicable to the importation into the United Kingdom of a finished roller bearing; and how this compares with the duty on steel tubing suitable for manufacture into roller bearings.

The full rate of duty on roller bearings is 18 per cent. and on steel tubing suitable for manufacture into roller bearings is 20 per cent. Imports from E.F.T.A. countries and the Commonwealth Preference Area are free of duty.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the rate of duty on steel tubing imported into the United Kingdom; and how this compares with the rates levied on steel tubing imported from the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community and the United States of America, respectively.

The rates of duty on steel tubing, other than flexible steel tubing, vary according to type and are as follows:

United Kingdom Tariff: 17½ per cent. or 20 per cent.;

United States Tariff: Various rates within an ad valorem equivalent range of approximately 2 per cent. to 17 per cent.;

Common External Tariff of the E.E.C.: 12 per cent. or 14 per cent. The current rates of duty in the national tariffs of member-countries of the E.E.C. vary from 8·4 per cent. to 15·5 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many representations he has received on the price of marbles during the periods of standstill and severe restraint; what action was taken by his Department; and what was the estimated total cost of such action.

I received one such complaint, which was investigated through the usual Departmental procedure. There was no breach, but an error in the wholesalers' costing department, and in consequence, the price of the marbles concerned was corrected. I estimate the cost of this action to be £3 10s.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will withhold investment approval for the purchase by British European Airways of helicopters for a London helicopter service in advance of their obtaining a planning decision from the Greater London Council.

B.E.A. have not yet applied for the investment approval, but they are aware that, even if planning permission were obtained, investment approval could not be taken for granted.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what vacancies exist on the Boards of Directors of British European Airways and British Overseas Airways Corporation; and what steps are being taken to fill any vacancies available.

The membership of each Board is one below the statutory maximum. I am considering the position but do not expect to make appointments in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many overseas students studying at Scottish universities are affected by the Government's plan to increase their fees.

Overseas students supported by United Kingdom public funds and existing students financed by the Governments of developing countries will have the increase in fees paid for them.In 1965–66, 2,157 overseas students attended full-time courses at universities in Scotland, 234 of these were financed from United Kingdom public funds. Figures are not available for the number of students at Scottish universities financed by the Governments of developing countries or for the number who will qualify for remission of increased fees on grounds of hardship.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the Government is saving by raising the fees paid by overseas students at Scottish universities.

The fee income from overseas students will be taken into account in the next quinquennial settlement of recurrent grant to universities. The distribution of this grant to individual institutions is a matter for the U.G.C. and increased fee income is only one factor to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he has to report in relation to the siting of the new University of Heriot Watt in the County of Midlothian.

The Government have agreed in principle to the acceptance of the offer by the Midlothian County Council of a site for Heriot Watt University at Riccarton Mains. The local authorities concerned are now investigating the planning and other questions which must be settled before the site can be acquired.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what criteria his Department uses in deciding whether to recognise a university degree awarded in a Commonwealth country;(2) what information is provided to graduates of Commonwealth universities to let them know in advance of their entry into this country, how far their qualifications are comparable with similar qualifications in this country.

My Department is not concerned with the recognition of degrees of Commonwealth universities, except in relation to qualified teacher status and entitlement to the graduate addition to a teacher's salary. Here the criterion is that the standard of the degree should approximate to that of an English university. All inquirers are told whether they will be acceptable as qualified teachers; a leaflet is also sent to them giving information about salaries and how to obtain a post.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable on the systematic and individual photographing by the police of members of the Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament whilst they were distributing leaflets on 15th April in Warrington, and whilst they were taking part in a protest march from Warrington to Burtonwood on 22nd April; what use is to be made of these photographs; and whether the prints and negatives will be destroyed.

The chief constable of Warrington tells me that photographs were taken of these demonstrations in case there was any breach of the peace. It is for the chief constable to decide whether the photographs should be retained for the purpose of record.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce regulations to ban the sale of electrical appliances whose flexible leads do not conform to a standard colouring code.

I propose to make Regulations very shortly prescribing the colours to be used for the earth core in flexible leads attached to domestic electrical appliances. The colours will be those agreed internationally, namely, green or green and yellow. Similar regulations for the live and neutral cores must await the outcome of international negotiations on the colours to be adopted.

Regions				Number of Offices opened since 1961	Present staff numbers	Future staff complements when moves and recruitment completed
Northern	…	…	…	9(1)	1,840 (1,100)	3,800 (2,400)
North-West	…	…	…	12	1,840	2,200
Yorks. and Humberside	…	…	…	5	320	370
E. Mids	…	…	…	5(1)	1,770 (1,650)	2,300 (2,100)
W. Mids.	…	…	…	4	120	200
E. Anglia	…	…	…	3	230	1,150
S.E	…	…	…	23	5,660	7,200
S.W	…	…	…	7	460	1,660
Wales	…	…	…	3	380	450
Scotland	…	…	…	4(1)	1,220 (900)	5,900 (5,500)
				75(3)	13,840 (3,650)	25,230 (10,000)

Figures in brackets are for the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General on how many occasions the recently introduced mail train from Crewe to Liverpool, due to arrive at 02.25 hours, has been more than ten minutes late since the service began; whether he will make representations to the British Railways Board that they should ensure that the train is more punctual in future; and whether he will make a statement.

Eighteen. Representations have been made to British 'Railways.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many Government offices have been located outside the London area since 1961; in what regions they have been sited; and how many new jobs these have provided.

Seventy-five offices have been opened outside London since 1961 with nearly 14,000 staff, rising to over 25,000 as moves and recruitment continue. Plans are in hand for setting up a further 30 offices with about 21,000 staff. The Post Office are included in these figures. Further details are as follows:Justice to revert to the practice in operation between 1960 and 1963 of permitting the domicile of deceased persons whose permanent home was in Wales to be described as Wales; and why such practice was discontinued.

The practice was discontinued because domicile is a legal concept, involving a reference to the whole of a territory possessing its own system of law. A person cannot therefore be said to be domiciled in Wales, though no doubt he could be accurately described as domiciled in England and Wales. For this reason, it is not proposed to reintroduce the practice.

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish in Wales the contents of a circular dated 4th July, 1966, addressed to the District Probate Registrars of the High Court of Justice, whereby the domicile in documents leading to the grant of probate or letters of administration of deceased persons whose permanent home was in Wales may be described as England and Wales and not only as England.

The circular made it clear that where a deceased person was alleged to have died domiciled in England and Wales a statement to that effect might be included in the grant of representation. The circular was intended only for the use of District Probate Registrars to whom it was circulated both in England and in Wales. No useful purpose would be served by publishing it.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what is being done to publicise the need for greater productivity and ways of achieving it.

My Department is responsible for co-ordinating publicity measures in this field. Much attention is being paid to this, with the main emphasis on practical measures rather than on exhortation.A number of measures have been introduced or are in train following the Prime Minister's National Conference on Productivity last September. These include: a British Productivity Council campaign to spread more widely the knowledge of modern management techniques, which I launched by writing as Chairman of the National Economic Development Council to 7,000 medium sized firms inviting them to contact their local productivity associations, and which has received a good response; the preparation by the National Economic Development Office of a handbook on Government and non-Government productivity advisory services and a revised booklet on investment appraisal, which will be available shortly; the publication by the Treasury of a glossary of management techniques; the organisation by the Ministry of Labour of a series of regional conferences on the effective use of manpower; the establishment by the Ministry of Technology of a new Production Engineering Advisory Ser-

vice; and an initiative by the Ministry of Public Building and Works in bringing new and more productive techniques to the attention of the construction industry. D.E.A. publications addressed to management and workers (the monthly Progress Report, "Upswing" and Broadsheets) have concentrated on productivity features, as have the Ministry of Technology's monthly journal

asked the Minister of Health how many women in Westmorland have had tests for the early diagnosis or cervical cancer in each of the last five years.

Our statistics record the smears examined in particular hospitals and are not related to local authority areas. Most of the smears from women living in Westmorland are examined at hospitals in the East Cumberland, West Cumberland and the North Lancashire and South Westmorland groups. In these hospitals, which also serve Cumberland and North Lancashire, smears were being examined at the following annual rates:

		West and East Cumberland Groups	North Cumberland and South Westmorland Groups
November, 1964	…	3,600	144
December, 1965	…	12,276	2,160
December, 1966	…	12,312	2,388

Figures for earlier years are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what is his estimate of the number of persons resident in Blackpool who travel daily to a place of work more than 15 miles from Blackpool.

I have been asked to reply.From information collected on the basis of a 10 per cent. sample in the 1961 Census, it is estimated that 3,630 persons were at that time residing in Blackpool and working at least 15 miles from Black- pool. Corresponding figures, derived from the 1966 sample census, will be available later this year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the total number of families on the house-waiting lists of local authorities in the Greater London area.

The Grater London Council inform me that at the last count the number was 152,030.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now make a statement about the outstanding proposals for local government reorganisation.

I have recently reviewed all the outstanding proposals for local government reorganisation in the light of the good progress which I understand is being made by the Royal Commission on Local Government.So far the guiding principle has been that interim changes should not go ahead in advance of general reorganisation unless it was clear that improvements were urgently needed and the immediate benefits would substantially outweigh the risk of a double upheaval. Since the Commission now expects to complete its report by the autumn of next year, it has become even more desirable to avoid any further local government changes in the interim period which would increase the possibility of two reorganisations in quick succession.Moreover, on both the Tyneside and West Yorkshire Special Review Areas on which, in accordance with the undertaking given by my predecessor, I have consulted the Royal Commission in order to make sure that the outstanding proposals were compatible with the broad thinking that the Commission was developing. The Commission has told me that it will not be able to express any view on how local government in either area should be organised until it is able to report on English local government in general.

asked the Minister of Labour how many registered unemployed persons are aged from 60 to 65 years, inclusive; what proportion this number represents of the total registered unemployed; and how many of this number have been registered for more than 12 months.

The numbers of registered wholly unemployed persons are analysed by age groups in January and July each year. The analysis distinguishes men aged 60 but under 65 and women aged 60 and over.The latest information which relates to January is as follows:

	Men(60 and under 65)	Women (60 and over)
Numbers wholly unemployed	63,980	828
Percentage of all wholly unemployed	15·2	0·8
Unemployed more than 52 Weeks	19,117	73

asked the Minister of Power what representations have been made to him by the National Coal Board on the rapidly falling scale of coal exports from the River Tyne; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received no representations from the N.C.B. Overall coal exports have diminished sharply including those from the Tyne. This is because coal stocks are high in Western Europe and export prices are unremunerative at present.

asked the Minister of Power when he expects to know the estimated capital cost of the proposed nuclear power stations at Heysham and Seaton Carew.

Probably not until next year.

asked the Minister of Power how many large-scale suppliers of steel tubing suitable for manufacture into tapered roller bearings are protected by the high rate of duty levied on tubes imported into the United Kingdom.

Tube Investments Limited are the only large-scale suppliers in the li cited Kingdom of tubing of this kind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT, by appropriate districts, the Income Tax allowance given

(i) DEDUCTIONS WHICH VARY REGIONALLY
					Underground Workers		Surface Workers
Area					Coal Face	Other	Lampmen	In Open	Under Cover
					£	£	£	£	£
Cumberland	…	…	…	…	18	14	12	12	8
Durham:	…	…	…	…
Dry Places	…	…	…	…	13	11	12	10	7
Wet Places	…	…	…	…	17	15	—	—	—
Lanes, and Cheshire	…	…	…	…	23–6*	16	13	12–13*	7
Leicestershire	…	…	…	…	24	14	14	11–14*	8
Midlands (N. and S. Staffs., E. Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Cannock, Shropshire, Pelsall and Highley)					16–20*†	16–18*†	14	12	8
Northumberland	…	…	…	…	21–24*	19	14	12	9
N. Wales	…	…	…	…	24	13–17*	12	12	S
Nottingham	…	…	…	…	14†	14	14	11	7
Scotland	…	…	…	…	26	21	—	13	9
S. Derbyshire	…	…	…	…	20	14	14	11–14*	8
S. Wales	…	…	…	…	20	15–18*	14	12–14*	8
Yorkshire	…	…	…	…	20–25*	18–23*	14	13	9
Notes
* Depending on the nature of the employee's work.
† Depending on tools supplied by the workman.

(ii) DEDUCTIONS AT NATIONAL RATES
						£
Deputies and overmen	…	…	…	…	…	23
Boiler enginemen	…	…	…	…	…	18
Boilermakers	…	…	…	…	…	20
Boilermen	…	…	…	…	…	18
Bricklayers	…	…	…	…	…	15
Bricklayers working continuously underground						17
Electrical engineers	…	…	…	…	…	18
Electrical engineers working continuously underground						21
Engineers	…	…	…	…	…	18
Engineers working continuously underground						21
Enginemen	…	…	…	…	…	18
Joiners	…	…	…	…	…	15
Painters	…	…	…	…	…	11
Plumbers	…	…	…	…	…	16
Sawyers	…	…	…	…	…	14
Smiths	…	…	…	…	…	20
Wagonwrights	…	…	…	…	…	19
Welders (electric and gas)		…	…	…	…	20

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will recommend that a grant be made to enable Snowdon to be purchased for the nation.

The deduction which an employee may claim depends on the amount of the expenditure which he incurs wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of the employment. The standard deductions which have been agreed centrally for the upkeep of tools and working clothing for workmen in the coalmining industry are, however, as follows:

The proposed sale of a part of Snowdonia which is at present in private hands is a matter of great public interest. I have therefore authorised discussions with those concerned, including the National Trust, in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, to ensure that this area of great natural beauty continues to be preserved for all time for the use and enjoyment of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give an assurance that in deciding upon schemes of road improvement full consideration is given to the potential economic growth which such improvement can bring in addition to the narrower considerations of existing use and traffic density.

The criteria which are used in drawing up the programme of improvements of Welsh interurban roads are explained in paragraphs 677–682 of "Wales 1966". The aim is to carry out the schemes which will produce the maximum benefit. Safety considerations, predictable changes in the distribution and nature of industry and other developmental factors are taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ask the Welsh Economic Council to make a full survey of the possible effects to manufacturing industry, service occupations and agriculture in Wales of Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdare (Mr. Probert) on 15th December, 1966—[Vol. 738, cc. 630–31] and the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans) on 19th December, 1966.—[Vol. 738, c. 238.]