asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what are the normal working hours per day and per week for adult males, for women and young persons, at the Kowloon plastic factory where the lock-out of workers led recently to violent disorder.

The dispute referred to concerned only the injection moulding department of the factory in question. The workers in that department were all adult males whose normal working hours were seven hours a day or forty- nine hours a week. They worked eight hour shifts with one hour off for meals and rest, seven days a week.

The normal working hours for adult males in other departments of the same factory varied between 9 hours and 10½ hours daily according to the nature of the work; they worked a normal working week of seven days.

Normal working hours for women and young persons of 16 years or over at the same factory were 10 hours a day or 60 hours a week, with one rest day each week. Normal working hours for other young persons were eight hours a day or 48 hours a week with one rest day each week.

From the information available it appears, however, that the dispute had no connection with hours of work, but arose on other questions.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether any further request has been made for assistance in addition to the contribution of £20,000 already given by the United Kingdom to the Governor of Tasmania's bush fire relief fund; and what reply he has sent.

No further request for assistance has been received fromthe Tasmanian authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many proposals or messages he has received in his capacity as Joint Chairman of the Geneva Conference from either North or South Vietnam, or from any other party to the dispute; and what consequent action he has taken since October, 1964.

Since October, 1964, the British Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference has received four messages from the North Vietnamese, two from the South Vietnamese and nine from other parties concerned with the Vietnam dispute. As my hon. Friend will be aware, my right hon. Friend and his predecessors as Co-Chairman have strenuously sought, in the light of these messages and all the other factors affecting the war in Vietnam to bring it to a speedy end by means of negotiations and a new Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will publish in HANSARD details of the telegrams sent to our ambassadors in West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg, on or about Wednesday, 17th May, 1967, concerning British policy towards France; and why this telegram was not sent to our ambassador in Paris.

No, I am not aware of any such telegram. In any case it is not the practice of Her Majesty's Government to disclose details of their confidential correspondence with posts abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on his proposals for establishing an independent body to further good relations with the countries of Eastern Europe.

It is the intention, with Government support, to create an independent association, to be known as the "Great Britain—East Europe Centre", in order to promote closer understanding between the peoples of this country and certain countries of Eastern Europe, notably Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Rumania. This will be done by fostering cultural, economic, political and social contacts with these countries.

In view of the importance attached by Her Majesty's Government to the development of relations with these countries of Eastern Europe, the Centre will be supported by official funds. The £14,000 already included in the Foreign Service Estimates (published on 14th March under subhead E 13) as being for the use of the East Europe Committee of the British Council will be devoted to the new Centre as the successor of the Committee, and provision for an additional grant of £10,000 will be included in the Summer Supplementary Provision, Class II, 2 E. 13. As necessary, funds will be requested from the Civil Contingencies Fund to cover any payments before the Appropriation Act is passed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the death in the Congo of Miss Winifred Davies, a British subject.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement in the House today.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what cuts he has made in Parker Morris Standards in the last two years.

None, the standards recommended by the Parker Morris Committee have not been obligatory for local authorities, but authorities have been adopting these standards to an increasing degree. I have now made obligatory the space and heating standards recommended by the Committee for all schemes to be approved after the end of next year. These new mandatory minimum standards which include higher heating standards for old people's houses are the highest ever set in England.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has to improve the system of postal collections in West Byfleet, Surrey.

Collection arrangements in West Byfleet are normally adequate. Posting of large batches of mail into boxes in the area has occasionally led to the boxes being overfilled, but we have arranged for this mail to be taken in at the local post office counter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what request he has received for more financial assistance for the pulp mill at Fort William; and if he will make a statement.

I have not received any request for financial assistance for the pulp mill.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that sections of the first report of the Highlands and Islands Development Board were published in the Press three days before the official release of the report; if he will make an inquiry into the circumstances leading to this; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have already made careful inquiries into the matter in consultation with the Board and others concerned. My inquiries indicate that all the normal security arrangements were observed, but they have not brought to light the source of the leakage.

asked the Minister of Technology if, in view of the export potential of desalination plant, he will take additional steps to encourage research and development in desalination and other alternative methods of obtaining fresh water.

The main objection of the current desalination research and development programme is to assist British industrial firms to maintain their technical lead in desalination, particularly in overseas markets.

Progress to date has been most encouraging and the U.K.A.E.A., and my Ministry are now considering the scope of development work in the longer term, having regard to future market prospects.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what study he is making of condensation in factory-built houses.

An interdepartmental working party, with membership from my Ministry, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Scottish Development Department and the Building Research Station was set up in May 1966 to study condensation problems in both traditionally-built and industrialised housing.

Already the working party has produced and distributed a leaflet to householders, organised a conference, and made contributions to lectures and exhibitions. It has assembled data for the publication of case studies of buildings with serious condensation problems, and is preparing a film which will deal with the causes of condensation and remedial measures.

Future activity is directed towards three main groups: householders; building owners and clients; and designers, builders and surveyors.

A campaign using publications, films and conferences is being planned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Report of the Monopolies Commission on International Motor Insurance cards.

The report was published this morning. The Commission has found that monopoly conditions prevail in the provision in the United Kingdom of third party insurance in connection with the use of vehicles abroad.

The Commission has concluded that the arrangement whereby insurers charge uniform prices for the issue of International Motor Insurance Cards (green cards) operates against the public interest; it has recommended that the members of the Motor Insurers' Bureau should terminate this arrangement forthwith and should not subsequently adopt any similar procedure.

I accept the Commission's conclusion and I am inviting the members of the Motor Insurers' Bureau to discuss with my Department the implementation of the recommendation.

asked the Minister of Social Security what has been the percentage rise in the retail price index since the basic National Insurance retirement pension was last increased; and what she estimates to be the respective annual cost of universally increasing the basic pension or of increasing benefits paid by the Supplementary Benefits Commission to cover this rise.

8.7 per cent. up to April, 1967, which is the latest month for which figures are available. The cost of increasing retirement pensions to cover this rise would be £108 million in a full year. Supplementary benefits were introduced in November, 1966; the cost of increasing them to cover the subsequent part of the rise would be £14 million in a full year.

asked the Minister of Social Security what has been the percentage rise in the average level of industrial weekly earnings since the basic National Insurance retirement pension was last increased; and what she estimates to be the respective annual cost of universally increasing the pension or of increasing benefits paid by the Supplementary Commission to cover this rise.

7.4 per cent. up to October, 1966, which is the latest date to which figures are available. The cost of increasing retirement pensions to cover this rise would be £92 million in a full year. Supplementary benefits were not introduced until November, 1966.