asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, on the British application to join the Common Market being accepted, he will arrange for representatives of the Scottish Office to take part in the subsequent negotiations, in order to represent the various aspects of the Scottish economy, including hill and upland farming.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what preparations he has made, or is having made, to ensure that Scottish interests are properly represented in any negotiations to enter the European Economic Community.

At this stage it is not possible to go beyond the Answer which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave on 6th June in reply to a Question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell).—[Vol. 747, c. 189.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what investigations are now being carried out by the Scottish Office on the effect upon Scotland of Great Britain joining the Common Market; and how long Scottish Ministers and officials have spent examining these problems in Brussels.

The arrangements for interdepartmental consultation ensure that the interests of Scotland are borne in mind. It has not been necessary for Scottish Office Ministers and officials to go to Brussels.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will agree to accept in Perth Prison, Mr. Adam Ogilvie, currently a prisoner in Parkhurst Prison, in view of the fact that all Mr. Ogilvie's friends and relations are domiciled in Scotland.

No. Prisoners are generally required to serve their sentences in the country where they were convicted. Exceptions are made for first offenders, for those under 21, and for those normally resident in Scotland who are serving sentences of one year or more. Mr. Ogilvie does not fall within any of these groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the low priority given to land use in the first Annual Report of the Highlands and Islands Development Board, if he will give the Board a direction to pursue this matter with more vigour.

The Board does stress the importance of land use in the Report, and I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's assessment. There is no need for a direction of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now, in view of the publication of the report on Highland Transport, state his proposals for a reduction in freight charges in the Highlands and Islands.

I am at present awaiting comments on this report by the various bodies concerned, and I am not yet in a position to announce any proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new problems of handling he envisages, subsequent to the introduction of seven purse seiners into the herring catching fleet.

Since the purse seining technique of catching herring is still novel to British fishermen, and the manner of its deployment has yet to be seen, it is reasonable to suppose that it may result in new problems. Obviously we cannot foresee what these may be, but I am aware that the hon. Gentleman predicts a large surplus of herring and my right hon. Friend is asking the Herring Industry Board to keep in very close touch with developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland who will be responsible for disposing of the surplus herring which comes on to the market as a result of the expansion of the purse seine net in the Scottish herring fleet.

It has yet to be seen whether the introduction of purse-seining will give rise to supplies beyond the capacity of the existing private enterprise channels, which have been under-supplied at times in the past and whose managements are no doubt alive to the possibilities offered by the enlarged catching capacity. Some transitional problems may, of course, arise and that is why I have asked the Herring Industry Board to watch the situation closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the improvement of the roads for Fraserburgh and Peterhead to Aberdeen, when British Railways withdraw the railway goods service from these two communities.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the trunk roads A92 and A952, which are his direct responsibility, are adequate to deal with the extra traffic and that in general the roads in the area will be able to cope.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the machinery for making available dredging vessels operated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, to local port authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Requests by harbour authorities for the services of the two dredgers operated by my Department are met as far as possible in rotation, but, in making up forward programmes of work, account must also be taken of the disposition of the vessels themselves and the urgency of the need at the various harbours in relation to their fishing activity. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any general dissatisfaction with the arrangements, operational or financial, or of any need to review them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why his Department consider that after serving 10 years in prison a prisoner has insufficient compassionate grounds to justify a transfer to a prison nearer his relatives and friends.

Arrangements are made to enable long-term prisoners to be moved temporarily each year to receive visits. As regards permanent transfer, it is necessary to weigh any hardship there may be to a prisoner in serving a sentence at some distance from home against other factors such as availability of suitable training and the grouping of prisoners of similar history and character. Length of time served could not in itself determine where a prisoner should be kept.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the recruitment of staff for the Child Care Service of local authorities in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

I am not satisfied. I am well aware that local authorities find recruitment difficult because of the shortage of qualified persons. Where a local authority asks for assistance, my Child Care Inspectorate assists in any way it can.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that St. Andrew's University will lose its right to confer medical degrees when it separates from Dundee; and, in view of the continuing serious shortage of doctors in Scotland, what action he will now take to deal with this shortage.

Yes, but I understand that this will not affect the output of medical graduates from Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his best estimate of the present average cost per week of maintaining an in-patient at a teaching hospital in Scotland.

The average cost per inpatient week shown in the Analysis of Running Costs of Scottish Hospitals for the year ended 31st March, 1966, for the ten hospitals in Scotland classified as "acute-teaching" was £41 16s. 11d.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the school population in Scotland received a post-primary education of at least three years in the individual years 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 and to the nearest available date; and if he will list the individual counties in Scotland, with percentages.

The following table shows the percentages of pupils leaving education authority schools in each year who had completed stage SIII or beyond.

			Percentage
Year ending June, 1960	…	…	63·3
Year ending June, 1961	…	…	64·2
Year ending June, 1962	…	…	61·4
Year ending June, 1963	…	…	65·6
Year ending June, 1964	…	…	73·8
Year ending June, 1965	…	…	76·3
Year ending June, 1966	…	…	78·1

Corresponding percentages for each education authority for the year ending June 1966 are given below. Statistics for individual authorities for earlier years are not readily available.

Education Authority
Counties			Percentage
Aberdeen	…	…	78·4
Angus	…	…	74·3
Argyll	…	…	70·3
Ayr	…	…	62·8
Banff	…	…	67·5
Berwick	…	…	73·6
Bute	…	…	66·5
Caithness	…	…	65·7
Clackmannan	…	…	93·1
Dumfries	…	…	97·5
Dunbarton	…	…	65·3
East Lothian	…	…	72·4
Fife	…	…	95·2
Inverness	…	…	86·7
Kincardine	…	…	84·1
Kirkcudbcenter	…	…	81·5
Lanark	…	…	76·8
Midlothian	…	…	81·0
Moray and Nairn	…	…	85·1
Orkney	…	…	75·4
Peebles	…	…	78·0
Perth and Kinross	…	…	79·8
Renfrew	…	…	82·3
Ross and Cromarty	…	…	68·9
Roxburgh	…	…	82·4
Selkirk	…	…	83·1
Stirling	…	…	92·5
Sutherland	…	…	88·0
West Lothian	…	…	73·2
Wigtown	…	…	80·5
Zetland	…	…	93·5
Cities
Aberdeen	…	…	89·9
Dundee	…	…	79·2
Edinburgh	…	…	82·2
Glasgow	…	…	71·5

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will advise local authorities in Scotland to seek the approval of his Department in all cases where the lowest offers for open competitive contract tenders are not accepted(2) if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to advise unsuccessful tenderers for open competitive contracts of the reasons which prompted their decisions in cases where the lowest tender for such contracts is not accepted.

In a circular issued last month to local authorities on contracting procedures for building work I reiterated an earlier recommendation that they should use selective tendering as widely as possible, and said that, where an authority had so proceeded, the lowest tender should almost invariably be accepted. I added that if, in an exceptional case, the authority wished to accept a tender other than the lowest it should at once furnish a full statement of its reasons to the appropriate Government Department before being committed to passing over the lowest tender. I have no proposals for legislation on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what increase he expects in the number of approved school places available in Scotland in the next three years.

Twenty additional places for boys should become available within the next few months and a further 170 places later.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has taken a decision on the proposal for a further nuclear power station at Hunterston; and if he will make a statement about future coal consumption by the Scottish electricity boards.

I have authorised the South of Scotland Electricity Board to proceed with the construction at Hunterston of a 1250 MW nuclear generating station of the advanced gas cooler reactor type to be operative in 1973. This will follow the commissioning of three large coal-burning stations which will have the effect of nearly doubling the Board's present consumption of coal in the next five years. It may be followed by further pumped storage in Scotland, which would help to sustain the level of coal consumption by the Boards if coal prices are competitive in the 1970s.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the deferment of proposals to expand whisky distilleries in the north and north-east of Scotland will adversely affect the development of those areas; what alternative employment he will seek to provide; and if he will make a statement.

The creation of a very small number of jobs has been deferred as a result of these decisions. But expansions of distilleries and other projects are going ahead as planned in the north and northeast, and the Government are continuing to encourage industrial development through such means as advance factory programmes, the wider availability of financial incentives, and the introduction of the Regional Employment Premium.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the numbers entering the teaching profession in each of the next four years.

The estimated figures for the four years beginning 1967–68 are 3,330, 3,910, 3,920 and 4,680.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the 1966–67 emigration figure will be available.

The Registrar General's estimate of the net migration loss for the year ended 30th June, 1967 should be available about the end of November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he is now having regarding the introduction of a statutory minimum prices scheme for white fish; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 21st June.—[Vol. 748, c. 1693.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what damage is done to agriculture in Scotland by wild geese; what is the latest estimate of the number of Greylag and Pinchfoot geese which winter in Scotland; and how this compares with the numbers wintering here 10 years ago.

In a number of areas in Scotland wild geese do damage to grasslands and young grain crops and in severe weather also damage turnips. The number of Greylag and Pinkfoot geese wintering in Scotland fluctuates from season to season and even within seasons, but it has been estimated that the maximum number was about 60,000 Grey-lag and about 64,000 Pinkfoot in the winter of 1966–67, about 23,000 Greylag and 32,000 Pinkfoot in 1956–67.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information is available as to the number of persons in Scotland employed in egg production.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the Hertfordshire Scheme, details of which have been sent to him, whereby school teachers are to be given an opportunity of gaining first-hand knowledge of conditions in a shop or factory to give them an insight into a school leaver's first experience of working life, and to give them a better appreciation of the standards for which employers are looking.

Similar schemes for the secondment of teachers to industry have been in operation in Scotland at least since 1965. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the 1966 report issued jointly by the Scottish Education Department and the Confederation of British Industry which gave details. To encourage further contacts between industry and teachers and to introduce more permanent machinery for this purpose my right hon. Friend is in the process of setting up a national joint committee on liaison between schools and industry and has invited education authorities to set up their own local liaison committees.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set up a working party to consider ways of providing an optional course in Scottish secondary schools on oceanography and the marine environment.

No. It is already possible for schools to offer courses in nautical subjects, and field work in biology may be carried out with reference to the marine environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to using air-conditioned ships as schools and married quarters for the families of defence forces stationed in potentially hostile areas overseas; and what the cost of such ships would be compared to buildings at present being erected in such areas.

This concept has been examined in the past, but has been found impracticable partly from its cost, partly because of the difficulties in having families with small children living on shipboard for long periods. There would be problems of mooring and docking, and in the provision of adequate common services; nor would a ship, necessarily moored close to shore, be immune from hostile action.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent serving officers in active service have the same opportunities for studying for entry to the Staff College as officers in the British Army of the Rhine or in units in the United Kingdom.

Opportunities for studying for entry to the Staff College may vary according to where the officers is serving. But if an officer has the necessary recommendation, he is allowed two attempts at the entrance examination, spread over three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the present and future military requirements of Shoeburyness.

There are at present and for the foreseeable future military requirements for development, experimental and proof work on high explosives, guns, ammunition and guided weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why he has increased from 127 in March, 1966, to 149 in March, 1967, the number of anchors which are held by him at Singapore; and what is the cost of 22 new anchors of the type provided.

At the annual review of holdings in March, 1967, the requirement for anchors at Singapore was assessed at 115 based on the numbers and types of vessels expected to be operating in that part of the world during the ensuing 12 months.The additional requirements had been met by transfer from United Kingdom stock but we had not yet returned and disposed of those anchors which were not required. No new anchors were purchased for Singapore. The value of the additions sent there in 1966 is assessed at £5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that the variant of the F111 being purchased from the United States of America will be delivered at the price specified, at the time specified, and will have all the operational characteristics attributed to it at the time.

I have nothing to add to the assurances given in my speech in the House on 1st May, and in reply to Questions on 12th April.—[Vol. 746, c. 99–220; Vol. 744, c. 1179–82.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the personal effects of No. 23661499 Mr. Robinson of the 26 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, British Forces Post Office 30, which were dispatched in April from Germany are likely to arrive.

I understand that this soldier's baggage was handed into the Unit Quartermaster's Store in April but I much regret that owing to an administrative failure it remained in that store.It has now been dispatched by the Unit and should arrive in this country in the next few days.I shall see that every effort is made to clear the baggage with the Customs and to dispatch it to its destination as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will give an assurance that in negotiations relating to the future use of the site at Caerwent, Monmouthshire, now used by the Royal Naval Propellant Factory, he will take into account the need not to prejudice the ultimate conclusions of the Severnside study and the possible development of the site for industrial purposes;(2) if, before concluding negotiations for the use of the Royal Naval Propellant Factory site at Caerwent, he will seek the views of the local planning authority and the Chepstow Rural District Council, regarding long-term industrial development prospects within South-East Monmouthshire;(3) if, in any negotiations at present proceeding for the use by the United States Air Force of the site at present occupied by the Royal Naval Propellant Factory at Caerwent, he will give an assurance that the long-term potential of the site will be safeguarded for the development of productive industry;(4) how many local civilian jobs he estimates will be created by the Royal Naval Propellant Factory site at Caerwent, Monmouthshire, being occupied by the United States Air Force; and whether he is satisfied that the creation of such employment will not adversely affect the more substantial long-term employment prospects that could be based on this site.

Possible continued use for military purposes of the site of the Royal Naval Propellant Factory at Caerwent is being studied. All relevant factors, including the impact of continued military use on plans for the development of the surrounding area and on employment will, of course, be taken into account before a decision is made, and I am consulting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales on this and other similar features.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the effect, in financial terms, of the proposed new policy on Aden so far as the last Defence White Paper is concerned.

The effect in financial terms will be negligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the reports required on each incident taking place in Aden are for the purpose of assisting progress in maintaining order or for political reasons.

These reports are a necessary part of the arrangements for countering outbreaks of violence in Aden.

asked the Minister of Transport why a route has not yet been marked from Marble Arch to the M1.

Signposting is the responsibility of the Greater London Council as traffic authority. I am asking the Council to write to the hon. Member about this route.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that her rate support grant calculations for 1967–68 is £179·1 million compared to £187 million for 1966–67, if she still expects an expansion by local authorities in respect of other classes of roads administered by them.

The 1966–67 figure quoted was a provisional estimate made by the local authorities of the whole of their rate-borne expenditure on highways. Until returns of actual expenditure in 1966–67 are received I am in no position to comment on the trend of expenditure on roads administered by the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now refuse to allow the closure of the Hurst Green-Lewes and Eridge-Groombridge-Tun-bridge Wells railway lines, in the light of the report of the transport users' consultative committee for the South-Eastern area that this would cause severe hardship to users of the line and others, and that these hardships could not be alleviated other than by retaining the lines proposed to be closed.

The Transport Users' Consultative Committee's report was received only last week. There are many complex issues involved and my right hon. Friend must study the report and all other relevant factors in detail before reaching a decision on this closure proposal.

asked the Minister of Transport what percentage of locomotives, diesel and steam, now in service are not vet equipped with an automatic warning system.

As at 31st December, 1966, the latest date for which full figures are available, 367 or 21·7 per cent. of the 1,689 steam locomotives remaining in service on British Railways were not equipped with an automatic warning system. It is not, of course, intended to fit any more steam locomotives with this equipment since all will be withdrawn from traffic in the near future.At the same date 399 or 13·4 per cent. of the 2,975 main line diesel locomotives in service were not equipped with an automatic warning system. These locomotives, in the main, work in areas where ground equipment for the automatic warning system has not been installed.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of providing passenger and freight transport between Minehead and Taunton which will give the same service as is at present given by the existing railway system; and if she will also give the approximate cost of making up the Taunton to Minehead road to a standard which will enable it to carry the additional traffic resulting from the closure of the railway line.

The Taunton to Minehead line is shown as grey on the Railway Network for Development Map published last March. This means that it is one of the lines now being reviewed by the Railways Board but they have not published a closure proposal for it. If and when they do, my right hon. Friend will consider all relevant aspects of the case.

asked the Minister of Transport what information she now has about the speed, capital cost per mile, operating cost, and prices to be charged to passengers for the different forms of city centre to airport transport, including rail, monorail, and hovertrain, essential for Great Britain's third national airport.

I keep abreast of the latest information on all forms of masts transport. As the airport develops the nature of its surface links will be determined on the best information available.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware of the parking problems facing a disabled driver; and whether she will arrange for all registered disabled drivers to have on a national scale the same concessionary badges and facilities which some local authorities accord to disabled drivers within their own areas.

A nationally approved scheme for special car badges for disabled drivers has been in existence for some time. My right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health have been reviewing its operation and will be giving further advice to local authorities shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many training instructors are employed at each of the four schools running approved courses for the ab initio training of commercial airline pilots; and how many vacancies exist at each establishment.

The College of Air Training at Hamble at present employs forty-four flying instructors and has vacancies for two more; Airwork Services, Perth, employs twenty and has a vacancy for one more; the Oxford Air Training School and the London School of Flying employs twenty-six and ten flying instructors respectively and have no vacancies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the average delay a trained ab initio commercial airline pilot experiences before he takes his flying examination; and what is the reason for the delays.

Flight Examiners of the Board of Trade attend the flying training schools at planned intervals when courses of students are ready for test. In the case of the first student to be tested there is no delay but the last of the group may have to wait up to ten working days.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will tabulate in the Official Report the evidence submitted at the Government review following the inspector's report on the Stansted inquiry; and to what extent forms of transport other than road and rail were considered.

No. The Government's White Paper already indicates the information which the Government took into account in their review. Monorail and hovercraft were considered particularly in connection with the estuary sites.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, why Castle Donington and Ferrybridge were not considered as serious possibilities for a third London airport; and what consideration he has given to national airport requirements as distinct from London requirements, in any evidence submitted at the Stansted inquiry.

Castle Donington is 114 miles by road and Ferrybridge 177 miles by road, from Central London. They were considered to be too distant to serve as London airports. Requirements for airports, other than airports to serve London, are under review; but in general airports outside the South East are at present under-utilised.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a further statement about the composition, terms of reference and form of proceedings of his Department's inquiry into British air safety standards.

On 5th June I informed the House that a public inquiry would be held into the causes and circumstances of the accident to an aircraft which had occurred at Stockport. Arrangements are being made for that enquiry. It will of course be some time before the technical investigation, which is a necessary preliminary, can be completed. As I made plain on 5th June, the report will be published.I told the House also that I had given instructions for a special review of the performance of all operators in relation to standards of safety. There has been continuing public concern—and some misunderstanding—about these matters, and it may be helpful if 1 explain more fully what is involved.Every operator in the country would, I am sure, accept that the safety of his operations are his primary and inescapable responsibility. The Air Navigation Order and regulations made under it lay specific duties upon the operator and prescribe certain standards and procedures which are based on international standards and procedures. The main responsibilities of the Board of Trade are to satisfy itself that an operator is competent to ensure safety; that the individual aircraft used are themselves safe; and that the crew is fully competent to fly the particular aircraft involved.The Air Navigation Order, 1966, charges the Director of Aviation Safety directly with the first of these tasks; it is his duty to grant air operator's certificates if he is satisfied as to the competence of the operator to secure the safe operation of specified types of aircraft. One of the matters on which he must be satisfied is that the operator has satisfactory arrangements for the maintenance of his aircraft, and on this he is advised by the Air Registration Board, in accordance with the Civil Aviation (Air Registration Board) Order 1960. The Air Registration Board, which is responsible, under the same Order, for the airworthiness of aircraft, satisfies itself as to continued airworthiness before annually renewing the certificate of each aircraft.Finally, the Board of Trade may issue licences, after tests have been passed, to pilots and other aircrew. Under Article 23(2) of the Air Navigation Order, 1966, however, the continued competence of the crew on the aircraft and equipment used is the responsibility of the operator.The Director of Aviation Safety has on his staff a body of Inspectors who not only check that the statutory requirements are met, but fly the routes with individual operators, to see how operations are conducted. They are also located at intervals at various airports to see that all regulations are complied with on incoming United Kingdom aircraft. (Two Inspectors were actually at Perpignan for this purpose on the evening of the accident.)The causes of accidents vary widely. I wish to make it clear that I have no present grounds for supposing that airline operators in possession of a certificate are not competent to ensure safe operation, that aircraft certified as airworthy are not in fact so, or that licensed aircrews are not competent. Supervision of these matters is a constant process, and my officers are always seeking ways to improvement. But in present circumstances I considered it desirable to ask the statutory authorities to make an even more rigorous scrutiny themselves as to the way in which operators of United Kingdom registered aircraft do in practice meet the requirements.I believe that the right course at this stage is a thorough review of the operators' performance by the Director of Air Safety and the Air Registration Board, as the statutory authorities. Some independent advice will also be desirable, however, and I have decided, therefore, with the ready concurrence of those concerned, to ask two independent advisers, whose names I will announce shortly, to assist them in conducting the review and in drawing up their conclusions. When I have the conclusions, I will make them available to the House; and if then I see need for improving the effectiveness of any of the present arrangements, I will take the necessary action.—[Vol. 747, c. 643–4.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what surveys he has carried out to determine the ultimate destination of air passenger traffic flying into this country and the point of origin of air passengers flying out of the country; and if he will publish information given in evidence at the Government review following the inspector's report on the Stansted inquiry concerned with origin and destination of journeys made by air, to substantiate the conclusion reached in Command Paper No. 3259, paragraphs 21 and 22.

A survey of the origin and destinations within the United Kingdom of international passenger traffic at London's airports was made during a five week period in the summer of 1965. A copy of the report of the survey has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has completed his examination of the application made by the Egg Marketing Board on 25th April for the imposition of an antidumping duty under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957; and what action he proposes to take.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 22nd June to the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall).—[Vol. 748, c. 334.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will indicate the scope of the major study now being undertaken by the Textile Council; whether independent opinion will be included; and under which function of Schedule 2 of the Cotton Industry Development Council Order, 1966 the study is being undertaken.

The study will examine all the factors which affect the productivity and competitive efficiency of the industry. These include medium and long term assessments of the nature and size of demand for the industry's products; the methods of production and marketing which will meet this demand most effectively; and the structure and organisation of the industry and its likely requirements in terms of management, labour force and machinery. Domestic and foreign competition and the profitability of the industry will also be fully considered. Independents, including professional consultants, will participate in the study.The scope of the study falls within the terms of several of the functions listed in Schedule 2 to the Cotton Industry Development Council Order, 1966 and, in particular, functions 1, 9, 15 and 16. It is appropriate that the Textile Council should carry out such work in view of the general responsibilities placed upon them by paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 2 to the Order.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken, and will take, to publish product by product, and industry by industry, the tariff charges reached in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations resulting from the Kennedy Round; and if he will publish a White Paper on those changes of importance to British industry and commerce.

The Final Act of the Kennedy Round negotiations is due to be signed at Geneva on the 30th June. The schedules of tariff changes will be pub- lished by the G.A.T.T. in due course; but I understand that copies are not likely to be available before the end of August. As soon as possible in the week beginning the 3rd July, however, the Board of Trade will send particulars of the United Kingdom's agreed schedule of tariff changes to the other Government Departments concerned, to the Regional Offices of the Board of Trade and to the Confederation of British industry and a number of other Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce. The Board of Trade will be prepared to answer enquiries about these changes and also about the changes made by the other participants in the negotiations. A copy of all the tariff schedules will be placed in the Library of each House of Parliament. I shall present a White Paper as soon as possible in July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, to ensure that packaging of household goods is not used as a device for concealing price increases from the consumer, he will introduce legislation to require retailers to mark commodities with their price per pound or other unit.

No. I do not believe such a requirement to be generally necessary, and it would present considerable practical problems.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, to assist the consumer, he will now require that detergents should be packaged in standard weights.

I have already initiated consultations with the manufacturers of detergents of my proposals for requiring these products to be prepacked only in specified quantities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the need for industrial development in South-East Monmouthshire, he will give an assurance that he will not refuse industrial development certificates to firms wishing to settle at Caldicot.

Subject to the needs of the development areas, I am prepared to consider applications for industrial development certificates for projects suited to the needs and resources of Caldicot.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what will be the estimated additional cost in 1967–68 of the decision to bring forward the date of payment of the investment grant from 18 months to 12 months from the date of purchase.

This depends not only on the level of investment but also on the rate at which claims are made. The best estimate I can make at present is about £60 million a quarter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will exclude the Lancashire textile areas from the special inquiry into the grey areas; and if he will instead appoint a special body with executive powers to deal with the problems which are known to have been reported to him on many occasions.

No. One of the purposes of the inquiry is to consider areas such as these.

Name of Establishment						Acreage	Local Authority
1.	PRISONS
	Albany	…	…	…	…	71	Newport Municipal Borough, I. of W.
	Appleton Thorn	…	…	…	…	20	Blackthorn R.D.C., Cheshire
	Ash well	…	…	…	…	30	Oakham R.D.C., Rutland
	Askham Grange	…	…	…	…	12	Tadcaster R.D.C., Yorks, W.R.
	Aylesbury	…	…	…	…	26	Aylesbury Municipal Borough, Bucks.
	Bedford	…	…	…	…	5	Bedford Municipal Borough, Beds.
	Bela River	…	…	…	…	23	South Westmorland R.D.C, Westmorland
	Birmingham	…	…	…	…	9	Birmingham County Borough
	Blundeston	…	…	…	…	89	Lothingland R.D.C., E. Suffolk
	Bristol	…	…	…	…	8	Bristol County Borough
	Brixton	…	…	…	…	5	London Borough of Lambeth
	Camp Hill	…	…	…	…	262	Newport Municipal Borough, I. of W.
	Canterbury	…	…	…	…	5	Canterbury County Borough
	Cardiff	…	…	…	…	7	Cardiff County Borough
	Chelmsford	…	…	…	…	16	Chelmsford Municipal Borough, Essex
	Coldingley	…	…	…	…	32	Bagshot R.D.C., Surrey
	Dartmoor	…	…	…	…	1,651	Tavistock R.D.C, Devon
	Dorchester	…	…	…	…	3	Dorchester Municipal Borough, Dorset
	Drake Hall	…	…	…	…	23½	Stone R.D.C., Staffs.
	Durham	…	…	…	…	7	Durham County Borough
	Eastchurch	…	…	…	…	463	Sheppey R.D.C., Kent
	Exeter	…	…	…	…	4	Exeter County Borough
	Ford	…	…	…	…	99	Chichester R.D.C.. W. Sussex
	Gartree	…	…	…	…	96	Market Harborough R.D.C. Leics.
	Gloucester	…	…	…	…	3	Gloucester County Borough
	Grendon	…	…	…	…	121	Aylesbury R.D.C, Bucks.
	Haldon	…	…	…	…	15½	St. Thomas R.D.C, Devon
	Haverigg	…	…	…	…	160	Millom R.D.C, Cumberland
	Hill Hall	…	…	…	…	188	Epping & Ongar R.D.C. Essex
	Holloway	…	…	…	…	12	London Borough of Islington

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the existing regulations for the supplying of barbiturates by means of medical prescriptions are not open to abuse; and if he will make a statement.

I am not at present aware of any sufficient grounds for amendment of the existing law, but I shall be glad to consider any information that the hon. Member may care to send me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list in the OFFICIAL REPORT showing the names of all prisons and penal establishments, the name of the local authorities in whose areas they are situated and the acreage of each establishment.

Following is the list of establishments in England and Wales.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will site a second Pay As You Earn computer centre in Scotland.

I would refer the Member to my reply to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 20th June, 1967.—{Vol. 748. c. 227.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum per mile is paid to civil servants when using their own motor cars on official Government business; when this allowance was inaugurated; what increase of allowances has been made in the last 10 years; and what further changes are now contemplated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum per mile is paid to commissioned officers in Her Majesty's service when using their own motor cars on official Government business; when such mileage allowance was negotiated; what increase of such mileage allowances has been made in the last 10 years; and what further changes are contemplated.

Mileage allowances have been paid in the civil service and the Services since the beginning of this century. The same rates are now paid to commissioned officers as to civil servants. Since 1964 the allowance, which applies to all vehicles of 500 c.c. or more, has been 7¾d. per mile for the first 7,000 miles official running in a year and 4d. thereafter. In 1957, officers with cars up to 10 horsepower received 7¾. per mile for the first 2,000 miles in a year, 6d. per mile for mileage between 2,001 and 7,000 miles and 4¾d. thereafter. The corresponding rates for cars over 10 horsepower were 9¼., 7¾d. and 6¼d. The current rates are now under review by the Civil Service National Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs how many people from Gibraltar have emigrated to Australia and Canada since arrangements were made to send a representative from the Australian and Canadian Embassies in Madrid or elsewhere to facilitate these movements this year; and how many had emigrated in the previous six months; and what steps are being taken to see that such emigrants can still vote in the referendum.

No one has emigrated from Gibraltar to Australia or Canada since the arrangements in question started, or, so far as is known, during the previous six months. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.

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

I am very glad to say that, at the invitation of the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself, Sir Rex Cohen has agreed to serve as Chairman, and Sir Richard Verdin as Deputy Chairman, of the Meat and Livestock Commission. The Secretary of State and I hope to make an early announcement about the remaining members of the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will publish the Report of the Joint Committee of the Medical Research Council and the Agricultural Research Council on the use of antibiotics in agriculture.

The Report of the Joint Committee was made to the two Research Councils. I am consulting with them about the publication of a statement.

asked the Minister of Health how many health centres have been opened since the operation of the National Health Service Act; and what plans has he for further centres in the next 10 years.

In addition to 10 which were already in existence, 36 health centres have been opened in England and Wales since July, 1948. 30 more are under construction, 28 have been approved, and plans for 48 are under consideration. I have recently sent to local health authorities a circular of guidance on the provision of health centres, and present evidence suggests that their ten-year plans for 300 centres by 1976 may be greatly exceeded.