asked the Minister of Technology to what extent he has promoted the establishment of science-based industries in Scotland and North Lanarkshire, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has encouraged science-based industries in Scotland and North Lanarkshire among other ways through the creation of the Institute of Advanced Machine Tool Technology at East Kilbride, the Low Cost Automation Advisory Centres at Paisley College of Technology and Heriot-Watt University, and the introduction of the Production Engineering Advisory Service, all linked with the Department's Regional Office in Edinburgh and the associated Industrial Liaison Centres.

asked the Minister of Technology what support he is giving to projects for undersea research and development; if he has decided the main areas for further technical study; and if he will make a statement.

This subject is of concern to a number of Departments and I and my colleagues are now reviewing it so as to produce a plan for future action.

asked the Minister of Technology what consideration he has given to the proposal for a design study on a split level submarine with a view to increasing British participation in undersea technology; and what encouragement he has given to British industry to become increasingly active in the vital area of research by commissioning a full design study of the project.

I am considering with other Ministers with responsibilities in this field, what developments in the field of undersea technology seem likely to prove profitable.Last month I received a request to finance a design study of a special sub- marine for use both in commercial undersea operations and in a future under-water research programme, and I am considering this request which would probably involve a large programme of investigation.

asked the Minister of Technology whether, in considering the future of the Culham Laboratory, he will take account of the need to maintain a centre for plasma physics research, irrespective of whether the work may lead to the development of a nuclear fusion reactor.

The value and cost of plasma physics research in relation to research in other fields will be taken into consideration in deciding the future of the Culham Laboratory.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the estimated percentage of the total value of United Kingdom machine tool output that is accounted for by public authority purchasing.

Central Government Departments' average annual purchases of machine tools represent about 2 per cent. of the industry's 1966 output of £150 million. Information on purchases of machine tools by the rest of the public sector is not available.

asked the Minister of Technology when he proposes to take action on the report submitted to him in March by the National Joint Council on Materials Handling; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is discussing this report, which was sent to it in mid-April, with other Government Departments concerned. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.We attach great importance to the wider application of modern handling techniques as a major factor in improving industrial efficiency, and are supporting work in this field. A contract has been placed with Drop Forging Research Association for the study of handling methods in the drop forging industry, which seeks to establish what can be done to help this small but vital basic industry. We are also making arrangements to support research work on materials handling at the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement about his consultations with the Chrysler Corporation regarding their rationalisation and modernisation plans, with particular reference to the proposed closure of a factory in north-west London.

My officials discussed last December Rootes' plans, which had been agreed with the Chrysler Corporation, for rationalisation and expansion of their commercial vehicle activities. No reference was made at that time to the closure of their factory in North-west London, but I was informed by the company of this decision shortly before it was publicly announced.

asked the Minister of Technology to what extent he is incurring expenditure for the purpose of manufacturing a more destructive hydrogen bomb.

Not at all.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will take steps to ensure that aircraft making sonic boom tests avoid as for as possible areas of intensive farming and cattle rearing.

The current tests are well below the level of intensity likely to cause damage.

asked the Minister of Technology whether tests of sonic bangs will be carried out with the same frequency as is likely to arise from the commercial use of Concord in order to achieve a realistic assessment.

Not this July. We have not yet decided what further tests may have to be made.

asked the Minister of Technology whether the principle of the captured air bubble in hovercraft design is being developed by the British Hovercraft Corporation.

The British Hovercraft Corporation is carrying out research into the captured air bubble, or the trapped air cushion principle.

asked the Minister of Technology what research is being undertaken to reduce the noise from hovercraft.

Research to reduce the noise from the propellors, fans and engines on hovercraft is being undertaken both by the Department and by the industry. Investigation are also being made into alternative and quieter methods of propulsion.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the £2½ million computer aided design project at Cambridge.

We are establishing at Cambridge, under Ministry management, a Centre to develop the use of computers in engineering design. Equipped with an ICT Atlas II computer it will enable numbers of designers simultaneously to use the facilities offered, from a distance. When fully developed the Centre should provide a model for the establishment of a nation-wide computer-aided design facility for industry. This facility will make more readily available to the engineer up-to-date design information and techniques and also make it possible for him to attempt several alternative solutions to a problem in less than the time hitherto required for one. This should lead to an improvement in the speed and quality of engineering design, with a consequent reduction in manufacturing costs.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will state the administrative procedure being applied under Section 7 of the Shipbuilding Industry Act in relation to marine engineering which will ensure that the interests of competitive supplying industries in this country are not harmed.

When the whole content of the ship is British, the guarantee will normally cover a loan for 80 per cent. of the contract price.The guaranteed loan will be reduced

asked the Minister of Technology what progress he has made in finding alternative work to ensure the full use of the national resources available at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston; and whether he will make a statement.

Aldermaston earnings from work outside the atomic weapons field, mainly for Government Departments, is now substantial. The establishment is also beginning to make a contribution to R and D in the fields of medical and dental engineering, space technology and the application of computer techniques to engineering.

asked the Minister of Technology what progress has been made so far in implementing the Geddes Report on shipbuilding.

The main recommendations dependent on action by the Government related to the provision of financial assistance, the establishment of the Shipbuilding Industry Board and the reorganisation of the industry. The Shipbuilding Industry Act makes provision for assistance and the Board has now been put on a statutory basis. My earlier Answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop) explains the position on reorganisation.

asked the Minister of Technology what representations and what evidence will be given at the resumed inquiry to ensure that the best technical evidence is available to the inspector in view of the need to site the first national cross-Channel hoverport correctly.

The conduct of the resumed inquiry is, of course, the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing, but I understand that hovercraft operators wishing to use Dover, on the one hand, and Pegwell Bay on the other are intending to give evidence, as is the constructor of the hovercraft.

asked the Minister of Technology what proportion of the £555·7 million worth of purchases made by him in the financial year 1965–66 was made in Scotland and in each of the other development areas.

£555·7 million relates to expenditure and cannot readily be analysed in the way requested. Of the £512·4 million of contracts placed in 1965–66, 2·6 per cent. was in Scotland and 1·1 per cent. in other development districts. An analysis is not available by individual development districts or by the individual development areas introduced in August, 1966.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange that employees of private catering and laundry establishments be treated for Selective Employment Tax in the same way as employees of local authorities running similar establishments.

No. Selective Employment Tax is refunded to local authorities except where this would result in substantial unfair competition.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on retail prices to date of the Selective Employment Tax; and if he will make a statement.

I estimate that the effect has been to raise the retail prices index by about one-half of 1 per cent. The tax has contributed significantly both to the Revenue and to the general restraint of demand.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to render it unnecessary for one nationalised industry to institute legal proceedings against another nationalised industry; and whether he will make a statement.

Such proceedings are very rare and I do not think there is a need for such legislation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that public rights to Her Majesty's foreshore at Brighton are being infringed without statutory or other legitimate authority; and what steps he has taken or plans to take to maintain the rights of the public and of the Crown there.

The foreshore at Brighton is owned by Brighton Corporation who bought it from the Crown many years ago. Any alleged infringement of public rights is a matter for the Corporation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will remove or reduce the 27½ per cent. Purchase Tax at present levied on domestic waste disposal units.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date the Inland Revenue will be computerised in all areas of the country.

On present indications it will take something over 10 years to put all the P.A.Y.E. work from local tax districts on to computers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total annual cost of complete remission of fuel tax on all stage carriage services in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.

£25½ million, £4½ million and £1·8 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the United Kingdom balance of payments will be adversely affected by the current estimated £2 per ton extra for the costs involved in importing oil as a result of the Middle East difficulties, calculated on the basis of the actual oil imports for the year ended December, 1966 and the anticipated oil imports for the year ending December, 1967.

It is not yet possible to estimate how long it will be before oil supplies return to normal; nor what changes in the pattern of supply may occur in the meantime.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in deciding to maintain the £50 overseas travel allowance for 1967–68, he took into consideration the fact that membership of the European Economic Community entails a free flow of currency in Europe; and how soon he expects to implement this procedure so far as holiday currency allowance is concerned.

We are not yet members of the European Economic Community. I have nothing to add to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro) on 29th June, 1967.—[Vol. 749, c. 123.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that manufacturing industry's overall level of profits have fallen for the first time for four years, in the opening months of 1967, how much less taxation he now estimates that he will collect from industrial profits; and what new taxes he proposes to impose to fill the gap.

Corporation Tax paid this financial year will mostly be based on the profits of earlier accounting periods. The limited impact of the fall mentioned was taken into account in the Budget estimates for 1967–68.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to increase the hourly rate of pay for members of the Civil Service Union which covers women cleaners.

Active negotiations are at present in progress with the Civil Service Union.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to increase the pensions of armed forces and Civil Service pensioners, in view of the rise of 4·5 per cent. in the cost of living since the Pensions (Increase) Act 1965 received the Royal Assent.

I would refer the hon. Member to my speech on the Public Service and Armed Forces Pensions Commission Bill on 3rd February, 1967.—[Vol. 740, c. 989–90.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the costs of defence as a percentage of Government expenditure for each year from 1950 to 1966.

The following figures show expenditure on military defence as a percentage of total central government expenditure from 1950 to 1966:

				Per cent.
1950	…	…	…	21·3
1951	…	…	…	24·1
1952	…	…	…	29·2
1953	…	…	…	30·1
1954	…	…	…	29·8
1955	…	…	…	26·6
1956	…	…	…	27·3
1957	…	…	…	24·8
1958	…	…	…	22·9
1959	…	…	…	22·0
1960	…	…	…	21·6
1961	…	…	…	21·1
1962	…	…	…	21·6
1963	…	…	…	21·1
1964	…	…	…	20·2
1965	…	…	…	18·9
1966	…	…	…	18·1

NOTES:Military defence is as defined for the purposes of the national accounts, and differs slightly from the scope of the Defence Budget.Central Government expenditure covers all current and capital expenditure, including grants and loans to the rest of the public sector, and debt interest. Bookkeeping transactions in connection with writing off debts have been omitted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will institute an inquiry by a person or persons from outside the Civil Service into the numbers and ranks of freemasons in the service.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) how many local authorities have indicated to him their intention to participate in National Anti-Litter Week, 17th to 23rd July; and what steps the Government are taking to publicise the plans for and purpose of this week;(2) what sum of money and what facilities his Department is making available to the Keep Britain Tidy Group to ensure that Anti-Litter Week is successful.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what support his Department is giving to the Keep Britain Tidy Group in sponsoring the National Anti-Litter Week.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will increase the financial support available to the Keep Britain Tidy Group in view of the increasing importance of persuading the general public 10 keep Britain tidy.

This week is being organised by the Keep Britain Tidy Group, which is an independent body. Over 300 authorities have told the Group that they will take part. The Department has paid for the production of 57,000 posters, designed by the Group for the occasion. New short television items will also be released to coincide with the Week. The Department has made the Group a grant of £5,000 for this financial year. It will also as in past years, launch a publicity campaign for the Easter holidays, by way of additional supuport. My right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot at present increase the grant, but he hopes that the efforts being made by the Group to attract more contributions from industry will bear fruit.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he has now considered the report of the Joint Working Group set up last October by the Local Authority Associations and the Institute of Petroleum to examine the question of the pollution of beaches by oil and kindred matters, a copy of which is in his possession; and what action he now proposes to take.

The report was received in the Department just over a week ago and is being considered. My right hon. Friend has sent copies to a Sub-Committee of the Select Committee on Science and Technology, to which the House has referred the question of future measures against the pollution of our shores, and the Department will take an early opportunity of discussing the report with the local authority associations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what plans his Department has to co-ordinate the publicising of the provisions of Part III of the Civic Amenities Bill with the efforts of the Keep Britain Tidy Group which is organising National Anti-Litter Week.

A circular on the provisions of Part III of the Civic Amenities Bill will be published when the Bill receives the Royal Assent, but this is unlikely to be before the start of the National Anti-Litter Week.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to exclude from consideration in the valuation of properties for rating any work which has been carried out to improve the insulation of an hereditament against noise from aeroplanes.

No. Rating assessments are based on rental value and anything that affects that value for better or worse ought to be taken into account. It would create difficult anomalies to depart from this principle.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will set up an inquiry into the quality of building materials used by all contractors on local authority housing schemes; and whether he will send a circular to local authorities advising them not to make bonus payments not allowed for in the original tender for the contract.

The quality of materials used depends upon the specification and the quality of supervision. Both are matters for the local authority, and an inquiry by my right hon. Friend would not be appropriate. He will be giving advice on the use of bonus payments in a forthcoming circular on tender and contract procedures.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware of the concern of the council of the London Borough of Newham at the Government controls on cash subsidies for their housing programmes, which will mean a reduction in housing standards, the possible ending of house building and the building of flats and maisonettes instead; and what action he proposes to take to assist the council in overcoming its present and future problems.

My hon. Friend will know from the copy of a letter to the Council which I sent him following his Question on 20th June, that I have already taken up these points with Newham while not accepting all the implications of his Question. A meeting of officers to discuss the position further is now being arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the conference of Commonwealth sugar-producing countries concerning the effect upon cane sugar if Great Britain enters the Common Market.

The following is the text of the communiqué issued after the meeting:

"Consultations were held in London from 19th to 22nd June between British Ministers and representatives of Governments whose sugar industries are parties to the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, i.e. Antigua, Australia, Barbados, British Honduras, Fiji, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Mauritius, St. Kitts, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago, and the East African Common Services Organisation.

These discussions related to the special problem that would arise if Britain were to become a member of the European Economic Community, of the exports of sugar from these countries to Britain, under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, which for many years has made a positive contribution to the develop- ment of the economies of the sugar producing countries and has sustained a marked measure of stability in their marketing of sugar.

There was a full and confidential exchange of views about the likely effect of British entry into the Community on imports into Britain of sugar from those countries which are parties to the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement and about the means of carrying out the British Government's undertaking to safeguard the essential Commonwealth interests involved.

It was agreed that the British Government would remain in close contact with the Governments of the Commonwealth sugar producing countries and that further consultations would be arranged as necessary."

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the flight by a British passenger aeroplane from Britain to Gibraltar on 15th-16th May and on the attempted interruption and frustration of this and other similar British flights by the Spanish Government; and what steps he plans to prevent a recurrence of such international incidents there.

There was no attempted interruption or frustration of any civil flight to Gibraltar on 15th-16th May or subsequently.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what are his proposals for changes in the scope and purpose of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

No changes are contemplated.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, in view of the fact that industrial productivity has recently increased by 1·4 per cent. after showing decreases, what fresh action he proposes to take to achieve the 3 per cent. minimum annual increase necessary to save the nation from bankruptcy.

Increased industrial efficiency and productivity are the continuing objectives of the Government's industrial policies and the work of the Economic Development Committees; but I do not accept the premise in the last part of the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the Netherlands Government regarding the 50 per cent. increase in Dutch exports to Rhodesia in the first four months of 1967 compared with the first four months of 1966.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 12th June.—[Vol. 748, c. 15.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek discussions with the Irish Governments on methods of alleviating the position of the domestic store cattle producers in areas such as West Wales where large numbers of Irish store cattle are being brought on to the market.

It is in the interests of our farmers that a high proportion of Irish cattle should come to this country as stores for finishing here; and the trade do their best to ensure that they are well distributed. Imports so far this year have been greater than in the same months of 1966 though fewer than is envisaged in the Free Trade Agreement signed last year. Prices of Irish and home bred first quality 18 months old stores at 44 representative markets in England and Wales suggest that these arrivals have been making prices comparable with those of 1964 and 1965.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, during his discussions, he will seek to ensure that the Irish Government do not take any steps this year to subsidise export of cattle.

I have had a series of discussions with the Minister of Agriculture of the Irish Republic on cattle and beef supplies. The talks are still going on, and I cannot properly comment at this stage on the particular matters that they cover.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making for the return of Servicemen's bodies from Aden.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make arrangements for the bodies of British Servicemen killed in action in Aden to be flown to the United Kingdom for burial.

The arrangements under which the bodies of British Servicemen are returned to this country were described by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Royal Air Force on 14th March. I much regret that, because of the numbers involved, the facilities that were available locally were not sufficient to allow repatriation in the case of those Servicemen who were killed at the time of the recent mutiny in Aden. These Servicemen were buried with full military honours. I am hopeful that local conditions will allow their next-of-kin to visit the graves in Aden as part of the arrangements that my hon. Friend described; and my Department will be writing to them about this. I am as an alternative arrangement to this examining the possibility, subject to local laws and conditions, of repatriating these bodies at a later date.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will state the cost of married quarters, schools and recreational facilities for defence forces in the various countries where these have been provided by British money since 1946, in each country which has subsequently become independent; and whether he will state similar costs for Bahrain and Hong Kong, respectively.

This information is not readily available and its provision would involve disproportionate effort and expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary action is normally taken against members of the Armed Forces fainting on ceremonial parades.

If a man faints on parade, he is given a medical examination and no disciplinary action is normally taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many boys and girls are now pupils in grammar schools within the border of the county of Surrey, and the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, respectively; and what is the estimated number of children in Surrey at present receiving education at fee-paying establishments.

The following table provides information relating to pupils attending grammar schools maintained by the Surrey and Kington-on-Thames local education authorities and to senior pupils in direct grant grammar schools situated in the areas of those authorities in January, 1967.

	Boys	Girls	Total
Grammar Schools maintained by Surrey Local Education Authority	5,715	5,814	11,529
Direct Grant Grammar Schools in Administrative County of Surrey	398	Nil	398
Grammar Schools maintained by Kingston-on-Thames Local Education Authority	718	605	1,323
Direct Grant Grammar Schools in Borough of Kingston-on-Thames	542	Nil	542

About 29,000 children, including some 12,000 of secondary school age, attend independent schools situated in Surrey.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will hold an inquiry into the method of allocating grants by the Arts Council to ballet companies in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

The allocation of grants is a matter entirely for the Arts Council. The Council has set up a Committee to inquire into the future need for opera and ballet in this country. This Committee is expected to report before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the grants paid to ballet companies in Great Britain during 1965, 1966 and 1967.

The following grants were paid:

	1964–5	1965–6	1966–7
	£	£	£
Ballet Rambert	37,000	Nil	Nil
Two Ballets Trust*	Nil	67,000	97,500
Western Theatre Ballet	13,000	20,500	30,000
Ballet Minerva	1,270	3,988	14,000
Harlequin Ballet	1,200	2,475	1,875
Ballet for All	Nil	1,000	15,500
Balletmakers Ltd.	Nil	750	Nil
City Ballet Society	150	Nil	Nil
Ballet tours arranged by the Scottish Arts Council	1,848	1,596	2,181
* Ballet Rambert and London's Festival Ballet are associated in this company.

The grants paid to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for Opera and Ballet in the same period were as follows:

1964–65	1965–66	1966–67
£1,055,000	£1,026,500	£1,095,000

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the number of students at veterinary colleges who qualified in 1966 and the number of these who have taken posts overseas.

195 students graduated with first degrees. In addition, 23 obtained higher degrees, and 20 diplomas.The exact number of these taking posts overseas is not readily available, but I understand that at 1st January, 1967, it was known that 12 in the first category had decided to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent it is his intention to implement the provisions of the Public Libraries and Museums Act, 1964; and what time limits he will set local authories in the Principality.

In view of the setting up of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England and the imminent publication of the White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation in Wales, I have only acted on the provisions concerning the transfer of functions from one local authority to another where there is local agreement. No question of setting time limits for local authorities has so far arisen.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities within the area served by the Metropolitan Water Board decided in favour of fluoridation of water; how many have decided against; and how many have yet to make a decision.

Of the 34 local health authorities whose areas are served by the Metropolitan Water Board, 26 have decided in favour of fluoridation of water supplies and 8 against.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the rebuilding of Stafford Gaol.

None at present. I regret to say that prisons are so seriously overcrowded that priority must be given to increasing rather than replacing accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call the new time which is to take the place of Greenwich Mean Time in winter Willet Time, after the originator of daylight saving in the First World War.

I am obliged to the hon. Member for his suggestion. I will consider this with other suggestions I have received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he gives in regard to the use of handcuffs for convicted prisoners; and whether he will ensure that handcuffs are not used in transporting prisoners unless there is a serious risk of escape by the persons concerned.

It is the primary duty of the Governor to ensure that prisoners do not escape. He is given general guidance in prison standing orders, a copy of which is in the Library of the House; but it is his responsibility, when a prisoner is being moved, to decide whether or not handcuffs should he used. Less may be known about the likely reactions of a prisoner on his way to trial than about those of a prisoner serving a sentence, and Governors must have a reasonable discretion.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to ensure a standard rate for installation for telephone subscribers in both rural and urban areas regardless of the location of their home or business.

No. The excess connection charge, which is payable when the customer's premises are more than three miles from the exchange and new construction is necessary, is only a fraction of the expenditure in providing these long lines.

asked the Post-Master-General upon what criteria he has decided not to establish any local broadcasting station in Wales in the foreseeable future.

One town in Wales registered with the B.B.C. an interest in the possibility of securing an experimental station. However the local support in prospect was not enough to justify choosing this town to the exclusion of other localities from which effective support would be forthcoming.

asked the Minister of Power if he will list the liquid fuels intended to be comprised within the Control of Liquid Fuel Bill.

The purpose of the Bill is to enable me to control supplies of all or any of the main liquid petroleum products which are used as fuels, in particular, motor spirit, derv, gas/diesel oil and fuel oil. It may, however, be necessary to control other liquid fuels not of petroleum origin such as those derived from coal. The definition in the Bill is therefore drawn in wide terms.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will give an assurance that before introducing petrol rationing as a result of the shortage of oil from the Middle East he will consider the advisability and possibilities of importing Russian oil.

I have nothing to add to the reply of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 22nd June.—[Vol. 748, c. 334.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing, for each of the past 10 years, the number of those entering the teaching profession and the number of those giving up teaching; and for those giving up teaching, if he will categorise each year their general reasons for doing so.

The table set out below gives the estimated number of certificated teachers entering the teaching service from the colleges of education in each of the last 10 years. I regret that the other information asked for is not available. Detailed statistics of teachers entering and leaving teaching will, however, be available from the computerised teacher record now being set up.

1957–58			1,552
1958–59	…	…	1,705
1959–60	…	…	1,814
1960–61	…	…	2,019
1961–62	…	…	2,103
1962–63	…	…	2,199
1963–64	…	…	2,409
1964–65	…	…	2,598
1965–66	…	…	2,827
1966–67	…	…	3,051

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inquiries have been received each year since its inception under the Teachers' Special Recruitment Scheme; how many firm applications resulted; how many applicants were accepted for training; and how many actually entered training.

I regret that I do not have all the information sought by the hon. Member. The information available for the whole period is as follows:—

		Applicants receiving grant for first time under Scheme*	Students admitted to colleges of education and receiving assistance under Scheme
1951	?	611	213
1952	?	555	156
1953	?	507	167
1954	?	299	198
1955	?	376	286
1956	?	283	281
1957	?	623	301
1958	?	545	359
1959	?	636	436
1960	?	674	501
1961	?	624	541
1962	?	669	564
1963	?	935	725
1964	?	1,097	651
1965	?	1,202	778
1966	?	1,013	804
* For courses of preliminary tuition, university or comparable courses or college of education courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the replacement of the dredging vessel "Dragon"; and when such a replacement vessel will become operational.

I hope shortly to invite tenders for building a grab and suction dredger to replace the present "Dragon". I expect that the new vessel will be available for service in the latter part of 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is satisfied that in the interests of safety the standards required for co-pilots on two pilot crew operations, or the pilot second in command on a multiple pilot operation are adequate in the present environment of airline operation; and if he will make a statement.

The training and licensing standards required for copilots conform with those specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. However, after preliminary consultation with operators last winter a review, in which representatives of the operators and the pilots are participating, was initiated in April of this year to determine what changes, if any, are desirable in licensing standards and the associated training in the light of present and future operating conditions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now consider introducing revised flight time legislation along the lines proposed by the Department of Aviation Safety in August, 1966.

In the light of consultations with interested parties revised proposals on this subject will be submitted to me shortly for consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many withdrawals there have been of air operators certificates due to infringements of required standards; and whether he will now consider amending his Regulations so as to withdraw the certificate when such infringements are detected rather than allowing 30 days' notice to rectify the errors.

There have been 21 cases of air operators certificates being withdrawn immediately and 13 cases of 30 days' notice being given. The Answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the number of passengers travelling from Tees-side Airport has decreased by two-thirds over the last year; and whether he will now announce his decision on the appeal from the Air Licensing Board, particularly, in view of the fact that the report of the Commissioner was received at his office on 21st April and that further delay is frustrating the efforts of the Airport Committee in building up the passenger traffic.

Traffic between Tees-side (Middleton) and London in the first six months of 1967 has been clown by about one-third on the corresponding period of 1966. This is attributable to a number of factors, notably the improvement of the rail service. My right hon. Friend announced his decision on the appeal in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for The Hartlepools (Mr. Leadbitter) on 6th July.—[Vol. 749, c. 284.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements he has been able to make to advance Government purchases of cotton textiles.

I am glad to say that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence will be bringing forward a number of contracts likely to be of interest to the Lancashire cotton industry. The value of these is expected to be between £300,000 and £500,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how long after the receipt of the complete information obtained through the Census of Distribution for 1966 are the correlated answers being used; and how long after that Departments may be expected to act on the information so received;(2) to how many firms the Census of Distribution for 1966 was sent; and when sufficient replies are expected to be received to enable the work of correlation and study to take place.

The statistics derived from the Census of Distribution are used as soon as they are available and thereafter until the next Census is taken and beyond.Forms were sent to about 74,000 organisations out of an estimated 460,000 within the scope of the Census. About two-thirds have been returned to the Census Office and the bulk is expected to be in by about the end of this year. The provisional results will be published in December. It is hoped to publish the main volume of the final report about mid-1968 and the second and final volume later that year. Some of the statistics will be available for use in Government Departments before publication.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what purpose the answers to the following parts of the Census of Distribution for 1966 are used, namely, cost of new building work or other constructional work, or of land and existing buildings acquired or disposed of, cost of, or the proceeds of vehicles bought or sold, cost of, or proceeds of plant, machinery and other capital equipment bought or sold, and the operating cost of C and B licence vehicles.

The information derived from the Census of Distribution on capital expenditure and other subjects is one of the sources for the social accounts of the United Kingdom and is used as a bench mark for short period statistics, which provide measures of the demands on the country's economic resources. The component figures (on construction work, vehicles, etc.) are used in addition for studying and forecasting the differing trends in the demand for the output of the industries concerned.The information on transport costs will be used to show how important transport is as an element of cost for retailers; and to provide information about the use of the country's transport resources and the inter-relationships between the transport and other industries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated cost of designing, issuing and correlating the Census of Distribution for 1966.

About £380,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of staff currently employed by the Welsh Economic Planning Board; and how this number compares with that of the staff employed by the Board in July, 1965.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 18th April, 1967; the arrangements remain unchanged at present.—[Vol. 754, c. 78.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will cause the Welsh Economic Council to conduct a survey into the question of public civil aviation services in Wales.

All kinds of communications affecting Wales are a matter of interest to the Welsh Economic Council. Civil aviation services are the particular concern of the Welsh Advisory Committee for Civil Aviation and I think it is preferable to maintain a close link between these two bodies rather than to ask the Council to conduct a separate civil aviation survey.