asked the Minister of Transport (1) what proposals she made to the recent Conference of European Ministers of Transport about laws on drink and driving;(2) what decisions have been taken by the Conference of European Ministers of Transport on drink and driving.

The European Conference of Ministers of Transport has been studying this problem for some years and at the meeting last month considered a report from a specialist working party on which the United Kingdom has played a full part.The Conference adopted a resolution recommending member countries to adopt a number of specific measures on drink and driving. I supported wholeheartedly the adoption of these measures which follow very closely the provisions in the Road Safety Act, 1967.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in siting a goods vehicle testing station at Livingston, and by what date it is likely to be completed.

A site was acquired on the Livingston Industrial Estate early this year, and the contract for building the goods vehicle testing station has just been let. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works expects it to be completed by the early summer of 1968.

asked the Minister of Transport how many prosecutions took place in the years 1964, 1965 and 1966 because vehicles had not a Ministry of Transport road test certificate in the county of Midlothian.

I am advised that the numbers of such prosecutions were 85 in 1964, 85 in 1965 and 107 in 1966. Of these 85, 78 and 100 respectively resulted in convictions.

asked the Minister of Transport what projects of economic research are being undertaken or sponsored by her Department.

A substantial programme of economic research is now proceeding in my Department. A schedule of the research projects now in progress is given below. The list excludes statistical inquiries that provide information mainly for general needs.

asked the Minister of Transport in what cases she has reconstituted the transport users' consultative committees; and in what way.

The East Anglian and North Eastern Committees have already been reconstituted and the Scottish, Yorkshire, North Western and South Eastern Committees will be reconstituted very shortly. As my right hon. Friend informed the House on 22nd February she is consulting a wider cross-section of organisations in appointing these Committees so that the views of those whose needs have not always been given enough emphasis can be made known.

asked the Minister of Transport what further action she will take to make more effective the enforcement of regulations on drivers' hours and conditions; and when she proposes to introduce her legislation on the matter.

The proposals for revision of the law on this subject which I announced on 7th June contain several new measures designed to improve enforcement. They include proposals for the introduction of mechanical recorders in vehicle cabs, a new log book for drivers and wider powers for my enforcement staff to examine relevant documents. I hope to introduce legislation to give effect to these proposals next Session.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give the numbers of convictions for offences relating to drivers' hours in road passenger transport, and road freight transport, respectively, in the last five years; and if she will further subdivide these figures into those convicted of keeping no records, and keeping false records, respectively.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will introduce the necessary changes to the Road Traffic Acts so that under her Department's new regulations, covering a driver's hours in road transport, 11 hours for rest will become 11 hours of rest.

We propose to make it harder for the reckless minority of drivers to evade the law by taking additional jobs driving lorries or buses during their rest periods, but there are limits to what legislation can achieve. The use an individual makes of his statutory rest period must ultimately be a matter for his own judgment and sense of responsibility.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the increased number of children staying at school beyond the statutory leaving age, she wall reconsider the age limit for concessionary fares.

These concessions are a matter for the transport undertakings concerned subject to the provisions of the Travel Concessions Acts where these apply. I have received no representations on this point.

asked the Minister of Transport what investigation she is making of the future need for hover-ports capable of handling large hover-ships on both the east and west coasts of Great Britain.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given today to the hon. Member for the Isle of Thanet (Mr. Rees-Davies) concerning proposals for hover-ports on the south-east coast. It is not practicable to make detailed studies of the need for hover-ports for still larger craft until there are definite proposals for their construction and use.

asked the Minister of Transport why she has not prevented the decline in rural bus services.

Bus services generally have declined as the use of private transport has grown. The White Paper on Transport Policy states how we intend to deal with the problems created by this situation, including those of rural areas.

asked the Minister of Transport what proportion of the working time of her Department's vehicle inspectors is spent in calling on residential hotels and similar places used by lorry drivers to inquire into the movements of their guests and times of arrival, and departure; and what is the cost of this inquiry.

The Department's inspectors are responsible for enforcing the law concerning vehicle fitness and drivers hours and they may occasionally need to make inquiries at hotels to trace the whereabouts of lorry drivers. The time and cost of these few inquiries is negligible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is satisfied that official testing of road vehicles over three years old is always carried out to the correct standards; and if she will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the recent White Paper "Road Safety—A Fresh Approach". I am completing a check on the standards maintained by garages who operate within the annual car-testing scheme. If this shows that continuing complaints about the scheme are justified, the scheme's wide basis of operation will be reviewed.

asked the Minister of Transport by what percentage the price of her Department's vehicle testing manual has recently been increased; and on what date the increase took place.

There has been no increase since 1965.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give greater discretion to area offices to agree to the interchange of driving test appointments, in view of the case submitted by the hon. Member for South Shields.

No. I am satisfied that we cannot afford to provide the further elasticity in arrangements, which I know my hon. Friend has in mind, if the driving test system is to continue to be administered with proper economy.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans she has received from the British Waterways Board for the development of the Sheffield and South Yorks Canal; and if she will make a statement.

The Board has submitted proposals for capital investment of about £2½ million in the expansion and modernisation of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, as described in paragraphs 33–38 of the Board's Report for 1966. The Department is considering these proposals with the Board.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that a manufacturer, whose name and address have been supplied to her, is advertising in the national Press the sale of juvenile saddles to be fixed by a bracket and footrest on pedal cycles; and, as it is illegal for infants or any person to be carried on cycle cross-bars, whether she will take action to prevent the advertisement and sale of these articles.

The restriction imposed on the carriage of more than one person on a pedal bicycle by Section 13 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960 applies where the bicycle is not constructed or adapted for the carriage of more than one person. We have no reason to doubt the legality of the adaptation referred to in the advertisement.

asked the Minister of Transport why it takes from three to nine months for proceedings to be instituted against those charged with failing to have a current road fund licence; why in many instances cases reported by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, have taken two years before a prosecution has commenced; and what action will be taken to speed up this process.

Establishment of the identity of the offender, which is not given on the majority of the reports received by the Greater London Council, to which I assume my hon. Friend refers, can be determined in the majority of cases only after inquiries, which can take some time. Approval has recently been given to increase the Council's enforcement and inquiry staff and an examination of procedures has resulted in some simplification.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent consultations take place between London Transport and the relevant local authorities with regard to the provision of public conveniences in or near London Transport underground stations; and if she will give a general direction to London Transport to ensure that the reasonable needs of underground passengers in this respect are properly catered for.

Consultations between the London Transport Board and local authorities are a matter of management. A general direction is not required.

asked the Minister of Transport why she has proposed in Command Paper No. 3339 to replace volunteer motor cycle instructors by council officials, in view of the fact that these instructors being themselves young will better encourage young people to take motor cycle training courses.

There is no intention to replace volunteer motor-cycle instructors by council officials. The Report of the Working Party on the Training of Learner Motor-Cyclists, which is being published separately, makes this clear.

asked the Minister of Transport how much of the £99 million spent by her in the financial year 1965–66 was spent in Scotland.

About £771,000, almost all on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Most of the £99 million relates to roads and, as my hon. Friend knows, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for roads in Scotland.

asked the Minister of Transport how many prosecutions took place in the years 1964, 1965, 1966 for unlicensed vehicles being used on the roads in the county of Midlothian.

101, 108 and 128 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps she is taking to publicise the drink and driving provisions of the Road Safety Act, 1967; and for how long before the coming into effect of these provisions she proposes to mount a publicity campaign.

Detailed planning of the drink and driving publicity campaign is well under way. I envisage that the campaign will have a short and intensive opening phase before the Act comes into force, and that it will continue for some months.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether she will state the sequence of subjects to be covered by her several White Papers on transpert;(2) why she proposes producing several White Papers on transport in anticipation of the proposed Transport Bill in the next Session of Parliament.

As the Transport Bill will cover many aspects of transport, I thought it would be helpful to the House and give hon. Members as long as possible to study my detailed proposals, if I published two or three White Papers dealing with the different aspects as soon as my policy on them was settled. The main subjects covered will be waterways, railways, public passenger transport and freight transport.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give an assurance that she will not seek to control the number of coaches used for transporting holiday makers to British seaside resorts.

The provision of coach services and public excursions and tours, including those to seaside resorts, is already regulated by the Traffic Commissioners.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will state the number of cars licensed for the latest year in each of the counties of Wales, including Monmouth; and what percentage this is in each case.

Following is the information for 1966:

asked the Minister of Transport what action she will take as a result of the working party recommendations on the use of motor vehicle headlights; and when she will announce deails of such action.

My right hon. Friend is now studying the Working Party's report on the Use of Headlamps and will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport what procedure she proposes for consultation with local authorities before designating the area of the proposed West Midlands Passengers Transport Authority; and whether this procedure will include the right of an objecting local authority to a public inquiry.

I shall be publishing full details of my proposals for Passenger Transport Authorities, including procedures for consultation, in a White Paper in good time before I introduce legislation next session.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of her recent agreement to the withdrawal of passenger services from Laurencekirk station, what plans she has for the provision of alter- native facilities for early morning travellers to Montrose.

I understand there are two regular passengers involved. My right hon. Friend considered their position very carefully but did not feel she could justify a special bus. We will certainly look into the latest suggestions made by the hon. Member but it might be wrong to inconvenience present bus travellers by rearranging existing bus services.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware of the traffic congestion in the shopping centre at Hythe; and what proposals she has received for widening Prospect Road.

Yes, and recently the Hythe Chamber of Commerce have urged us to make improvements, including the widening of Prospect Road. Long-term plans for improving the whole length of this road cannot be put in hand at an early date, but work on a short section will be undertaken during this financial year at an estimated cost of £30,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will install traffic signals at the Aldborough Road—Eastern Avenue, Ilford, crossing.

It is proposed that discussions should take place shortly with the London Borough of Redbridge on methods of reducing traffic conflicts on the length of Eastern Avenue between the Ley Street and the Barley Lane junctions. These investigations will have regard to the possible use of traffic signals.

asked the Minister of Transport whether her Department insists on full sight line requirements being maintained by developers when establishing a new access from a car park into the public highway; and what are such requirements.

Sight line requirements for accesses to development on public highways including car parks, are a matter for decision by local planning authorities. The Manual on Roads in Urban Areas issued jointly by the Ministry of Transport, the Scottish Development Department and the Welsh Office gives recommended standards for visibility at road junctions which can be adapted for use as sight line requirements at private accesses.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations she has received regarding the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Western by-pass; and if she will make a statement.

No such representations have recently been received. A route from the Al at the southern boundary of Gateshead to the new Scotswood bridge has now been programmed, but a continuation of this route to rejoin the Al north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne has not so far been shown to be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will take special measures to assist the Reading Corporation to diminish the hazards to which pedestrians are exposed in crossing the A4 road in the Southcote area of Reading.

The Divisional Road Engineer is in touch with the County Borough Council on this matter, but, as my hon. Friend knows, the next step must be for the council, as highway authority, to make a specific proposal and apply for grant.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if she will advance the proposed major improvement scheme on the A4 Bath Road at the junction of the Colthrop Turn which is at present included in the 1968–69 and 1969–70 programmes;(2) if she will authorise immediately an appropriate scheme of white line markings on the A4 Bath Road at the junction of Colthrop Turn so as to reduce the danger to road users at this junction.

The Divisional Road Engineer is considering with the Berkshire County Council what will be the most appropriate measures of road improvement for this junction, and until that is settled the timing cannot be determined. Meanwhile we have given instructions for white line markings to be put down.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals the Government now has for abolishing ancient tolls on bridges; and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the Answers given on this subject to the hon. Member on 8th March and to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Fowler) on 1st March.—[Vol. i42, c. 1514, 97.]

asked the Minister of Transport what revenue has been earned from parking meters installed in the Greater London area in each 12 months since 31st March, 1965; what balance was left over in each year after payment of all expenses to provide and mainatin off-street car parks; and what proportion of this balance has been used for this purpose.

For the period of 12 months ending 31st March, 1966, the gross income was £1,275,192 and the net balance left over after payment of all expenses was £493,475. The whole of this sum was used for off-street car parking. In addition, a further sum of £215,726 was used for this purpose out of the reserve of £403,812 which had accumulated in prior years from parking meter income.I regret that figures for the 12 month period ending 31st March, 1967 are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the principles governing the application of parking meter revenues will be considered in her forthcoming White Papers on transport.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate she has made of the income which could be raised annually in central London from the reclassification of parking control referred to in her Department's publication, Better Use of Town Roads.

A rough estimate of parking meter revenue is given in Chapter 12 of the publication. It would not be possible to make more refined estimates without working out a specific scheme in detail.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will make a statement on the proposed Dovercourt bypass; and when she expects work to begin on this scheme.

The scheme is included in the principal road preparation list announced on 10th May. The date when work can start will, in the first place, depend on the progress made by Essex County Council, as highway authority, with the preparation of the scheme and secondly, on its cost, relative priority and the resources available for the road programme in particular years.

asked the Minister of Transport what study she has made of the Automobile Association's survey, Parking: Who Pays?, a copy of which has been sent to her; and what steps she intends to take to help safeguard the interests of those who have business premises near town centres, which are becoming increasingly neglected owing to parking difficulties.

We welcome the survey commissioned by the Automobile Association both for the factual information which has been assembled and as a contribution to the discussion or the formulation of comprehensive parking policies in our cities. It is our general purpose to reduce congestion in our cities by relating the volume of traffic to the capacity of the streets, by the formulation of comprehensive parking policies by local authorities, and by the maintenance of good public transport services.

asked the Minister of Transport when the traffic on Monday mornings first exceeded the absolute design capacity of the M4; and when she expects to relieve this condition by the provision of triple carriageways on the Slough-Maidenhead section of the M4.

In September, 1966.In conjunction with the Berkshire County Council the Department is investigating the feasibility of widening the Slough-Maidenhead Section of M4. A report should be ready late in the year, and in the light of it the possibilities will then be examined.

asked the Minister of Transport what arrangements will be made to provide access on the M4 motorway to the Princess Margaret Hospital at Swindon.

Our proposals for M4 provide for junctions with the Chippenham-Swindon road (A420) and the Marlborough-Swindon road (A345). These are designed to give access to the whole of Swindon including the Princess Margaret Hospital.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any decision has yet been taken on the provision of a new high-level bridge to replace the swingbridge at Thorne, on trunk road A614.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether detailed plans are now available for the proposed M62 road to link up with the Humber ports; and if she will make a statement.

No. I have nothing to add to the Answer given to my hon. Friend on 12th April.—[Vol. 744, c. 194.]

asked the Minister of Transport what plans she has to construct an additional M1.

None at present. Studies show that the need to provide additional capacity on the M1 route is less pressing than the need to improve many other parts of the inter-urban road network during the early 1970s.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps she will take to provide rapid access to London Airport from the Swindon area.

As my hon. Friend will no doubt be aware, passengers from Swindon can use British Rail's system of Rail/Road links to Heathrow Airport, with facilities for through booking.The M4 motorway will provide rapid access by road when it is completed at the end of 1971.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is satisfied that the present planned provision of 1,000 miles of motorway will be completed by the early 1970's; and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Peter Walker) on 12th June.—[Vol. 748, c. 25.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is satisfied that the present planned provision of 1,000 miles of motorway by the early 1970's is adequate to meet the nation's needs; and if she will make a statement.

The total mileage of motorway in use, under construction or announced already exceeds 1,100 miles. In addition, a number of the other trunk road schemes which are to be prepared for the inter-urban programme for the early 1970s are likely to be built as motorways.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give an assurance that all future motorways will be constructed with at least three-lane carriageways in view of the continued growth of traffic.

No. The number of lanes must continue to be decided in the circumstances of each case.

asked the Minister of Transport what are her plans for the provision and/or improvement of road communications between the Channel Tunnel terminal when completed, and the motorway network.

The key road for Channel Tunnel traffic will be the A20 and schemes for the further improvement of this road are already programmed or included in the trunk road preparation pool. Nearer London, Channel Tunnel traffic will be a small proportion of the traffic likely to use existing and proposed roads. However, certain sections of the South Orbital Road, which will provide improved access to the M23, M3 and M4, are also already in the programme or the preparation pool, while East and North of London various improvements of the "C" ring and the proposed "D" ring route, which will provide improved access to the M1 and M11, are either programmed, in the preparation pool, or under consideration for the preparation pool.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans she has for the use of temporary flyovers at congested traffic spots, particularly in urban areas.

In addition to the existing temporary flyover at Barking referred to in reply to the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Sir R. Russell) on 17th February, the construction of two further temporary flyovers on trunk roads has been authorised. One is in Nottingham at the junction of A614 and A453, and the other on the Great West Road (A4) at its junction with the A315 at Hogarth Roundabout. Others are under consideration.Some schemes for principal roads are also under consideration. We are prepared to consider grant assistance towards others which local highway authorities recommend.—[Vol. 741, c.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she can now specify a date by which all old signs will be changed to bring them into line with the recommendations of the Worboys Committee.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given today to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Peter Walker).

asked the Minister of Transport what is the number of fatal and other accidents, respectively, caused by reason of trees growing on roadside verges in England and Wales during each of the past three years.

This information is not available, but the Area Road Safety Units in Hampshire and Warwickshire report that in some 26,000 injury accidents analysed by them, 3 or 4 per cent. of fatal accidents and 1 per cent. of other injury accidents involved collisions with trees. The proportion of these in which the presence of the trees could be considered to have caused the accident is not known.

asked the Minister of Transport whether plans for the Thorne by-pass are now finalised.

Not yet, but good progress has been made and we hope to publish a draft Scheme this autumn.

asked the Minister of Transport whether pedestrian crossing of the A1 at Darrington is to be facilitated by a footbridge or a fly-over road; and whether she will make a statement.

By a footbridge. Land negotiations are proceeding, and we hope the footbridge will be completed early next year.

asked the Minister of Transport what research is being undertaken by her Department into the need to provide a comprehensive, fast and cheap railway system to meet the essential needs of passenger and freight traffic in the future; and what consultation there is with other bodies, in particular in the United States of America and other countries where the destruction of railways has caused grave economic and social problems, or where railway systems have expanded.

My Department is studying the long-term transport needs of this country, including the railway's place in the future framework and the Railways Board itself is conducting a major research programme at its modern centre at Derby. Meanwhile, I am very anxious not to repeat the experience of other countries which have abandoned their railways prematurely—that is one reason why I have set up my new Economic Unit to study closure proposals in the widest context.

asked the Minister of Transport what general directions she has given to the Railways Board concerning research into high speed trains using conventional tracks; and what reports she has received regarding the potentialities for such trains in the United Kingdom and the timing of their introduction.

A general direction would not be appropriate and is not necessary. The Railways Board research programme already includes work on very high-speed trains using conventional track. Good progress is being made, but it is too early to predict when these developments might be introduced into service.

asked the Minister of Transport when she received the advice of the South East Economic Planning Council about the proposal to close the Hurst Green—Lewes and Eridge—Groombridge—Tunbridge Wells railway lines; what steps she took to ensure that their advice incorporated the views of the East Sussex County Council; and by whom the East Sussex County Council is represented on the South Eastern Economic Planning Council.

We have not yet received the South East Economic Planning Council's advice on this rail passenger closure proposal. I have every confidence that the Council will exercise its own judgment in formulating its advice. The members of Economic Planning Councils serve in their individual capacities and not as representatives of any other body.

asked the Minister of Transport on what date she received the report of the County Planning Officer of the East Sussex County Council to the effect that the proposal to close the Hurst Green—Lewes and Eridge—Groombridge—Tunbridge Wells railway lines was the antithesis of good planning; and what account she took of this before deciding that there was a prima facie case for closure.

We received this report through the Ministry of Housing and Local Government early this year. My right hon. Friend agreed last September, after studying the advice of the Economic Planning Council for the South East, that the Railways Board could publish their closure proposal because it was not obviously unacceptable on economic planning grounds. This allowed a full and detailed examination in accordance with the statutory procedure and it is in the light of this examination that my right hon. Friend will make her decision.

asked the Minister of Transport when she intends to announce her decision on whether to close the Hurst Green to Lewes line.

asked the Minister of Transport when she will announce her decision on the proposed closure of the Hurst Green-Lewes and Eridge-Groombridge-Tunbridge Wells railway lines.

My right hon. Friend will announce her decision when she has been able to give full consideration to all the many factors involved in this complex case. This will take some time.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give an assurance that when she announces her decision about the possible closure of the Lewes—Hurst Green line, there is sufficient time for the matter to be raised in the House before action is taken.

There will be ample opportunity for hon. Members to let my right hon. Friend have any views on this proposal before she takes her decision. She has already agreed to meet those who have a special interest in this case.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will publish the reasons in the OFFICIAL REPORT for her decision on the future of the Lewes—Hurst Green line.

No, but in accordance with the practice followed by successive Ministers, my right hon. Friend will ensure that hon. Members with a special interest receive copies of the official decision letter.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the cost to public funds of the inquiry held by the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for the South Eastern area into the proposed closure of the Hurst Green—Lewes and Eridge—Groombridge—Tunbridge Wells railway lines.

I understand that the cost of this hearing was about £850.Section 56(16) of the Transport Act, 1962, provides for such expenses to be met by the nationalised Transport Boards.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will review the machinery for inquiring into proposals for railway line closures, with particular reference to the need to make public facts and figures on which her decisions are based.

I am reviewing the statutory procedure in the context of the Transport Bill I hope to introduce in the next Session.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will take steps and authorise expenditure to intensify research for increasing the maximum speed of trains using conventional track up to 150 miles per hour.

The British Railways Board is already engaged on such research. If it wishes to intensify this, my right hon. Friend will be glad to consider its proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give a general direction to British Railways to introduce, as soon as possible, electronic signalling that will directly control locomotives travelling at high speeds.

A general direction would not be appropriate. The Railways Board is developing an electronic system of continuous communication with moving trains, incorporating speed supervision at very high speed. If they wish to bring this system into service, my right hon. Friend will gladly consider what they propose.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will give a general direction to British Railways to attract highly-qualified staff at satisfactory rates of pay at all levels, and to give senior artisan grades such as drivers and signalmen salaried status.

No. We support the Railways Board in its aim to have a smaller but better paid staff, and this is being taken fully into account in the discussions now going on between representatives of the Board and the unions under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.

asked the Minister of Transport what redundancy payments are available to the various categories of British Railways staff who are made redundant in consequence of agreed plans to increase productivity or achieve greater efficiency and who choose to seek other employment.

Such payments are made in accordance with comprehensive agreements reached between the British Railways Board and the unions. In general the terms are comparable with or superior to those of the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965.

asked the Minister of Transport how much of the Government subsidy to British Railways is required to meet the cost of the socially useful lines which do not pay.

As I explained in my Answer to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) on 7th June, the Joint Steering Group set up by the Chairman of the Railways Board and myself have been asked to advise on the likely total size of the grants required to meet the cost of unremunerative passenger services retained on social grounds; no reliable figures are yet available.—[Vol. 747, c. 203.]

asked the Minister of Transport (1) how many joint studies of maritime industrial areas have now been initiated by her Department and the National Ports Council;(2) whether she will undertake a study of the establishment of customs-free ports and manufacturing areas within any proposed maritime industrial areas.

The Government Departments primarily concerned have discussed with the National Ports Council the initiation of a study designed to identify possible sites for maritime industrial areas, and have also, with the co-operation of the British Transport Docks Board, been taking account of these possibilities in the Humberside and Severnside studies. These ideas for major long-term development raise many important issues requiring detailed study, and the possibility of establishing Custom-free zones will certainly be borne in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will place in the Library a copy of the working document prepared by her Department on proposals for the nationalisation of the docks which has been circulated to interested parties.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given on 7th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Molloy).—[Vol. 749, c. 300.]

asked the Minister of Transport what directions she has given on the criteria to be used by the British Transport Docks Board to license port employers; and whether the appropriate local trade unions are consulted.

None. The criteria applicable are set out in the Docks and Harbours Act, 1966, which also requires licensing authorities to consult the National Dock Labour Board, on which both sides of the industry are represented.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will hold a full independent inquiry into the safety aspect of standards of operation of all United Kingdom registered aircraft in view of recent disasters.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 28th June.—[Vol. 749, c. 98–100.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his inquiry into the airworthiness of aircraft which have been in use for 18 years or more is now concluded; and what are the findings.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answers given to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for The Hartlepools (Mr. Leadbitter) on 21st June, 1967 and to a Question by the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 28th June, 1967. There is at present no evidence on which to doubt the airworthiness of older aircraft, but particular attention will be paid to this point during the special review.—[Vol. 748, c. 289–90, Vol. 749, c. 98–100.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade why, in view of the representations made to him by the British Air Line Pilots' Association, he has ordered a private inquiry into air safety.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 28th June regarding the form of the special inquiry. —[Vol. 749, c. 98–100.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce a scheme to amend the London (Heathrow) Airport Noise Insulation Grants Scheme, 1966 (S.I., 1966, No. 424) by making a specification of work to be done and the conditions on which grant has to be paid more acceptable to the public in the area concerned.

I am considering whether the specification can be simplified and am also reviewing the operation of the scheme as a whole.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that no comparison can be made between the Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello employment exchange area and other areas excluded from development districts on geographical grounds, he will adopt a more flexible approach to the special problems of Edinburgh by considering individual applications for development area benefits wherever this can avert the danger of losing existing industries from the area or assist in the logical fulfilment of the Leith Dock development.

No. Development area benefits are available only within designated development areas. Following a number of representations recently, I have examined the present circumstances of Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello and am not convinced that any change is necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will amend the regulations restricting the hire, hire-purchase or renting of television sets to enable a larger number of people to obtain colour television.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what comparative egg prices in the United Kingdom and Poland, respectively, he takes as the basis of his decision to reject the request made to him to apply antidumping legislation in respect of imported Polish eggs, which are now imposing hardship on British producers.

The question of prices is relevant only to the establishment of the existence of dumping. The decision whether or not to use the powers vested in the Board of Trade depends also on other considerations; in this instance the application was rejected because I was not satisfied that import of eggs, though dumped, were causing or immediately threatening material injury to the British producers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that repair work carried out on consumer durable goods must be accompanied by an itemised bill of the exact work carried out and services rendered, before payment need be made by the customer.

No. I am not convinced that this is an appropriate subject for legislation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take the necessary steps to stop the increasing practice of persons and companies submitting false, inaccurate and inflated claims against persons who were formerly insured with now extinct insurance companies, such as Fire, Auto and Marine; and whether he will make a statement.

This is not a matter in which I could intervene.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the token cotton textile tariff reductions made under the Kennedy Round to non-Commonwealth countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a progress report on the first advance factory for St. Helens, announced last year; and if he will make a statement.

We are awaiting the results of tests on a site suggested for this factory by the local authority.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the concern felt by the council of the London Borough of Newham at the attempts being made to attract industry away from this area, resulting in more unemployment and higher rents and rates to the local inhabitants; and whether he will agree to discuss this problem with representatives of the borough council and their four Members of Parliament.

I am aware that concern has been expressed locally. I am, of course, always ready to discuss problems of this kind but Greater London is an area of labour shortage while both the development areas and the new and expanded towns that are being built to re-house Londoners need employment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will order a public

Apart from certain specialised or ornamented textile products, no tariff reductions will be made on yarns, or fabrics or made-up goods wholly of cotton. The following reductions will be made on goods containing a mixture of cotton and silk or man-made fibres:—inquiry into the request made by Trinity House to amend the byelaws relating to classes of pilots in the London Pilotage District which would allow Cinque Ports pilots to pilot ships through the Black Deep, in view of the question this raises regarding the safety of navigation.

No; applications to the Board of Trade for confirmation of byelaws are dealt with in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 17 of the Pilotage Act, 1913. In this case notice of Trinity House's intention to apply to the Board for confirmation of the amending byelaws was published in Lloyd's List and Shipping Gazette on 8th July, 1967, and provided for objections to be addressed to the Board within seven days. If objections are made and sustained the Board may reach their decision on the basis of the correspondence exchanged or may first call a meeting of interested parties to discuss the case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ask the seed trade whether, in view of the failure of existing measures to warn farmers not to sow spring corn with autumn seed dressing, they will take back all autumn dressed corn not sown by Christmas and replace it with spring dressed corn.

We do not accept that existing measures to warn farmers not to sow spring corn dressed with aldrin and dieldrin seed dressings have failed. Our information is that they have in fact brought about a drastic reduction in the number of cases of poisoning of wild birds due to this cause. The replacement of unused autumn dressed seed is a matter for arrangement between the farmer and his supplier.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his latest discussions with representatives of the Food Manufacturers Federation about the impending increases in food prices; and when bread and flour prices will be increased.

I have had no discussions with the Food Manufacturers' Federation about possible increases in food prices. My Officials recently discussed with representatives of the Federation the continuance of the "early warning" arrangements, in accordance with Paragraph 8 of the White Paper "Prices and Incomes Policy after 30th June, 1967" (Cmnd. 3235).I have received no notifications of proposed price increases of bread or flour.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that the recent imposition of 2d. a gallon on ships' bunker fuel and lubricating oils is reducing the potentialities of the British trawling industry, if he will take steps to remove it as soon as possible and meanwhile provide additional aid to the industry from the Supplementary Fund.

I have been asked to reply.No. This is a temporary surcharge imposed by the oil industry which the Government have accepted as reasonable. Cost changes are taken into account at periodic reviews of the industry's costs and earnings when their full effect is known.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to announce the results of Her Majesty's Government's review of the fishing industry.

I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 21st June.—[Vol. 748, c. 1694–5.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average weekly value of payments in kind received by adult farm workers in England and Wales for the year ended March, 1967; what percentage of their total earnings was represented by payments in kind; what was the percentage of those workers who received payments in kind; and what was the percentage of farm workers not in receipt of any premium above the minimum wage.

In the year ended 31st March, 1967, the average value of payments in kind received by hired regular whole-time adult male agricultural workers in England and Wales was evaluated at 7s. 3d. per week. This represents 2·5 per cent. of their average weekly total earnings. Sixty two per cent. of these workers received payments in kind. In the year ended 30th September, 1966 about 10 per cent. of the hired regular whole-time adult male agricultural workers did not receive a premium above the minimum wage rate. Later information on this item is not yet available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take in view of the intention of egg producers to slaughter millions of hens still in the prime of life, which would reduce egg output and create an inflationary situation in egg prices.

I think my hon. Friend is referring to a suggestion for the possible control of egg production by giving producers a financial inducement to slaughter hens in certain circumstances before the end of the normal laying cycle. This suggestion has, I understand, been circulated by the National Farmers' Union to its county branches for comment, but the N.F.U. has made it clear that this in no way implies its acceptance of the scheme or of the principles underlying it.No question of action therefore arises at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if there are any further rivers to add to the list of those rivers known to be infected with the salmon disease.

No additions fall to be made to the lists of rivers in the Answers which I gave to the hon. Member on 31st May and 14th June, but the River Girvan, which was formerly in a doubtful category, should now be regarded as infected.—[Vol. 747, c. 23; Vol. 748, c. 87.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, within existing regulations on the sale of milk, retailers are entitled to make a contract for delivery to their customers involving a charge for this service.

Regulations with regard to retail sales of milk are laid down in the Milk (Great Britain) Order, 1967. Responsibility for deciding, in any particular case, whether such a contract is in accordance with the regulations is a matter for the appropriate court to determine.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many buildings in Edinburgh listed as being of historic or artistic merit have either been demolished or are liable to be demolished as a result of planning permission already granted during the past three years.

I understand that four buildings in Edinburgh, statutorily listed as being of special architectural or historic interest, have been or are being demolished to allow developments for which planning permission had already been granted during the past three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has approved the proposal of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board that they shall raise their charges; and how far this accords with the Government's prices and incomes policy.

The tariff increases were needed because of cost increases beyond the Board's control, to enable the Board to meet its statutory obligation to balance its revenue account, taking one year with another. The Government are satisfied that the increases do not conflict with their policy on prices and incomes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet received the two letters sent to him by the Scottish Trawlers Federation protesting against the increase of 2d. per gallon on bunker fuel and lubricating oils; and what reply he has sent.

These letters convey a claim for special subsidy payments to the Scottish trawler fleet to offset the cost of the surcharge on oil prices. I regret that at this stage I am unable to agree to the claim.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make known the findings of the post-mortem on Alexander Charles Margrett.

As the circumstances of the death of Alexander Charles Margrett will be the subject of a public inquiry before the Sheriff, the findings of the postmortem cannot be made known at this juncture.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the number of pupils per certificated teacher,