asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of central Government expenditure as a percentage of the gross national product for 1965.

In 1965 central Government expenditure on both current and capital account, including expenditure on grants and loans to other parts of the public sector and all debt interest payments, was equivalent to 36 per cent. of gross national product at factor cost.The hon. Member will appreciate that, for the reasons which my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary explained in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Nott) on 18th January, 1967, this relationship does not provide a particularly useful measure of the share of national output taken by the public sector or its constituent parts.—[Vol. 739, c.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the £ sterling depreciated by over 9d. during the past 12 months ending Tuesday, 18th July.

Over the twelve months to 16th May last—the latest date available—the retail prices index rose by some 2¼ per cent. or 5d. in the £. A substantial part of this rise reflected increases in indirect taxes made necessary by the need to correct the balance of payments. Excluding these increases, the rise in retail prices was very moderate, and demonstrates the effectiveness of the prices and incomes policy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of the 1948 £1 in 1949, 1951, 1964, 1965, 1966, and at present.

Taking the value of the pound as 20s. in 1948, its purchasing power in later years is estimated at 19s. 6d. in 1949, 19s. 0d. in 1950, 17s. 5d. in 1951, 12s. 4d. in 1964, 11s. 9d. in 1965, 11s. 4d. in 1966, and 11s. 1d. in May, 1967, the latest date for which information is available.The estimates are based on changes in the consumer price index for calendar years, brought up to date by reference to the movement in the index of retail prices during the first five months of 1967.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study he is making, as part of the Government's general inquiry, of farm and land taxation in the member countries of the European Economic Community.

We have information about the taxation systems of individual members of the E.E.C. but the Government's studies are mainly directed to the provisions of the Treaty of Rome and the existing Directives on tax harmonisation which as yet do not deal with farm and land taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for the publication of a White Paper setting out a detailed calculation of the effect on capital movements and on the balance of payments of British entry to the European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an assurance that no proposed reductions in public expenditure will apply to Scotland or other development areas.

Public expenditure in Scotland and the development areas must be looked at as a whole. Assistance to Scotland and other development areas has been greatly increased in recent years, partly through the Investment Grants with their present rate for the development areas, and the proposed Regional Employment Premium. There need therefore be no doubt about the Government's attitude towards Scotland and the development areas so far as public expenditure generally is concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now take steps to exempt employers of disabled ex-Service men from paying Selective Employment Tax on their disabled employees.

I have no evidence to suggest that such steps are necessary. It must be remembered that employers in the manufacturing sector get premium for their disabled employees and those in the refund sector are unaffected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the German Federal Government have officially proposed a reduction of £190 million in their defence budget, a reduction of 61,000 in their forces and other such cut-backs; and, as this will aggravate Great Britain's balance of payments' problems with West Germany,

Company		Equity Holding	Percentage of Total Equity
British Petroleum Co. Ltd.	…	£174,461,538	48·9
British Sugar Corporation	…	1,125,000 shares of £1 each	11·25
Cable and Wireless	…	30,000,000 shares of £1 each	100
Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd.	…	£66	negligible
Compagnie Financiere de Suez et de l'Union Parisenne	…	494,695 capital shares of FF 100 each	20·5
Societe d'investissements mobiliers	…	20 capital shares of FF 100 each	negligible
Itabira Iron Ore Co. Ltd.	…	493,982 shares of £1 each	100
Fairfields (Glasgow) Ltd.	…	£530,000	50
Short Bros. and Harland Ltd.	…	1,640,000 shares of £1 each	69·5
S.B. (Realisations) Ltd.	…	581,302 shares of 5s. each	100
		250,000 "A" shares of 5s. each
Power Jets (Research and Development) Ltd.	…	200,000 shares of £1 each	100
Toplis and Harding (Middle East) Ltd.	…	997 shares of 10s. each	99·7

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the number of taxpayers, mainly in the field of entertainment, going bankrupt and owing thousands of pounds for Income Tax and Surtax; why these tax arrears are allowed to so accumulate; under what regulations; and whether, without divulging names, he will give a

The Federal German Government have made it clear that the consequences of the proposed cuts in the German defence budget have not yet been worked out, and that they will consult their allies before decisions are taken. It would therefore be premature to say what the effects on our balance of payments may be.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out a list of the companies in which there is a State holding of equity capital, together with the amount, and the percentage this represents.

The following table gives the information required:list showing where persons are more than £1,000 in arrears with there Income Tax and Surtax payments for a period of 12 months or more.

The number of people bankrupted for tax arrears is small, and the number of entertainers is a very small proportion of the total. The Revenue do all that they can to collect from each taxpayer the amount of tax due from him, but it is impossible to avoid arrears building up in some cases. The information asked for in the last part of my hon. Friend's Question is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that in addition to an order of some £25 million awarded by Overseas Containers to Germany earlier this year, Associated Containers are placing a further order for three container ships for £15 million, and if he will refuse exchange control permission to this purchase, in view of its effects on the Government's attempts to achieve a favourable trade balance with Germany.

No. There are no restrictions on the importation of ships into the United Kingdom, and exchange control permission to make the necessary payments is therefore given automatically.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, giving details of a British businessman who has had a villa built for himself, on the French Riviera, standing in 12 acres of ground and costing £250,000; and in view of the need to conserve currency, whether he will take action, under the exchange controls, to prevent this drain on our currency reserves.

The transaction referred to took place before the present property currency arrangements were introduced and an operation on this scale would not be permitted under present rules.Part of the foreign exchange cost was met with the proceeds of sale of another property in France and the remainder was remitted through the investment currency market and by means of the then property currency arrangements under the rules operating at the time. The site was purchased from another United Kingdom resident with sterling.The relevant exchange control permissions for the construction of this villa were given between 1961 and 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether members of the public, who are not coin collectors, owning more that four gold coins minted after 1837, in the form of personal jewellery are required by Statutory Instrument, 1966, No. 438, to hand them in.

The Order covers all gold coins minted after 1837. It is now illegal to make gold coins into jewellery, but where such jewellery was acquired before the Order, people are not required to break it up and dispose of the coins under the Order.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will site the second Pay As You Earn computer centre designed to handle the Pay As You Earn of London-based employees in Scotland.

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

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when legislation will be introduced amending the National Parks Act, 1949; and whether executive powers will be given to the new National Commission.

I hope it may be possible to introduce this legislation early next Session. The legislation will be on the lines indicated in the White Paper on Leisure in the Countryside but my hon. Friend will not expect me to comment on the contents of the legislation at this stage. If he feels that he has any representations I ought to consider perhaps he will let me know.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he has considered the results of the research by the Glass Manufacturers Federation into the use of one-way glass containers, and their effect on litter in the countryside and as a fire hazard to heath and forest, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. While I agree that the problem of litter is a serious one, I am not sure that it would be right to urge manufacturers to charge a deposit on containers in order to discourage people from littering the countryside with them. I prefer the approach of the anti-litter campaign now being conducted.Regarding fire hazards, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Bob Brown) on 21st June, 1967.—[Vol. 748, c.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will give special assistance to local London authorities who undertake approved plans to improve canal areas for amenity purposes.

This kind of activity qualifies for normal Exchequer grant. My right hon. Friend does not think there is a case for paying more grant than for other improvements to amenity.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will commission a comprehensive plan for the use of the River Thames in London as an amenity for Londoners and as a tourist asset.

I recognise the importance which the Thames could have as an amenity for Londoners and as a tourist asset. I shall look to the G.L.C., who will be submitting their development plan to me by the end of next year, to include in it proposals for the future use and development of the River Thames within Greater London.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what further action he is taking following rep- resentations made to him by the hon. Member for Coventry, North, in connection with the nuisance created by the dumping of coke by the Gas Board in the Foleshill area.

Since my hon. Friend's Question on this subject on 9th May, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power has approached the Gas Board, and I understand that the Board is now using the site near Arbury Avenue as little as possible and spraying the coke there frequently to keep the dust down; it is also providing storage sites elsewhere so that the amount of coke moved to Foleshill is kept to the minimum needed for the Coventry area. The Department's Alkali Inspector is ready to try to assist both the Board and the local authority with further advice, if required.—[Vol. 746, c. 194.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what has been the average reduction of rent of lower-rated properties following determinations by rent officers and assessment committees up to the latest available date.

For dwellings with a gross annual value for rating purposes of less than £25, determinations by rent officers and rent assessment committees in England and Wales in 1966 have on average represented a reduction of 28 per cent. on the previous rent in the case of houses, 25 per cent. in the case of flats, and 44 per cent. in the case of rooms in multi-occupied houses.For dwellings with a gross value of £25 and less than £50 the determinations have on average represented a reduction of 24 per cent. on the previous rent in the case of houses, 27 per cent. in the case of flats, and 37 per cent. in the case of rooms.For dwellings with a gross value of £50 and less than £75 the determinations have on average represented a reduction of 10 per cent. on the previous rent in the case of houses, 11 per cent. in the case of flats, and 31 per cent. in the case of rooms.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to make compulsory the provision of play space for young children in new blocks of flats.

Before considering compulsion I would like to see how far we can get by persuasion. The principal need is to establish more clearly in what way provision for play can most usefully be made. I intend to publish further guidance next year when studies currently in hand are completed. Meantime three out of four of the major housing authorities make some provision for play in new estates with flats, and I shall urge all authorities to provide play spaces in all appropriate cases.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will send a circular to local authorities advising them to use bonus schemes for high quality material and workmanship as a means of stopping jerry-building in housing schemes.

My right hon. Friend does not consider that bonus schemes ought to be used to get materials and workmanship of the quality required. The right way is to specify the requirements in the tender and contract documents and then, by adequate supervision, to make sure that the specification is adhered to.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement on his decision to cut by £20 million, the sum of £50 million sanctioned by this House in the Greater London Council Money (No. 2) Bill on 9th May 1967 for the Greater London Council for their home loans scheme.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Harrow, Central, (Mr. Grant) on 4th July.The Greater London Council (Money) Act 1967 provides the Council with power to borrow up to a maximum amount for advances for house purchase and certain other purposes. There has been no "cut" here. But the amount actually advanced must be related to the overall total available for lending for this purpose by local authorities in the whole of the Country, that is to say £130 million.—[Vol. 749, c.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to assist those people who own controlled houses and receive a rent too low to effect satisfactory repairs.

The review which the Department is undertaking of questions concerning the older housing stock will include consideration of measures for maintaining houses in a satisfactory state of repair.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what consideration is being given by his Department to devising a basis for fixing council house rents other than by a multiplier of the rateable value, in view of the circularity of fixing rents in that way; and how many authorities now fix rents on a basis other than that mentioned.

Advice on the relevance of gross values in determining standard rents is given in M.H.L.G. Circular No. 46/67, of which I have sent my hon. Friend a copy. Comprehensive information is not available on the methods of rent fixing adopted by individual local authorities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now make a statement on his proposals to install baths, hot water systems and inside water closets in the three million homes requiring them; and if he will take steps to ensure that rents are not increased or decontrolled consequent on the payment of improvements grants to landlords, to prevent discouraging applications by tenants.

These are matters to be taken into account in the Government's review of legislation affecting older houses. Good progress is being made and on 26th June my right hon. Friend announced the broad results of the national sample survey of the condition of houses in England and Wales. Full results will be published later in the year and my right hon. Friend will take account of them in framing legislative proposals.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he is taking following the demolition of Pitt Place, in Epsom, a Georgian house subject to a preservation order.

This building was subject to a building preservation Order made by the Surrey County Council and confirmed by my predecessor in 1964. I understand that the owners claimed that its demolition was urgently necessary in the interests of safety (in which case permission to demolish was not required), but that the County Council did not agree. Now that the building has been demolished my right hon. Friend is waiting to hear whether the County Council propose to take proceedings under Section 62 (3) of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1962 for contravention of the Order, before deciding whether there is any action which he should take himself.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on his meeting on 21st June with representatives of local authorities regarding racial discrimination in housing and associated matters.

The conference was useful to the Government and, I hope, to the authorities concerned. It provided a valuable informal interchange of views and information on this subject. My right hon. Friend appreciated the help of the members and officials who came and will take into account these discussions in the review of the law concerning race relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether his consultations with the Government of Zambia have been completed; whether any regret has been expressed by them for the remarks of Mr. A. M. Simbule; and if he will now declare the High Commissioner-designate persona non grata.

My consultations with the Government of Zambia have now been concluded. On the authority of his Government, Mr. Simbule has expressed regret for any hurt caused by his remarks in Dar-es-Salaam, and, as announced on 11th July, I have thought it right to recommend that Mr. Simbule should now be received by Her Majesty as Zambian High Commissioner.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what steps he now takes to advise intending emigrants to Australia regarding the standards of hostel accommodation which are available to them on arrival in that country.

None. Standards of hostel accommodation for migrants arriving in Australia are a matter for the Australian Government and details of this accommodation can be obtained from Australia House.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest situation in Anguilla, West Indies.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the situation in St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla, arising out of the official request made to him for assistance.

I have received further reports of the referendum in Anguilla to which I referred in my Answer of 13th July. The announcement of the result on 11th July was immediately followed by a proclamation of Anguillans independence, which was communicated to me.I have arranged for a First Secretary to be attached temporarily to the staff of the British Government Representative in the Associated States. He will be stationed for the present in St. Kitts with the object of looking after British interests in the territory.—[Vol. 750, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of Her Majesty's Government's proposals to assist in the construction of the deep water harbour and related facilities at St. Johns, Antigua.

The British Government are concerned in the financial arrangements for this project only to the extent outlined in the Commonwealth Services Supplementary Estimate (H.C. 522 of 1967–68). No direct British aid is being provided for the construction of the harbour.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if Mr. James Milnes-Gaskell is still in detention in St. Kitts; and what reply has been received to the representations made on his behalf by Her Majesty's Government.

Yes. Subsequent to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Northfield, Birmingham (Mr. Chapman) on 26th June—[Vol. 749, c. 28–29]—the British Government Representative informed the Governments of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla that he was not satisfied with the reasons given for Mr. Gaskell's detention, on the grounds that they were not specific enough. He represented that Mr. Gaskell should either be released or speedily brought to trial on specific criminal charges and was informed that Mr. Gaskell would be charged, together with his fellow-detainees, as soon as the study of the evidence against them had been completed by the appropriate authority. The British Government Representative has drawn attention to the constitutional requirement that the cases of detainees should be reviewed by a tribunal within a month of arrest. He has ascertained that Mr. Gaskell has appeared before a tribunal which sat from 8th to 13th July but which adjourned sine die without making any recommendations, to allow hearings in the Magistrates Court of specific charges against certain of the detainees. As I informed the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 10th July—[Vol. 750, c. 30]—further proceedings on the application for a writ of habeas corpus were adjourned sine die on 7th July at the request of Mr. Gaskell's counsel.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he will place in the Library a copy of the St. Kitts Emergency Regulations under which Mr. Milnes Gaskell is detained.

I have arranged for copies of the St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla official Gazette (Extraordinary) of Wednesday, 31st May 1967, to be placed in the Library. This contains the Emergency Powers Regulations, 1967.Mr. Gaskell is detained under an order made under the provisions of Regulation 3.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what are the scope, cost and estimated completion dates of the new housing, hospital and road projects now being developed in Hong Kong.

The following information is in respect only of Government projects:

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs to what extent water is now rationed in Hong Kong; whether any reply has yet been received from China to the request for additional supplies of water; and whether rationing and dependence upon China will be unnecessary when the Plover Cove supplies become available at the end of this year.

With effect from 13th July the general water supply has been restricted to four hours every fourth day. Industrial areas and standpipes will receive a four hour daily supply wherever possible: resettlement areas with communal water supplies will receive a four hour supply on alternate days.No reply has yet been received from China to the request for additional supplies of water during July and August.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the total export and import trade figures for Hong Kong during the first six months of this year, as compared with last year, the percentage increase or decrease in these figures since the disturbances began in the colony, and the corresponding figures of United Kingdom trade with Hong Kong in the same periods.

The following is the required information:

HONG KONG TRADE FIGURES
(To nearest £ million)
		January-June, 1966	January-June, 1967	Increase or decrease on 1966 figures
Domestic exports	…	160	189	+29
Re-exports	…	51	71	+20
Imports	…	286	341	+55

TRADE BETWEEN UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG
(Figures available only up to end May, 1967)
	January-May 1966	January-May 1967	Increase or decrease on 1966 figures
Domestic exports to United Kingdom	25	27	+2
Re-exports to United Kingdom	·95	·75	-·2
Imports from United Kingdom	25	28	+3

It is too early as yet to make comparisons which would give any useful indication of the possible effect of the disturbances upon trade. However, total Hong Kong domestic exports, re-exports and imports for June, 1967, showed increases or decreases on the figures for May, 1967, of +2·8 per cent.,+21·7 per cent. And -1·8 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs why the passport of Colonel A. H. MacIlwaine was impounded at London Airport on his arrival for medical treatment.

Major MacIlwaine's passport was impounded because it was issued by the illegal regime in Rhodesia, and is not recognised by Her Majesty's Government. Major MacIlwaine may apply for a United Kingdom passport valid for six months if he wishes to do so. This procedure is in accordance with the policy announced by the then Commonwealth Secretary to this House on 25th January, 1966.—[Vol. 723, c. 4–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether the date of the general election in Mauritius has yet been settled; and what arrangements for independent observation of the election he proposes to make.

The General Election will be held on 7th August. Mr. Maurice Abela of Malta has agreed to be Chairman of the independent team of observers and Mr. A. N. Kashyap of India and Mr. Charles Ross of Canada have agreed to serve as members. All were members of the previous team who observed the registration of electors.I also hope to appoint a fourth Commonwealth member to the team. His name will be announced later.In addition, the Government has decided that in view of the crucial nature of the coming Election and the responsibilities of Parliament for the territory, it will be valuable to add to the team two Members of this House. This decision has been conveyed to the Governor, and my hon. Friend the Member for Wandsworth, Central (Dr. David Kerr) and the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Mr. Henry Clark) have agreed to serve as members of the team.I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all members of the team for their willingness to serve and to the Commonwealth Governments concerned for their ready co-operation in making their nominees available for this important task.

asked the Minister of Power in view of the diminution of oil supplies from the Middle East, what added assistance and facilities he is giving, and plans to give, to those persons and companies that are drilling in the North Sea and elsewhere in British waters in order to increase the supplies of oil to Great Britain.

Licensees have ample incentive to press on with this work and need no added assistance or facilities from my right hon. Friend. Increased effort now would not result in additional supplies of oil for at least two years.

asked the Minister of Power in view of the successes achieved by private persons and companies under licence from him in drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, if he will grant similar licences to the scientific bodies which are supported by the Government to drill for oil and gas in the shelf in British seas for the national benefit.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to invite applications for further licences to drill for oil and gas in the U.K. sector of the Continental shelf.

asked the Minister of Power what were the imports of oil from the Middle East during the year ended December, 1966; what was the total cost; and how much he estimates an increase of £2 per ton in transport charges will affect the import costs of oil at the latest convenient date.

Imports of oil from the Middle East in 1966 were 44,469,000 tons valued at £259 million c.i.f. The cost to the balance of payments was considerably less than this valuation, though it is not possible to give an estimate.As regards more recent import costs I have nothing to add to the reply of my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 11th July.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will arrange that, in the event of petrol rationing, ration books will only be issued to those persons who can produce log books showing that their vehicles were licensed for the quarterly period immediately prior to the introduction of petrol rationing or to show some certified documentary evidence that the vehicle was not being used without a current road fund licence prior to the announcement of petrol rationing.

Not all vehicle registration books now afford proof that a vehicle is currently licensed. For this reason, in the event of petrol rationing, applications for ration books will be required to complete a declaration that their vehicles are currently licensed. It will be an offence under the Bill to make a false statement.

asked the Minister of Power if he will make a statement on the two ships from AMOCO and Shell which on 27th June under licence from him started to set up new rigs in a search for oil off the Aberdeen coast, indicating the number and extent of the new rigs and the progress they have made.

Three rigs have been drilling off Scotland for the last few weeks. It is likely to be some time before the results are known.

asked the Minister of Power what estimate he has made of the number of pits likely to be closed and the corresponding number of miners displaced in the event of the proposed Seaton Carew power station being fired by other than conventional means.

The extent to which a new coal-fired station would benefit employment in the North-East is one of the matters I shall be examining with the National Coal Board before coming to a decision on the new station.

asked the Minister of Power what has been the total amount of capital invested in the modernisation of the six coastal collieries adjacent to the proposed power station at Seaton Carew; and what the impact on costing will be if the station is not coal fired.

The total investment since Vesting Date has been £30 million. The full economic implications of alternative methods of firing a new power station will be studied before a decision is made.

asked the Minister of Power what evidence has been presented to him of the cost competiveness of coal and nuclear energy as alternative fuels for the proposed new power station at Seaton Carew, expressed in terms of price per therm.

I have not yet reached a decision on the C.EG.B.'s application to build a nuclear power station at Hartlepool. Before doing so I will take account of the prospects of all alternative fuels for electricity generation in the context of fuel policy as a whole.

asked the Minister of Power what representations he has received from the Durham area of the National Union of Mineworkers in connection with the proposal to site a new power station at Seaton Carew.

The Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers wrote to me on 16th May stating the union's objections to the proposal to build a nuclear power station at Seaton Carew. In my reply I assured him that all the points made would be fully considered before I made any decision.

asked the Minister of Power to what extent he will take into account the possibility of redundancies on British Railways as a result of the elimination of coal freight in coming to his decision on whether to authorise a nuclear-fired power station at Seaton Carew.

I shall be consulting my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport about the implications for British Railways before I take a decision on the proposed power station.

asked the Minister of Power what proposals for coal-fired power stations after Drax he has received from the Central Electricity Generating Board; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no proposals for coal-fired stations after Drax.

asked the Minister of Power, in view of the fact that none of the advance gas-cooled reactor stations that will come into operation within the next 10 years will be competitive with coal-fired stations, to what extent he estimates that nuclear power will be the cheapest source of energy in 10 years' time; and upon what evidence he bases this estimate.

As I said in reply to my hon. Friend's Supplementary Question on 9th May, it is not true that present estimates show that nuclear powered generation will be more expensive than coal. The C.E.G.B.'s estimate of the generation cost of even the first A.G.R. station, Dungeness B, of which the first set is due to be commissioned in 1970, is 0.525d. per kilowatt hour, including royalty payable to the A.E.A. This shows a clear cost advantage over the estimated generation cost of contemporary coal-fired stations. Costs are expected to fall for each of the later A.G.R. stations.—[Vol. 746, c. 1263–4.]

asked the Minister of Power how many tons of coal is currently produced suitable for use in power stations at 2½d. per therm, 3d. per therm, 3½d. per therm, 4d. per therm, 4½d. per therm and 5d. per therm, respectively; and what estimate he has made of the average cost per therm of coal produced by the National Coal Board in 1970, assuming an annual output of 150 million tons.

The majority of coals are suitable for use in power stations, but as the different grades of coal are joint products there is no formal allocation of costs between one grade and another. It is for the N.C.B. to decide how to price the coal supplied to power stations having regard to their other markets and their financial position and I have asked the Chairman of the Board to write to my hon. Friend and explain the principles on which this is done.

asked the Minister of Technology by what means and in what manner the people of Southern England are to communicate to him their reaction to sonic boom tests.

As has already been indicated through the Press, communications should be sent in writing to the Ministry of Technology.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he proposes to subject the people of Northern England to sonic boom tests.

No decisions have yet been taken about sonic bang tests other than the preliminary series now in progress.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will take steps to ensure that a carefully controlled scientific observation of the effect of sonic booms on livestock of all types and embryonic development, such as was asked for by the National Farmers' Union in October, 1964, is now carried out.

The Government will take this suggestion into account if it decides to go ahead with large-scale series of sonic bang tests.

asked the Minister of Technology why the Minister of State officially informed the Daily Telegraph Air Correspondent on Tuesday, 4th July, that he would not announce where or when the supersonic test flights were undertaken until several days after they had taken place; what is the reason for this secrecy; and whether he will arrange for an announcement to be made immediately or shortly after they have taken place.

The remark attributed to my hon. Friend was made at a Press Conference on 4th July after Questions in the House. The tests now being undertaken are designed to assess spontaneous reactions.

asked the Minister of Technology if, in the sonic boom tests recently carried out by Lightning aircraft, the loudness of the boom is comparable with that which can be expected from the Concord aircraft flying at supersonic speed.

The bangs made by Lightning aircraft are not of the same intensity or type as those to be expected from Concord.

asked the Minister of Technology how the loudness of a sonic bang from a Lightning aircraft flying at cruising speed compares with a Concord aircraft flying at the same altitude at its expected normal cruising speed, hearing in mind the difference in mass and weight between the two makes of aircraft.

At the same altitude as a Lightning aircraft, the bang from Concord would be louder. However, the Concord will, when in airline service, fly higher and this will reduce the boom.

asked the Minister of Technology what information his Department has obtained of the likely or possible effect which Concord aircraft flying at cruising speed will have on both people and buildings within a distance of 10 miles to its flight path.

It will not be possible to obtain a fully accurate assessment of the effect of a Concord aircraft sonic bang until Concord is flying.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) how many complaints he has had from the Bristol area with regard to sonic bangs; and how many of these involved claims for damages;(2) how many complaints he has had from areas of the country other than the Bristol area with regard to sonic bangs.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await a comprehensive statement I shall make on the tests, when they are concluded.

asked the Minister of Technology why it was decided that sonic bang tests were necessary, in view of the official proposal that the Concord should not attain supersonic speed over land.

Although a supersonic airliner using a British airport could be kept subsonic over the United Kingdom, with supersonic airliners overflying this country different considerations might apply. The tests are necessary to allow the Government to decide whether or not such flights should be permitted.

asked the Minister of Technology on what date he was informed by the Chrysler Corporation of the intention to close the Thrupp and Maberly factory in North-West London; and what action he took.

I was informed on 16th June, before the formal announcement was made, and was given an assurance that the company would do everything possible to mitigate any hardship arising from the closure. I satisfied myself that the closure did not of itself breach any of the undertakings given to me, and I now understand that agreement has been reached between the management and the unions concerned on the effective date and on the rates of compensation to be paid to employees made redundant.

asked the Minister of Technology what progress has been made by the National Board for Prices and Incomes in examining the rise in prices of television rental firms; and if he will make a statement.

The Board is expected to publish its report in the early autumn.

asked the Minister of Technology what action he is taking to support the development of automatic assembly techniques in this country and their wider use by industry.

It is estimated that about a third of the time taken to produce most engineering products is devoted to the final assembly of their component parts. At the present time most machines built for the mechanisation of the assembly process are tailor-made for the special purposes of individual firms. The successful development of automatic assembly techniques and machines capable of application to a range of products would be a major advance leading to substantial gains in productivity and profitability.My Department will be providing support for several projects designed to further the development of automatic assembly and its application in industry.A contract has been placed with Staveley Industries Ltd. under which my Department will contribute up to £200,000 over the next 3 years for the design and development of modular assembly mechanisms suitable for incorporation in assembly systems for a variety of products. The company proposes to build a factory at Aberbargoed in Monmouthshire for both development and production work on automatic assembly.We are also in discussion with the Department of Production Engineering at Nottingham University on the support of two projects to be carried out there. The first is to investigate methods of packaging components for handling by assembly machines; the second is the development of programmed machines for use in assembly, which can be produced at an economic cost for manufacturing industry at large.It is important that information on present practice in automatic assembly and on new developments should be comprehensively collected and disseminated to industry. My Department is discussing with the Institution of Production Engineers ways in which we can support the production of Data Sheets on Automatic Assembly Techniques and Equipments. These data sheets would be prepared so as to help industry on both the technical and economic aspects of the application of automatic assembly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the cost of a Polaris missile supplied to a Polaris submarine; and how many are likely to be stored at the depot at Coulport.

This information is classified.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure will have been incurred at the missile storage depot at Coulport up to 1st July, 1967; and how much he estimates will be the cost of the depot when completed.

The Royal Naval Armament Depot at Coulport is part of the Clyde Submarine Base. The latest cost of the base is estimated to be £45 million, of which £31 million had been spent by 1st July.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries, other than the United States of America, the annual cost of British defence staffs, including attachés and assistant attachés, other staff, and scientific staff, reaches £1 million.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total savings that will be achieved by 1969–70 in the annual costs of British defence staffs, including attaches and assistant attachés, other staff, and scientific staff, in British embassies and High Commission offices throughout the world.

These staffs are at present being reviewed, and I am unable yet to say what savings will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of British defence staffs in Washington, including attachés, other staffs, scientific staff and staff employed in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for each year since 1959.

Following is the information:

1964–65	…	…	£1,000,000
1965–66	…	…	£900,000
1966–67	…	…	£970,000
1967–68	…	…	£1,000,000

Figures for the years prior to 1964 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present annual cost of staff employed in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Washington, and his estimate of the annual cost of the personnel concerned when they remove to Belgium.

About £150,000 and £135,000 per annum respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the saving to be achieved by 1969–70 in the present £1 million spent annually on British defence staffs in Washington.

About £150,000 as the result of the move of staff employed in the N.A.T.O. organisation to Brussels; and some further saving as a result of the present review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of British defence staffs in France, including attachés and assistant attachés, other staffs and scientific staff.

About £82,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of British defence staffs in Western Germany including attachés and assistant attachés, other staff and scientific staff.

About £71,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the inquiry into the death of Junior Private Barry Charles Jones on 2nd April, 1967.

The inquiry is almost complete and I will write to the hon. Member very soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many instructors were employed at the Faslane submarine base in the month of July; and at what cost.

Some 32 at an estimated cost of £69,000 a year.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what progress is being made with the study of the special non-development areas; and how far his refusal to make the relevant grants to the Yorkshire and Humberside Region is the result of such studies.

As to the first part of the Question, I announced the terms of reference of the Committee which is being set up under the chairmanship of Sir Joseph Hunt, in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Richard Wainwright) on 6th July. I hope that I shall be able to make an announcement about the membership shortly. As to the second part of the Question, paragraphs 48–50 of the White Paper entitled "The Development Areas: Regional Employment Premium (Command 3310)" record the Government's decision in view of the study under the chairmanship of Sir Joseph Hunt, not to introduce at the present time any special assistance for other areas, and the reason for that decision.—[Vol. 749, c. 275.]

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is introducing any techniques to assess the number of people redeployed as a result of Selective Employment Tax; if he will provide as a preliminary step indications of any regional or local movements; and what inquiries he has made to tackle the problem of obtaining such information.

It is not practicable to measure redeployment resulting from the Selective Employment Tax as it occurs. The effects of the tax will be assessed by the application of normal statistical techniques to information which the Government already collects.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will introduce legislation to include the repair and maintenance of gymnasium equipment within the provisions of the Factories Act, 1961.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 30th June, 1967, to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Alan Williams). The question of the scope of the new legislation is one that will need most careful consideration, but I will bear my hon. Friend's proposal in mind.—[Vol. 749, c. 149.]

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the known damaging effects of noise, if he is satisfied that he has sufficient powers under existing legislation to require employers to take the necessary steps, to protect the hearing of employees; what action he is taking to do so; what surveys of noise in factories are being carried out by the Industrial Hygiene Division of the Factory Inspectorate; whether permissible levels of noise exposure have been established against which the results of such surveys have been assessed; and what are these levels.

I have powers under the Factories Act to deal with noise which presents a danger to the health of employees and somewhat wider powers under the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act. The need to strengthen these powers is one of the matters I shall consider in connection with the revision of these Acts. The Medical Research Council are conducting a major research project into the effect of industrial noise on hearing with which my Department has co-operated. The results are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number registered as unemployed in the Cheltenham and district area; and how this compares with a year ago.

Total numbers registered as unemployed in the area covered by Cheltenham Employment Exchange at 12th June, 1967 and 13th June, 1966 were 902 and 622, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what regulations exist requiring employers to make and record regular measurements of air contamination in workplaces where known dangerous materials, for example, asbestos, are handled.

None. Such a requirement would be of little value. H.M. Inspectors of Factories decide whether to advise occupiers to take measurements to check the efficiency of preventive measures in the light of the circumstances of the individual case.

asked the Minister of Labour by what percentage hourly wage rates and average weekly earnings rose in manufacturing and in all industries, respectively, between July, 1966 and the latest convenient date.

Between July, 1966 and April, 1967, the latest date for which earnings information is available, the percentage increases were as follows:—

	Manufacturing industries	All Industries and services
Hourly wage rates	1·5	1·4
Average weekly earnings (Wages and Salaries)	0·3	0·4*
* The corresponding seasonally adjusted figure is 1·5. (No corresponding seasonally adjusted figure is available for manufacturing industries only.)

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the percentage change in the number of placings effected by the employment exchanges operated by his Department during the last six months compared with the same period a year ago; and how this compares with the percentage change in the numbers registered as wholly unemployed, on average, over the last six months compared to the average over the same period in 1966.

During the first six months of 1967, the numbers of persons placed in employment by Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices were 13·0per cent. lower, and the numbers registered as wholly unemployed 71·3 per cent. higher, than in the corresponding period of 1966.

asked the Minister of Health in how many departmental offices automatic cigarette machines are installed; and what instructions he has given to Ministers regarding Her Majesty's Government's publicity campaign to persuade people not to smoke, in order to lower the incidence of lung cancer.

I regret that the information requested in the first part of my hon. Friend's Question is not centrally available. I am in constant touch with my colleagues about furthering the smoking and health campaign in their Departments by the display of posters and in other ways.

asked the Minister of Health what facilities are available within the National Health Service to continue dialysis of a patient who has purchased his own machine for home treatment and subsequently finds difficulty in maintaining it.

This would depend on the circumstances of the individual case. The National Kidney Centre, which treats patients privately, is closing down and has asked me to arrange for the National Health Service to take over the treatment of existing patients. Since these 27 patients would die if treatment were discontinued I have agreed, in the exceptional circumstances described, that the National Health Service should assume responsibility for their treatment at the appropriate time.

asked the Minister of Health what is the normal delay for consultant out-patient appointments at the Exeter hospitals for general surgery cases, gynaecological cases, orthodontics and ear, nose and throat cases.

General Surgery	…	…	14 weeks
Gynaecology	…	…	23 weeks
Orthodontics	…	…	9 weeks
Ear, nose and throat	…	…	15 weeks

These are non-urgent waiting times. There is little or no waiting time for urgent cases as appointments are made for them to be seen at the next consultant clinic following the date of notification.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have now established special hospital centres for the treatment of drug addicts, in accordance with the recommendations of the Brain Committee.

This is a hospital, not a local authority, function. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 3rd July to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renee Short).—[Vol. 749, c. 1238–39.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what part of the borough of Aberystwyth is included in the proposed area of operation of the Welsh Rural Development Board.

The precise boundary of the Board's area is one of the matters that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I will have to consider following the consultation with local authorities and other bodies which are now proceeding.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek to renegotiate those international agreements which prevent him from imposing a tariff on imports of meat from the Republic of Ireland, equivalent to the export subsidy paid on that meat by the Government of Ireland.

None of our international trading agreements would prevent us from imposing a countervailing duty on subsidised exports from the Irish Republic, provided that they were causing or threatening material injury to the industry concerned in this country. We should also have to be satisfied that it was in the national interest to impose such a duty.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered the evidence put forward by the National Butchers Federation that on Great Britain's joining the European Economic Community, butcher's meat will rise in price between 60 and 80 per cent.; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent this.

I am aware of the forecast made by the President of the National Federation of Meat Traders' Associations, but have received no evidence from the Federation in support of it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, under revision of the Egg Marketing Scheme, he will seek to give the Board fuller powers to control domestic supplies; whether he is satisfied with the falling share of the domestic market beyond by home producers; and if he will make a statement.

I am discussing with the Farmers' Unions and the British Egg Marketing Board the problems which have arisen on the marketing of eggs, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Templars Tennis Club of Golders Green has given the undertaking against discrimination which he asked for before receipt of a sports grant.

A reply has not yet been received to the Department's recent letter of 4th July in which the club were asked to give the undertaking. This undertaking is now required as part of the Department's normal procedure from all clubs applying for grant.