asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider meeting the total cost of ab initio training for British commercial airline pilots; what the estimated cost would be in each of the next five years; and what is the cost of the present arrangements over the last five years.

No. Training is primarily the responsibility of the prospective employer. There are too many variables to permit anything but a rough estimate of the cost to be made but over the next few years the cost is likely to be of the order of £2,000,000 per year. Over the past five years the Board of Trade contribution has amounted to £558,000 in total.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to allow nationalised airlines to operate in the same manner as commercial concerns.

The two Air Corporations do in fact operate as commercial concerns. If my hon. Friend has some particular point in mind perhaps he would write to me.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received an application from British Overseas Airways Corporation for a waiver of duty on their third Boeing 707–336C; and what decision he has made on the application.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member on 1st February.—[Vol. 740, c. 497.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the development of vertical take-off aircraft was taken into account in calculating London's airport needs.

This factor was considered, but there is very little prospect of vertical take-off aircraft being used on a significant scale for the commercial transport of passengers by the time a conventional two-runway airport is needed for substantial operational use.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now give an assurance that the number of jet night flights to be permitted at London Airport (Heathrow) in the summer of 1968 will not exceed 3,500.

Yes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what financial target he is proposing to set for British European Airways for the five years after March, 1968.

The financial objective will be influenced by decisions on B.E.A.'s re-equipment and on the implementation of the Government's undertaking of 2nd August, 1966, that B.E.A. would be enabled to operate as a fully commercial undertaking with the fleet it requires. It is too early to forecast the outcome.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a general direction to British European Airways to use on their flights products which will be of benefit to British agriculture as opposed to such things as foreign produced chocolate.

No. This is a matter for B.E.A.'s commercial judgment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why it was more than six months before he made a decision on the report of the commissioner on the appeal by Autair International, against the decision of the Air Transport Licensing Board to refuse the company an application for service rights between Luton and Dundee.

Because this was a particularly difficult case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whom he has appointed to carry out the special review of the performance of United Kingdom air operators.

As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Perry) on 10th July, Sir Frederick Brundrett and Captain Frank Taylor have accepted my invitation to assist in this review.—[Vol. 750, c. 22.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that the standards and experience required of co-pilots on two-pilot crew operation, or of pilots second in command on a multiple-pilot operation, are fully compatible with the interests of safety; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 11th July to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin).—[Vol. 750, c. 65–6.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what provision is being made for the installation of pebble beds at the end of runways safely to arrest the momentum of aircraft suffering from brake failure.

Research is being carried out at the Royal Aeronautical Establishment, Farnborough, into this method of arresting aircraft which overshoot the runway. It is too early as yet to say whether a satisfactory and practical system can be devised.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to encourage the improvement of passenger and goods air services between the development areas and the remainder of the country.

I am fully aware of the importance of air services in the promotion of regional develop- ment. But the initiative in seeking licences rests with the operators, in the light of their judgment of the traffic potential.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many commercial air line pilots performed the maximum permitted hours on duty for the months of January to June, 1967, inclusive; and how this figure compares with similar months in the previous five years.

Information is not available centrally to provide the basis for an Answer. Perhaps I should remind my hon. Friend that statutory limits apply only to duty periods which include flying, and to the actual hours flown over a period of 28 days.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the average number of passengers carried between Heathrow, London and Middleton St. George during the last six months of the B.K.S. Licence; and what are the average figures for the Middleton St. George-Luton service run by Autair.

The periods requested cover different traffic seasons and the resulting figures are not comparable. Taking the same five months in 1966 and 1967 the monthly rates are:—

1966	…	…	3,100 passengers
1967	…	…	2,100 passengers

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of airports with landing facilities below International Civil Aviation Organisation standards which are currently used by British airlines.

I regret that it is not possible to compile a list such as the hon. Member requests. I.C.A.O. has established a number of standards regarding the physical characteristics of airports and matters such as lighting, equipment and services but it should be understood that local differences from these standards do not necessarily mean that an airport is sub-standard for safe operation of any or all types of service.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for the encouragement of firms by giving of additional incentives or other methods to bring into the Northern Region their research and development departments and their administrative departments as well as their manufacturing activities; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Consett (Mr. David Watkins) on 26th April. The introduction of the Regional Employment Premium will further strengthen the considerable inducements already available to firms to move their manufacturing activities together with research and development departments into development areas.—[Vol. 745, c. 1579.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the terms of reference of the proposed inquiry into the economies of advertising: what staff will be employed; what are their qualifications; what will be their method of work; when will they report; and from whom they will take evidence and receive representations.

I am considering these points now.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the action he has now taken on the recommendations of the Textile Council.

I have received a copy of the Statement issued by the Textile Council on 13th June.As I said in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend on 19th June, I see no prospect in present circumstances of the exporting countries now agreeing to further restrictions on their exports to this country, but I have agreed with the Textile Council that arrangements should be made for early discussion of other matters referred to in its Statement.—[Vol. 748, c. 189.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what investigations have been carried out by the National Economic Development Council for the paper industry into the incidence of dumping in the United Kingdom by Austrian and other paper manufacturers.

The Paper and Board Economic Development Committee have given much attention to problems of imports. They are in close touch with the Board of Trade, to whom applications under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957, should be made by the producers concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what information he has about the provision of subsidies by the West German Government to exporters to the European Free Trade Association countries.

I know of no such subsidies limited to exporters to E.F.T.A. countries. Under the Common Agricultural Policy of the E.E.C., certain agricultural products are subsidised when exported to countries outside the Community, and there are special arrangements to assist the export of ships built in German yards to industrial countries outside the E.E.C.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in shortening the time taken by his Department to make decisions on claims for grants for industrial building and for plant and machinery in development areas.

The changes in procedures which I have introduced are beginning to show encouraging results in speeding up consideration of these claims. But we are still often hampered by the time taken by applicants to provide the necessary information.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the number and value of claims made and authorised for development area grants at current rates for expenditure on factory buildings and for plant and machinery in the Northern Region since 31st December, 1966.

218 building grant applications totalling £3,098,000 were received in the five months to 31st May, 1967 in respect of projects in the Northern development area and 122 offers estimated to cost £1,805,000 were made. Plant and machinery grants were superseded by investment grants from 31st March, 1966 but 40 offers estimated to cost £218,000 were made in respect of applications made before that date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much public money has been spent by the British Institute of Management in the last financial year; what losses have been incurred; and what will be the sum required for losses anticipated in this year.

The Board of Trade made a Grant-in-Aid to the British Institute of Management of £38,500 in 1966–67 which has been increased to £50,000 for the current year. The Institute also receives a grant of £6,000 from the Ministry of Overseas Development. These grants are not made in order to cover losses but to support specific services of the Institute in the national interest.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that the terms of reference for the Monopolies Commission investigation into the professions will allow an examination of the fees structure in the legal profession; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission may examine any practices which are restrictive of the fees or commissions to be charged for the supply of professional services, provided that these practices are not expressly authorised by or under statute or charter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what specific action he intends to take at the next United Nations Commission on Trade and Development Conference over and above that taken at the last; and whether he will make a statement.

The agenda for the Second United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has not yet been settled, but seems likely to embrace virtually all aspects of trade and aid policy of interest to developing countries. Her Majesty's Government's attitude at the Conference on all these matters will be to do what we can, within the limits of our capability, to help forward the development of these countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the percentage return on capital employed in United Kingdom manufacturing industry calculated on profits net of all taxes is now lower than at any time since the end of the war; what estimate he has made of the effects of this on the likely level of business activity; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware that the return on capital has fallen in the last year or two. The Government are actively encouraging increased efficiency and productivity in manufacturing industry in order to achieve a better return on capital and a higher level of business activity.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now give the date and details of the arrangements he has made affecting the export of steel from this country to Portugal.

I have made no special arrangements. The future arrangements affecting imports of steel into Portgual from E.F.T.A. countries are at present under consideration by a Working Party of the E.F.T.A. Council.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to announce his Department's proposals designed to help and encourage small businesses.

The N.E.D.C. considered on 5th July the report of the N.E.D.C. Group on productivity advisory services, including help for small businesses. The Government are now considering possible courses of action.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the latest estimate of the cost of investment grants for the calendar year 1967.

On the assumption that my hon. Friend is referring to grants to be paid in 1967, I estimate that the cost will be of the order of £200 million. The actual figure will depend not only on the level of eligible investment but also on the rate at which claims are made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will eliminate unnecessary questions asked of industrialists in assessing eligibility for investment grants under the Industrial Development Act, 1966.

The investment grants offices have been instructed to ask only those questions which are necessary to determine eligibility for grant. Whether a question is necessary must, however, be left to the judgment of the officials who are responsible for paying grants.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the present operation of the Industrial Development Act, 1966 with reference to development grants to industrial firms.

I hope to be able to give this information before the House rises for the Summer Recess.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what communication he addressed to the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Economic Planning Council on the question of investment allowances before 6th July.

None. I have, however, discussed the views of the Planning Council on this subject with the Chairman and members of the Council.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the percentage of complaints received from industrialists concerning the questions asked in connection with the eligibility for investment grants.

The number of complaints received is negligible in relation to the number of applications.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what countries have increased their trade with Rhodesia in the first quarter of 1967 as compared to the first quarter of 1966, and by how much.

Following is the information:TRADE WITH RHODESIA

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to increase trade with South Africa.

All the export promotion facilities and services of the Board of Trade and the Export Credits Guarantee Department are available as appropriate to assist British exporters to South Africa. I have also established for Southern Africa an area Committee of the B.N.E.C.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to support International Tourist Year.

The Government are supporting International Tourist Year in many ways, through the British Travel Association. The Association is supporting the International Tourist Year by encouraging interest in youth travel; by providing a service for overseas visitors to enable them to meet people in Britain who have particular interests or come from particular areas; by organising courses for executives of work in the tourist trades.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he excluded professional colour film from his reference to the Monopolies Commission in view of the fact that monopoly in this product is more complete in its consequences than in the case of retailed amateur film; and if he will now refer professional colour film to the Monopolies Commission.

Professional colour film was not a subject of complaint at the time of the reference, but I shall bear the item in mind when future references to the Commission are being considered.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the value of the loss of British exports due to increased freight costs and the addition to the import bill for the same reason for each month that the Suez Canal is closed; and what estimates he has made of the effect on the balance of payments.

It is not possible to estimate the effect month by month of the increased freight costs upon United Kingdom exports, imports and the balance of payments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to inform manufacturers and printers of diaries, and public bodies of the dates of the Easter and Spring Bank Holidays in future years, and in particular in 1969 and 1970.

I can see no reason for moving away the Easter bank holiday from Easter Monday. Unless the date of Easter should come to be changed in the meantime, the next five Easter Mondays will fall on the dates in the table below. The table also gives the dates that I have already announced for the next two years' late spring bank holidays; and I hope to be able to announce very shortly the date for that holiday in 1970.

Year		Date of Easter Monday	Late spring bank holiday
1968	…	15th April	3rd June
1969	…	7th April	26th May
1970	…	30th March	(to be announced later)
1971	…	12th April	(to be announced later)
1972	…	3rd April	(to be announced later)

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, following his review of the future level of egg supplies, he will now take measures to check the increased imports of foreign eggs.

This review is being undertaken in conjunction with other Government Departments concerned. It is not yet complete.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of Her Majesty's Government's application for entry into the European Economic Community and the necessity for many aspects of our trade to harmonise with the countries of the Six, what action he has already taken or intends to take to advise British manufacturers on changes required in British methods of trade to facilitate Great Britain's entry, and with what results.

Details of Community regulations and directives are published in the Board of Trade Journal. I do not consider that any special advice to British manufacturers on changes in methods of trade would be appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent he has completed a draft report on the effects on British trade of Great Britain joining the Common Market; when, and in what form, this report will be published; and whether he will issue it as a White Paper.

I have not drafted any such report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many extra jobs have been provided in the Plymouth area since 1964.

Projects known to have been completed for manufacturing industry since the beginning of 1964 and for which industrial development certificates were issued were estimated by the firms concerned to provide 730 additional jobs when fully manned. I have no means of knowing the number of jobs created by other means.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, following his recent official visit to the city of Plymouth, he will now agree to making Plymouth a development area.

No. I have examined the circumstances of the area and am not convinced that any change is necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to provide more employment in heavier industry for male workers in the Swindon area.

No. Male unemployment in Swindon is below the average for Great Britain. Other localities have much greater need for such employment opportunities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of new manufacturing investment in plant and machinery in areas in Scotland now included in a development area but formerly outwith the development districts between 1st January, 1966 and the latest available date; and what was the corresponding figure for manufacturing investment outwith development districts and those parts of the city of Edinburgh and Leith currently excluded from a development area between 1st January, 1963 and the corresponding date in 1964, all at constant 1963 prices.

The information required is not avaialble.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what tonnage of British merchant shipping is still laid up; how much of this is tanker tonnage; and how this compares with three months ago.

At the end of June only 66,000 gross tons, excluding passenger ships, including 11,000 gross tons in respect of tankers; the corresponding figures at the end of March were 35,000 and 6,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Committee on Pollution of the Sea by Oil last met; and how often it has met in the last year.

There are a number of committees concerned with different aspects of this subject, but I think the hon. Member has in mind the Committee on the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil which has met once in the last twelve months, on 10th January, 1967.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take in view of the difficulties of egg producers.

As the right hon. Member will know, the 1967 Annual Review White Paper announced that the Government had agreed to have discussions with the Farmers' Unions and the British Egg Marketing Board on egg marketing arrangements; a number of far-reaching proposals have been put forward and I am considering carefully my future course of action in relation to them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the Soviet Government have placed orders for £200,000 of British livestock and have promised to give consideration to the placing of further orders; and to what extent this type of trade will be affected if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community.

During his recent visit to this country the Soviet Minister of Agriculture told me of his Government's interest in buying British livestock. I have no information about any firm contracts, but I know that the British Agricultural Export Council is keeping in close touch with those concerned in this country and with the Soviet authorities.Assuming the continuance of our present animal health arrangements, this trade should not be affected if we join the European Economic Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to increase public consumption of milk.

The task of selling milk is one for the dairy industry. However, the agricultural Departments work closely with the National Milk Publicity Council and the Scottish Milk Publicity Council and encourage them in their efforts to promote the consumption of milk and milk products.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to introduce differential regional levels of price guarantees for price review commodities.

No: but the situation in the different regions is taken fully into account at the Price Review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now announce the membership of the Central Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation.

I am pleased to take this opportunity to announce that at the invitation of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Home Department and for Scotland and myself, Mr. Roger S. Falk, O.B.E., has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Council and that Mr. J. G. Jenkins has agreed to serve as Deputy Chairman.My right hon. Friends and I have decided to appoint to the Council the following eight persons who have been nominated by the farmers' Unions and the central co-operative bodies:Mr. C. H. Plumb, nominated by the National Farmers' Union, representing England.Mr. C. P. Norbury, nominated by the Agricultural Co-operative Association Ltd.Mr. A. J. Evans, J.P., nominated by the National Farmers' Union, representing Wales.Alderman T. Jones, J.P., nominated by the Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd.Mr. W. Peat, J.P., nominated by the National Farmers' Union of Scotland.Mr. D. Goodfellow, nominated by the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd.Mr. F. M. B. Loane, nominated by the Ulster Farmers' Union.Major W. Wilson, M.B.E., J.P., nominated by the Ulster Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd.I am also pleased to say that the following have accepted our invitations to serve on the Council as independent members:Alderman F. T. Hussey, O.B.E., Mr. D. H. Lewis and Mr. A. Norton.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now take steps to give the fishing industry special assistance during the temporary increase of £2 per ton on bunker fuel; and if he will make a statement.

No; this cost will be taken into account at the periodic reviews of the costs and earnings of the industry when its full effect is known.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the main findings of the Perth traffic survey; and if these will be published.

The study is not yet complete. When it is, I will consider publication. In the meantime the participating authorities will have the benefit of the findings as they become available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of patients on the present geriatric waiting list for Ayrshire.

On 30th June last 185 persons were waiting for geriatric beds in Ayrshire hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if members of new town development corporations are required to sign a document which binds them in any way by the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many roads in the county of Midlothian he has selected for having a 50 miles per hour weekend speed limit.

Three, with a total length of about 14 miles: a stretch of the A1, another of the A8, and several of the A68.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates to be the approximate cost of completing all outstanding township roads within the area of the seven crofting counties; and if he will make an estimate of the cost within each county separately.

Estimates by the county councils concerned suggest that the outstanding schemes in their areas would cost about £4 million to complete (at current prices). The component figures, by county, are:

£ ('000)
Argyll	…	…	830
Caithness	…	…	190
Inverness	…	…	2,100
Orkney	…	…	90
Ross & Cromarty	…	…	460
Sutherland	…	…	210
Zetland	…	…	120
Total			4,000

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is aware that a sergeant commando after six months' service in Aden was given three weeks United Kingdom leave but had to pay his own fare of £86 to come home; and why Servicemen under such circumstances are not provided with free travel.

I assume that the specific case raised by the hon. Member concerns a man serving on a twelve month tour in Aden. Leave travel at public expense to the United Kingdom is not allowed to Servicemen during a tour of this duration but they are allowed free travel from Aden to leave centres on the Middle East Station. If a man returns to the United Kingdom during a period when he is entitled to take local leave he must meet his own travel expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if it is proposed to construct a depot ship for Polaris submarines; and at what cost.

No. The new depot ship whose design is now being studied is required to support Fleet submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred at the Polaris Submarine School at Faslane; and what is likely to be the total cost when completed.

The R.N. Polaris School at the Clyde Submarine Base was completed on 30th June, 1966. As I told my hon. Friend on 21st February, 1967, and 17th April, 1967, the total cost of the School to Defence Votes was £7·5 million.—[Vol. 741, c. 249; Vol. 745, c. 23.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what funds exist to provide resettlement courses, useful in civilian jobs, for personnel during their service; and if he will make a statement.

About £¼ million a year from Defence Votes is spent on resettlement training and the running of three Service Resettlement Centres. The Department of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labour also provide funds for resettlement training for Servicemen.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what he is doing to provide long-term training courses in the services, with a view to helping service personnel resettle in civilian jobs, at the end of their service engagement.

All Servicemen are given resettlement advice and special training where required either at Service Resettlement Establishments, at Government Training Centres, or with industrial firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made to ensure that letters addressed to members of the armed forces serving in Aden, but temporarily invalided to Bahrein or other service hospitals in the Middle East, are not returned marked Return to Sender.

There are standing arrangements for the redirection of mail to members of the armed forces who are temporarily detained in hospital.If the hon. Member has any specific case in mind where mail does not appear to have been satisfactorily redirected, perhaps he will let me have details so that I can look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what improved arrangements are being made at Gatwick Airport for the repatriation of service families from Aden, so as to give them time for refreshments on arrival, adequate transport to take families and their luggage on together and assistance at London termini to enable families to continue their journey.

Special arrangements made for the repatriation of Service families from Aden included a main meal served on the aircraft during the last leg of its flight; Service personnel to assist with baggage at Gatwick, members of voluntary welfare organisations to assist with babies and young children at Gatwick; Service staffs to deal with pay, welfare and travel problems and help with baggage; and coaches with escorts to take families to the main London rail terminus of their choice. These arrangements worked very well, and we owe a particular debt of gratitude to the members of voluntary organisations who did so much to help.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian males, clerical, skilled and unskilled, respectively, were employed in Portsmouth Dockyard on 1st April, 1967; and how this compares with 1st April, 1966 and September, 1964.

The numbers were:

		Industrial
	Clerical	Skilled	Unskilled
September, 1964	827	7,981	5,320
April, 1966	822	7,257	4,838
April, 1967	824	7,024	4,684

NOTE:These figures cover both men and women. It would have involved unjustifiable expense to have attempted in the time available to give the figures for men only.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he now has for raising the pensions of Service widows and Service pensioners to allay the hardship caused by the rise in the cost of living.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Answer given by my hon. and learned Friend the Financial Secretary to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 11th July.—[Vol. 750, c. 49.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the maintenance of the effective strength of the Brigade of Gurkhas, in the light of the contribution they are making to peace and stability in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the Far East.

The strength of the Brigade is being reduced to 10,000 by the end of 1969. Circumstances may require a further reduction later.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will take powers to prevent passenger transport undertakings conducting propaganda campaigns against Her Majesty's Government's transport policies.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport what action she intends to take to extend the provisions of the Brakes on Pedal Cycles Regulations, 1954 to other aspects of the construction and use of pedal cycles such as the proper maintenance of tyres.

There are no plans at present to extend regulations on the construction or use of bicycles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give an assurance that she will not seek to control the number of private, as distinct from public, coach excursion and tours for trans- porting holidaymakers to British seaside resorts.

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for this.

asked the Minister of Transport what is her official policy now on the construction of roundabouts on motorways, by-passes, trunk roads and class one roads.

Roundabouts are provided at busy intersections where the cost of a flyover or underpass is not justified by the volume of traffic. They are also incorporated in grade separated junctions where turning movements are particularly heavy.Where grade separation is not immediately justified, but may be needed later, roundabouts are so designed that they can be converted without wasteful expenditure.

asked the Minister of Transport when she gave her consent to the preliminary drilling for the Humber Bridge; how much finance she is providing to pay for it; if she consulted the local authorities south of the Humber before giving her consent; and why it was decided not to spend this money on the roads connecting the ports of Immingham and Grimsby to the M1 and Doncaster by-pass.

The Humber Bridge Board, on which the local authorities adjacent to the site of the proposed bridge are represented, is responsible for the soil tests and is empowered by the Humber Bridge Act, 1959, to carry them out. The Board is also responsible for raising the necessary funds; the Department has not provided any money for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will announce the improvements she proposes to authorise on the A4 Bath road through Thatcham to ensure the safety of pedestrians; and when she anticipates that the works will be completed.

We propose to widen the trunk road in the vicinity of Northfield Road to include pedestrian refuges, a bus bay on each side and a footpath at least 8 feet wide on the south side. Subject to the acquisition of the necessary land, work will be completed next year.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total capital investment per annum by British Railways in Scotland for 1963 and each year thereafter, in £s sterling, and as a percentage of the total capital investment by British Railways for the United Kingdom as a whole, respectively.

The following details of capital investment are in respect of fixed assets only:

Year		B.R.B. Investment in Scotland £m.	Amount invested in Scotland as percentage of total B.R.B. railway Investment in fixed works Per cent.
1963	…	1·9	4·5
1964	…	2·5	4·9
1965	…	4·7	8·1
1966	…	7·0	11·7

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will give an assurance that no further rail closures will be approved whilst the security of petroleum supplies remains uncertain.

I would certainly take account of any limitation on fuel supplies in any case where it seemed to me to be a material consideration but I do not think a halt is called for in my consideration of closure proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent she takes into account the wider social implications of closing a railway line apart from the financial loss; how many social studies she has initiated into these implications; and when she will receive the reports of the study groups.

I already receive detailed advice from area Transport Users Consultative Committees on the hardship aspects of passenger closure proposals and from Economic Planning Councils on their planning implications. I also take account of representations from local authorities and other bodies before reaching my decision. As regards social studies, the material in the Marplan Survey of three major closures has been studied by my department and I am arranging for copies of the Report to be placed in the Library of the House. For the future, I am anxious to make the fullest use of new analytical techniques in considering closure proposals; that is why I am launching a pilot social cost/benefit study of the Cambrian Coast Line.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now the effect on the United Kingdom balance of payments of disturbance of Middle East oil supplies arising from the Arab oil severance and the Suez Canal blockage.

I have nothing to add to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary, on 11th July to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis).—[Vol. 750, c. 48.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to be able to give an estimate of how long it will be before oil supplies return to normal; what changes in the pattern of supplies may prove necessary to end the present drain on foreign currency reserves; and whether he will make a statement.

I am unable to add anything to my reply of 11th July.—[Vol. 750, c. 48.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to put the hotel and catering industry on the same footing as other industries for export tax rebates.

This form of export incentive is appropriate only to exports of goods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what approximate percentage of goods and services purchased or hired by the Government in the United Kingdom is purchased or hired in Wales.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICI4L REPORT, 4th July, 1967; Vol. 749, c. 218] supplied the following information:Approximately 2 per cent. by value of goods and services purchased or hired in the United Kingdom by Government Departments is purchased or hired in Wales.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why copies of the Treasury's Economic Assessment published on 13th July were not available to hon. Members in the Library on publication.

As Members may be aware articles on the Economic Situation have been published in "Economic Trends" each month since January of this year. Recently the Treasury has made available to the Press in advance the introductory section in the form of a Press Notice issued in the middle of the month. Copies of the Press Notice published on 13th July were in fact supplied to the House of Commons Library the following day at the request of the librarian. However, in view of the wide interest in these articles I shall arrange in future for copies of the Press Notice to be placed in the Library at the time they are released.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what capital sums have been invested in various projects in Wales by the Government in the course of the la it 10 years; and what the equivalent sum is for the same period in England.

I regret that this information is not available. Public investment in new construction by central Government, local authorities and public corporations which can be identified as having occurred in Wales and England respectively, in the financial years from 1962–63 to 1965–66 is as follows:

PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN NEW CONSTRUCTION
£ million
	1962–63	1963–64	1964–65	1965–66
Wales	56	66	88	100
England	807	926	1,086	1,247

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the progress of the discussions on world monetary reform.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Communiqué of the Ministerial meeting of the Group of Ten issued last night, a copy of which I have placed in the Library.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation making it an offence for bottles to be left on beaches or other public places.

Under the Litter Act, 1958, it is already an offence to leave anything anywhere in the open air if the public has access to that place without payment.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the amount per head in ratio to the population paid by the central Government to Wales by way of rate deficiency grant for local government; and what the equivalent sum per head is in England.

The first estimate for 1967–68 of the resources element of rate support grant, which has now replaced rate deficiency grant, amounts to £10·14 per head for Wales and £3·89 per head for England. These ratios are based on the mid-1966 population figures.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take further action to improve the speed at which the monthly housing figures are made available.

With my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, I have been considering how to make this information available more quickly. We propose in future to issue the figures in a Press statement as soon as they are available. This will enable the figures to be published about ten days earlier than the present monthly housing summary which will no longer be issued. Copies of the Press Statement will be sent to the House of Commons' Library and monthly figures on housing progress will also continue to be available in "Housing Statistics: Great Britain" (H.M.S.O.) and in the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" (H.M.S.O.). The new arrangements will first apply to the figures for June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now send a circular to local authorities informing them that they have no dispensation permitting their fire appliance drives to ignore traffic signals when answering emergency calls.

This matter is being considered in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and with the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases were heard by National Health Service service committees in each year from 1960 to 1966, inclusive; how many of these cases were the subject of a further appeal to the Minister or the tribunal; and how many cases went in favour of the practitioner and how many in favour of the patient.

The information is as follows. A number of the cases considered by Service Committees result from references by Executive Councils, not from complaints by or on behalf of patients, and separate figures for the latter type of complaint are not available before 1963. They are shown in brackets for 1963 and later years. Appeals are only to the Minister.

Year		Number of Cases	Appeals	Cases where the practitioner was found in breach of his Terms of Service
1960	…	1,191	87	713
1961	…	1,341	95	744
1962	…	1,036	70	486
1963	…	1,086 (706)	94	463 (151)
1964	…	1,236 (836)	93	485 (149)
1965	…	1,159 (883)	95	413 (175)
1966	…	1,006 (738)	85	360 (151)

asked the Minister of Health what was the total number of National Health Service service commitees existing in the period from 1960 to 1966.

There were 552 Service Committees in England and Wales from 1960 to 1964. The number was reduced to 536 following a reduction in the number of Executive Councils on 1st April, 1965.

asked the Minister of Health what further discussions he has had with cigarette manufacturers about the control of their advertising and promotion, and with what result.

I met the tobacco manufacturers yesterday and put to them new proposals which they are now considering.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases were heard by National Health Service tribunals in each year from 1960 to 1966, inclusive; and how many of these cases went in favour of the complainant.

The information is as follows. With one exception, all refer- ences to the Tribunal for the removal of a practitioner's name from the lists of practitioners have been made by Executive Councils.

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TRIBUNAL, ENGLAND AND WALES
		References for the Removal of a Practitioner's name from the Lists		Applications by Practitioners for their Name to be Restored to the Lists
Year		Total	Number Allowed*	Total	Number Allowed*
1960	…	3	3	2	2
1961	…	6	5	2	1
1962	…	5	5	1	0
1963	…	1	0	1	1
1964	…	1	0	—	—
1965	…	2	1	1	1
1966	…	7	4	—	—
* Includes cases where a practitioner's name was removed from the lists or where the practitioner gave an undertaking to resign and not to apply to be included in the lists without the Tribunal's consent.

asked the Minister of Health what evidence he has received from local authorities of any security hazard resulting from the changeover, in the issuing of welfare foods, from a system based on payment by stamps to a system based on payment by cash.

Local authorities have discretion to decide between the two methods of payment. I have no evidence of any substantive security hazard arising from the system based on payment by cash, which most authorities have now adopted.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent his Department has been called in to investigate the poisoning, by a virulent strain of a salmonella group organism, of many of the guests at the Lancaster House reception for the Italian Prime Minister; and what steps he is taking for the observance of proper standards of hygiene in Government hospitality in the future.

My Department has not been concerned in the investigation. The maintenance of proper standards of hygiene in catering for Government receptions is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the present population of Wales were born in the Principality.

At the 1961 Census, on 23rd April, 1961, 2,644,023 persons were enumerated in Wales. Of these, 2,189,549 gave Wales as their place of birth. This is the latest figure available.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that plans for the future development of the Tyne port are being delayed pending a decision on the future survival and growth of the Consett steelworks; and, in view of the unemployment in the region, if he will give a direction to the Steel Corporation to come to a decision.

The National Steel Corporation is well aware of the need to take decisions as quickly as possible about the future distribution of production.

asked the Minister of Power what action he has taken regarding the dispute between Berkshire County Council and Abingdon Borough Council and the Southern Gas Board over the Board's proposal to build a large gasholder in Abingdon; and if he will make a statement.

Following failure to reach agreement earlier this year between the Southern Gas Board and the local authorities, at the request of my right hon. Friend, I visited Abingdon on 26th April to meet both sides. At the meeting I chaired that day, it was agreed that further discussions should be held on the basis of a detailed breakdown of the Gas Board's estimate of the additional cost of at least £250,000 for installing a high pressure storage system. On 22nd May I chaired a further meeting of local authority and Gas Board representatives to discuss the estimated additional costs but as no agreement on the sharing of these could be reached at the meeting, I subsequently made a further proposal that the additional capital costs of a diesel high pressure system; the additional erection costs; the charge for the cancellation of the contract for the low pressure holder; and the additional running costs, calculated over 10 years, should be shared equally. The local authorities' and the Board would thus pay a total of £104,500 each, plus up to £43,500 each for cancellation and erection charges (since proposed to be referred to the Lands Tribunal for arbitration). The Gas Board, continuing to seek a reduction in cost, now propose to use an electric instead of diesel compressor, thus reducing the amount by £15,000 on both sides. In my view this proposal of equal sharing, which was accepted by the Southern Gas Board at the time, represents a reasonable allocation of the burden between the rate-payers of Abingdon and Berkshire who benefit most from the amenity provided and who need the gas, and the general body of consumers in the Southern Board's area. It has now been accepted by the Berkshire County Council.