asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, approximately how the 5,500 letters received by the National Board for Prices and Incomes are divided between those on subjects under reference to the Board and those suggesting new subjects that might be referred to the Board.

I understand that rather more than 300 of the letters related to subjects under inquiry by the Board. The remainder were making suggestions for new references, or seeking information, or drawing the Board's attention to general price and income movements.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what was the cost of producing the report of the South West Economic Planning Council entitled, A Region with a Future, published on 20th July, 1967.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) on 24th July.—[Vol. 751, c. 62.]

asked the Minister of Social Security what estimate she has made of the nett increase in real terms in April, 1968, of family allowances less the price of school meals for a family with two children at school since family allowances were first introduced.

I regret that the information on which to make this comparison is not available. A uniform national charge for school meals was first introduced in 1950. The weekly charge for two children was then equal to the family allowance for a 2-child family (5s.). From April, 1968, both the family allowance and the weekly charge to those families not entitled to remission will be 15s.

asked the Minister of Social Security how many families there will be with less than four children whose incomes resources will be below requirements between October, 1967, and April, 1968.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to families whose resources cannot be brought up to their requirements by Supplementary Benefit. On the basis of the findings of the family circumstances inquiry, there were about 160,000 families whose resources were below requirements on the supplementary benefit scale and could not be brought up to requirements because the fathers were in full-time work or, in a minority of cases, because of the wage stop. About two-thirds of these families had less than four children each, but rather less than half of all the children in the 160,000 families were in families of this size.

asked the Minister of Social Security how much of the proposed in- crease in family allowances was needed to compensate for the rise in the cost of living since the present levels of family allowances were last fixed.

For the second child 4s. 8d. and for the third and each subsequent child 3s. 9d.

asked the Minister of Power what is the annual output of privately mined coal in the various divisions of the National Coal Board for the years 1960 to 1966.

I have asked the Chairman of the National Coal Board to write to my hon Friend.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will seek to amend present legislation, in view of the National Coal Board's current difficulties, to call a halt to or to control or curtail the output of private coal mines in this country.

No. The National Coal Board has adequate powers under existing legislation to control the working of private coal mines.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to ensure that the publicity material employed by the National Coal Board in their efforts to induce miners to move into other areas gives an accurate picture of working conditions and prospects, wages, schools, housing and social and other amenities.

No. It my hon. Friend has any specific complaints about National Coal Board publicity to induce miners to transfer I suggest he write to the Chairman about them.

asked the Minister of Power (1) whether he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to ensure that the Coal Industry Housing Association is fully accountable to the National Union of Mineworkers or more accountable to local authorities;

No. I understand C.I.H.A. standards of construction conform with the standards required by the local authorities. My hon. Friend may wish to write to the Chairman of the National Coal Board if he has any specific complaints.

asked the Minister of Power (1) what were the original estimates of the reserves of natural gas available to the boreholes which have been operating near Whitby in Yorkshire; how much has been extracted up to the nearest convenient date; and what reserves remain;(2) for how many years was it forecast that natural gas would be available to the boreholes near Whitby in Yorkshire; to what extent has this forecast been revised; and if he will make a statement.

Owing to the nature of the strata in which the gas was found, no firm estimates of these reserves were possible. About 850 million cubic feet of gas have been extracted up to 30th June, 1967; no commercially producible reserves remain.

asked the Minister of Power if he has given his consent to the Central Electricity Generating Board's application for West Burton B, a coal-fired power station of about 2,000 megawatts; and in what year the station will start to generate electricity.

No. The local planning conditions have not yet been settled.

asked the Minister of Power when Littlebrook D and the second part of Drax coal-fired power stations, for which the Central Electricity Generating Board have statutory consent, are likely to be built; and in what year they are expected to be producing electricity.

No decision has been taken on either station.

asked the Minister of Power what are the generating costs per unit sent out of Sizewell nuclear power station and High Marnham coal-fired power station, respectively.

About 0·7d. and 0·6d. respectively.

asked the Minister of Power when he will make a statement about the future of the Round Oak and Brymbo steel works.

With my approval, the British Steel Corporation and Tube Investments Limited have concluded an agreement under which immediately after vesting the Corporation will transfer half the equity of Round Oak Steel Works Ltd., to Tube Investments and Tube Investments will transfer to the Corporation the right to half the compensation stock to be issued in respect of Round Oak. Thereafter, to secure equal control, the Corporation and Tube Investments will nominate equal numbers of directors on the board of Round Oak Steel Works Ltd., and the chairmanship will be held by them in turn. The agreement provides for arrangements to facilitate co-ordination of the heavy steel production at Round Oak with similar activities in the public sector of the industry and for the maintenance of close technical links between Round Oak and Tube Investments in the production of tube solids. As part of the agreement Tube Investments will sell to Round Oak Steel Works Ltd., the assets and facilities of their Brierley Hill laboratory which is working on promising developments in the production of tube solids by continuous casting. The Corporation are satisfied that these arrangements will safeguard the legitimate interests both of themselves and of Tube Investments in Round Oak and will provide the basis for fruitful co-operation between them and one of the largest undertakings in the engineering industry.The Park Gate Iron and Steel Company Ltd., which was also a subsidiary of Tube Investments, will remain fully in the ownership of the Corporation. With its modern plant Park Gate should have good prospects in the nationalised sector of the steel industry. Arrangements have been made between the Corporation and Tube Investments to safeguard the position of Park Gate in the supply of tube steel for Tube Investments.Discussions are continuing with Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds Ltd., about the future of the Brymbo works.

asked the Minister of Power (1) what has been the capital expenditure of the steel industry on computers and computer services, respectively; how many advisory staff and computer programmers are employed by the industry; what is the current cost of operating these services; and whether there is any surplus capacity;(2) what has been the capital expenditure of the gas industry on computers and computer services, respectively; how many advisory staff and computer programmers are employed by the industry; what is the current cost of operating these services; and whether there is any surplus capacity;(3) what has been the capital expenditure of the National Coal Board on computers and computer services, respectively; how many advisory staff and computer programmers are employed by the Board; what is the current cost of operating these services; and how much spare capacity there is;(4) what has been the capital expenditure of the Electricity Council on computers and computer services, respectively; how many advisory staff and computer programmers are employed by the Council; what is the current cost of operating these services; and whether there is any surplus capacity.

There are difficulties in providing this information. It is, how- ever, a matter for the industries and the hon. Member may wish to consider approaching the Chairmen concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of teachers, full-time or equivalent, in management and business studies in the technical colleges in each of the past five years.

I do not record teacher numbers by reference to the subjects they teach, but I estimate that two to three thousand teachers are engaged in the various aspects of business and management studies taken together.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware that Romulus Films Limited are illegally employing children under 12 years of age in the film "Oliver"; and if he will instruct his inspectors to enforce the law.

My responsibilities in relation to the employment of children in entertainment under Section 22 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, do not extend to the employment of children in films. The second part of the Question does not therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what investigations he has made to determine whether concentrations of motor vehicle exhaust fumes, as found in the majority of city streets, constitute a health hazard and whether he will make an early statement on his findings.

The Medical Research Council's Air Pollution Research Unit has carried out a number of investigations into the possible effects on health of emissions from motor vehicles and this work continues to form an important part of the unit's research programme. To date there is no evidence that the concentrations of exhaust fumes found in the streets have any detectable effects on health.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Honey-man arbitral report on teachers' pay was considered in the light of the Government's prices and incomes policy, particularly in respect of the criteria of the lower-paid workers and increases in productivity; and if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT what proposals were made and accepted to increase the productivity of the teaching profession.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes". My right hon. Friend has placed in the Library a copy of the arbitrators' report which summarised the arguments put to them relating to the Government's prices and incomes policy.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will give an undertaking to publish the agreement he has made with the French and West German Governments regarding the development and production of a European airbus.

No.

asked the Minister of Technology what component parts of the European airbus project he envisages will be produced in the Coventry factories of the Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited.

It is too early to say, but in any case the allocation of work betwen the different factories of Rolls-Royce is a matter for the management to decide.

asked the Minister of Technology what consideration he has now given to the application for a grant towards the development of a spray steelmaking plant at Millom, Cumberland; and whether he will now make a statement.

Consideration is being given to all aspects of the situation and a statement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will detail the aerospace projects cancelled, since 1951 to date, and the costs in each case.

The list is as follows:

asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has to proceed with the development and funding of the RB211 engine.

I have told Rolls-Royce, Ltd., that if they secure a firm order for the RB211 engine which promises to lead to production on an adequate scale we shall be prepared to give financial support to the development of the engine.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will state the total amount of money paid by the Central Electricity Generating Board to the Atomic Energy Authority by way of a royalty in 1966; and if he will make an estimate of the amount to be paid in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

No royalties have yet been paid by the Central Electricity Generating Board to the Atomic Energy Authority in respect of nuclear power stations built in this country, nor are any due until the first reactor of Dungenness B goes on power.

asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has for implementing the recommendation of the South West Economic Planning Council appointed by the Government in 1965 relating to the advantages which the South-West can offer whenever the establishment of new nationally supported research centres is being considered, contained in paragraph 465 of the Council's recent report.

If any question of establishing such research centres were to arise I would of course consider the claims of various areas with great care.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware of the deep concern felt by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and others at the distress caused to pigs by having their ears punched and tagged for identity purposes; and whether he will make arrangements to have dye stamping or tatooing as an alternative method.

We are aware that some concern has been expressed about the punching of pigs' ears, and we have discussed the question with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Ear punching is the only available means of marking live pigs under the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme consistent with the need to safeguard payments under the Scheme. Unnecessary suffering can be avoided by the proper use of an efficient punching instrument and the Ministry has taken steps to ensure this. The great majority of pigs, moreover, are certified dead and do not have to be ear punched for guarantee purposes.We are not aware that current methods of marking pigs for identification for other purposes have caused concern.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much he estimates the Welsh Rural Development Board will expend annually when in full operation.

As indicated during the passage of the Agriculture Bill the operational expenditure of a Rural Development Board will depend on its programme and the area covered but when a Board is fully operative it might be of the order of £500,000 annually.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will name the markets where beef prices are included with similar prices in Welsh markets to calculate the guaranteed price for West Wales; and if he will give the comparative prices for beef in each of these markets during the latest available week.

Each week the average market price of all cattle certified is ascertained on the basis of payment certificates received in respect of auction sales at all markets, numbering about 500 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.The guaranteed price for cattle is determined after each Annual Review, it applies to all cattle certified in the United Kingdom in accordance with the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme. There is no separate guaranteed price for any particular area of the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the recommendations of the South-West Economic Planning Council appointed by the Government in 1965 on the importance of keeping abreast of marketing and production trends in France, what progress is being made on the economic and technical investigation of recent developments in Brittany and in other regions of France which are likely to compete in the British market with products like cauliflowers, strawberries, apples and pears, as referred to in paragraph 440 of the Council's recent report.

The Department keeps in touch generally with technical and economic developments in countries which export horticultural produce to the United Kingdom. The specific investigation referred to was commissioned by the Council itself and I understand that a report will be published in the autumn. A horticultural adviser from the Ministry's South-West Region and two members of the Provincial Agricultural Economics Service were included in a party which visited France in March, 1967 and this Ministry met part of the cost.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for implementing the recommendation of the South-West Economic Planning Council appointed by his Government in 1965 that he should invite the Milk Marketing Board to augment its low cost production advisory service to milk producers in Devon and Cornwall as contained in paragraph 439 of their recent report.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Dr. John Dunwoody) on Wednesday, 26th July.—[Vol. 751, c. 736–7.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that British trawler catches are 5 per cent. to 10 per cent. down, that prices are 5 per cent. to 10 per cent. down, but costs are 8 per cent. to 10 per cent. up, if he will take steps to restrict the landings of foreign caught fish which in 1966 represented 12 per cent. in volume and 25 per cent. in value of all fish landed in Great Britain, and so help save the British trawling industry.

I appreciate the present difficulties of the British trawler industry. But we would not in present circumstances be justified in imposing any special restriction on imports in view of our general trade policy and international obligations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that only £750,000 of the 10 Year Supplementary Subsidy (Fisheries) Fund of £2,500,000 granted in 1961 has been paid out to date, and in view of the difficulties now facing the British trawling industry, if he will now take steps to double the maximum of £350,000 that can be paid in any one year, and make the larger sum available to the industry forthwith.

I have agreed to bring forward the next special subsidy review, but I cannot anticipate what payments from the special fund may be justified. Legislation would be required to increase the amount that can be made available in any one year beyond £350,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will expedite the studies he is making into the problems facing the producers of home-grown timber caused by the entry into this country of processed timber at artificially low prices and issue a statement on his findings at the earliest opportunity during the summer adjournment.

The Forestry Commission keeps a close watch on marketing trends, and this will include problems caused by the import of processed timber.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the regulations which he intends to make concerning the use of cyclamates in food.

No. They will be laid before Parliament on 31st July.

asked the Minister of Health what is the size of the floor area of the individual private bed-sitting rooms allocated to nurses in the Springfield Nurses' Home at Selly Oak Hospital; and how many such rooms are in use.

48 square feet; 76.

asked the Minister of Health what is the size of the free floor area, excluding that area taken up by essential furniture, in the individual private bed-sitting rooms provided for nurses in the Springfield Nurses' Home at Selly Oak Hospital.

23 square feet.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has for the provision of adequate living accommodation for nurses at Selly Oak Hospital.

New and better residential accommodation will be provided as part of the extensions and improvements to Selly Oak Hospital expected to start in 1969–70.

asked the Minister of Health how many operating theatres there are in the National Health Ser- vice; how many of these are air-conditioned; how many such theatres are under construction; and of these how many will be air-conditioned.

Information about the total number of operating theatres in the National Health Service and whether they are air-conditioned is not available. In the period 5th July, 1948–30th September, 1966, 524 new operating theatres were provided and a further 226 are currently being constructed. For a number of years it has been normal to provide positive pressure ventilation by warmed and filtered air in new operating theatres. Where the type of surgery justifies it, full temperature and humidity control is provided in addition.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors suspected of over-prescribing were investigated by his Department in 1966; and, as a result of this inquiry, how many of these doctors were in fact found to have over-prescribed in that year.

One thousand and forty-three doctors were visited by Regional Medical Officers in 1966 to discuss high prescribing costs. Figures are not yet available on the results of these visits, but on the basis of previous experience I expect that about three-quarters of these doctors will prescribe at lower cost.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that local authorities in England and Wales have compiled complete registers of permanently disabled persons in their areas; and what action he is taking.

Registration is not compulsory, but is dependent on the willingness of those concerned to make themselves known to the local authority, and registers are therefore unlikely to be complete. Authorities in various ways make known the services available so as to encourage registration; and I am considering the possibility of an inquiry into the numbers of the disabled in England and Wales on the basis of a study of the measurement of physical handicap undertaken on my behalf by Bedford College, London.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made in his consultations with the local authority associations in connection with a review of the car badge scheme for disabled drivers.

I hope that the consultations with local authority associations which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and I are having will enable advice to be given to local traffic and welfare authorities in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health what study his Department is making of the submission made by Dr. A. E. Eggleton to the British Academy of Forensic Sciences on 21st July, 1967, details of which have been sent to him, about smoking and driving; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that there is no conclusive information on the effects of smoking on traffic accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number of firms and employees who will be affected by the cut in projects and equipment resulting from the reduced number of ships, units and squadrons envisaged in the Defence White Paper.

I cannot give a realistic estimate, but there will certainly be a big relief in the strain of Service demands on industry and on the economy generally, and much larger resources available for civil needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what kind of development projects and research done in Government establishments and in industry he estimates will be cut as a result of the £30 million reduction in the research and development programme envisaged in the Defence White Paper; and what Government establishments will be affected.

The cut will be spread across the Defence R. and D. programme. The implications for Government establishments will be made known when they have been fully worked out.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many schools not recognised as efficient by the Department of Education and Science are used with the aid of Service grants for the children of Service personnel; how many children are involved; what is the total value of these grants; and if he will take steps to ensure that no public money is used in future to help finance education at such schools.

To provide this information would involve disproportionate effort and expense. The last part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister for Education and Science.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many firms in the United Kingdom are engaged directly or indirectly on the building of the Polaris force; and what is the estimate of the number employed thereon.

In addition to the four major contractors there are about 550 principal sub-contractors engaged on the Polaris programme in the United Kingdom.To answer the second part of my hon. Friend's Question would involve a great deal of work which I do not think would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any decision has yet been taken to send warships to the Malta dockyards for repair, in order to assist Malta's employment problems during the period while the Suez Canal remains closed to shipping.

As explained by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs in his reply to the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. John Page) on 17th July, 1967, the next refit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker "Wave Ruler" has been allocated to Malta Dry Docks. There is little prospect of our sending any more naval repair work to Malta.—[Vol. 750, c. 190.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to have the beach at Ynyslâs near Borth, Cardiganshire, cleared of explosives placed there during the Second World War.

A few inert rockets were recently found on this beach and have now been cleared.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many beaches there are on the Welsh coast which have not been thoroughly cleared of wartime explosives.

None so far as I know.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy about the sale of surplus small arms, apart from Government to Government sales.

In accordance with the procedures outlined in the White Paper on the Export of Surplus War Material (Command 9676, published in January, 1956), the practice has been for non-automatic rifles and other small arms declared surplus by the Services, and for which other Governments have no requirement, to be sold to private dealers registered under the Firearms Acts. Ammunition for these weapons has been disposed of in the same way.I have now decided that, although the volume of such sales is usually relatively small, the risk that some of these weapons or ammunition may fall into unauthorised hands should be avoided, and therefore no new contracts for sale to private dealers will be let. Instead, sales will be confined to overseas Governments and, in the case of ammunition, to the National Rifle Association. Where sales cannot be effected, the weapons will be demilitarised and sold for scrap, and the ammunition will be broken down or destroyed.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what plans he has for implementing the recommendation of the South West Economic Planning Council appointed by the Government in 1965 on the suitability of Plymouth as a location for the Government's decentralised office establishments, contained in paragraph 470 of the Council's recent report.

This report has just been received and is under consideration by Her Majesty's Government. The Land Registry have recently opened an office in Plymouth which will eventually accommodate about 700 staff.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what complaints he has received from manufacturers of precast concrete products about unfair competition from prisons.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimates her Department has made of the effects of the setting up of passenger transport authorities oil the finances of local authorities; and whether she will make a statement.

The effects will largely be determined by the financial policies of each transport authority in conducting its activities and on the extent to which it exercises the power, which I am proposing it should be given, of precepting on its constituent local authorities to meet any deficits that may result from those policies.

asked the Minister of Transport what provision she will make in her proposals for passenger transport authorities for flat-fare cross-subsidisation systems of charging; and whether she will make a statement.

None. I am proposing that matters of this kind will be for each authority to decide for itself.

asked the Minister of Transport what terms of compensation will be applied in the regionalisation of existing municipal bus undertakings; and whether she will make a statement.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the forthcoming White Paper on Public Transport.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will make a statement on the progress with the study into the feasibility of a monorail for Manchester.

The Manchester Rapid Transit Study is virtually complete, and we expect to receive the Report very soon.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware that a charge of 2s. per car is being brought into force at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire; whether she will refer this to the National Board for Prices and Incomes; and if she will make a statement.

We are seeking information about this, and I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals she has for the continuation of the financing of unremunerative rural bus services in areas outside conurbations in her proposed passenger transport authorities; and whether she will make a statement.

The financing of bus services will remain a matter for individual operators but my right hon. Friend proposes that local authorities, both within and outside passenger transport authority areas, should be empowered to subsidise particular uneconomic bus services which are provided for the benefit of residents of rural areas. She also intends to take powers to meet 50 per cent. of the costs incurred by local authorities in giving such financial assistance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that, in connection with traffic at Heathrow Airport, a link is needed at the southern end of the M1 to serve traffic which carries large volumes of cargo from the Midlands to the North and which is now obliged to use the heavily congested North Circular Road to Chiswick or roads in the vicinity of Harrow and Ruislip; and when such a link will be made available.

Works on the section of the "D" Ring route between the M4 and Yeading are planned to start by 1970. The route from Yeading to the M1 is under investigation at present.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the estimate that the 12 million passengers handled at Heathrow in 1966 are likely to exceed 24 million in 1972 and that about half of these passengers will arrive and depart by car, even if the projected rail links are available, what initial steps she has in mind to accelerate the construction of the north-south orbital road to the west of Heathrow linking the M1, M4 and M23 and the projected D ring road to the east of the airport.

The department are at present studying the need for road improvements in this area further to those already included in the announced trunk road programme or preparation pool.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is satisfied with the rate of construction of the important Midland link motorway joining the M1 and M6 motorways; and whether she will give an assurance that this traffic artery will be completed before 1971.

The target completion date for the M1-M6 Motorway Link as a whole is still 1971. Progress so far indicates that this target will be achieved, but there is no prospect of completion before 1971.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will state the total mileage of trunk roads, dual carriageways and motorways per thousand square miles in England at the latest convenient date.

The following are the latest available figures for Trunk Roads and Trunk Road Motorways:

asked the Minister of Transport what proportion of trunk roads in England have a carriageway width of under 24 feet.

I regret this information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Transport which lengths of motorways she

The following lengths of Ministry motorways, totalling 72·8 miles, have been opened since 22nd December, 1965, and work on all of them started before the autumn of that year:—M1

asked the Minister of Transport if she will list the sections of motorway, showing the mileages in each case, which are in use, under construction, for which tenders have been invited, for which schemes have been made, for which draft schemes have been published and for which a line has not yet been published, showing the actual or estimated completion date and the actual or estimated cost wherever possible.

The following table shows the position at 25th July. Information about local authority motorways is limited to sections in use or for which schemes have been made by the highway authorities concerned and submitted to my right hon. Friend for confirmation.