asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel of the Royal Navy have been engaged in operations either in or around the coast of Vietnam; and for how long British forces have been committed in such operations.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answers I gave today to the hon. Members for Croydon, South (Mr. Winnick), Woolwich, West (Mr. Hamling) and Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the report from the United States Department of the Army regarding the cargo of s.s. "Richard Montgomery" was received; and when he expects to make a statement.

We received the United States report in June. The problem is complex and difficult. Nevertheless, I hope that a statement can be made before the House rises.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present use of the firing range at Shoeburyness.

The range is used by all three Services, mainly for trials and proof work on ammunition and fuzes, but also on a variety of work on ballistics and target response. The tidal sands of the range are ideal for all work which involves the recovery of rounds and their examination after firing.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has formed to make credible Great Britain's capacity to meet her commitments and obligations in the Far East after the withdrawal of all British troops from Singapore in the mid-1970's.

I have nothing to add to the Supplementary Statement on Defence Policy 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made in the development of the maritime Comet.

The first flight of this aircraft, now known as Nimrod, took place on schedule in May this year and development flying has continued successfully since then. The expected in-service date of 1969–70 remains as forecast in the 1967 Statement on Defence Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what official reports he has received of the result of the trials of the Dassault 3G aircraft.

None. I understand that on its first flight last month, the aircraft left the ground for only a very short period, and that trials in any meaningful sense have not yet started.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made in the production of nuclear cores for fleet submarines.

All cores for fleet submarines, with the exception of the first core for H.M.S. "Dreadnought", have been made in this country by Messrs. Rolls-Royce at Derby. A production rate consistent with the building and refuelling programme has been established. So far these cores have been built to an American design. However, Rolls-Royce have now developed a more powerful, all-British, core which will begin evaluation trials next year. This will be installed in the first of the new Improved Valiant class of high performance fleet submarines (the SSN 07 whose order I was pleased to announce last Saturday), early in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made in building up the fleet submarine force.

As was announced on Saturday, the seventh nuclear fleet submarine has been ordered from Messrs. Vickers Ltd., Barrow. She will be the first of a new improved class of fleet submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Polaris submarines will be able to operate east of Suez.

Polaris submarines will be capable of operating east of Suez but we have no plans to deploy them there.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what part the United Kingdom will play in the World Weather Watch.

Over the next four years our contribution is expected to amount to some £2½ to £3 million or about 7 per cent. of the total estimated cost. We have offered to act as a Regional Meteorological Centre and a Regional Telecommunications Hub, to continue to develop our research efforts, to improve surface and upper air observations, to provide free training for overseas meteorologists, to make substantial amounts of equipment available for use for developing countries and to make an additional annual contribution of £30,000 to the World Meteorological Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made on re-equipping the Transport Force in view of the increasing emphasis being placed on the mobility of United Kingdom forces.

Four new aircraft types are currently being delivered to Air Support Command—the VC10, Belfast, Hercules and Andover. The build-up of the Andover front line is complete, and the Belfast and VC10 squadrons have been formed. Deliveries of the Hercules are ahead of schedule and should be completed by the middle of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be able to announce the completion of his Department's review of the commutation regulations for service pensions.

I cannot add to my right hon. Friend's Answer of 14th April last to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, West (Mr. James Johnson).—[Vol. 744, c. 248.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he now intends to take to increase spending by his Department in the development areas; and what was the total spent in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Like other Government Departments, the Ministry of Defence already allows some preference in the award of contracts to firms in development areas, who also enjoy differential Investment Grants and the Regional Employment Premium.On the second part of the Question, much detailed analysis is required to establish a geographical allocation of total defence expenditure, but estimates have been made for 1964–65 and 1965–66. These show that, exclusive of remittances by the Scottish members of the forces serving outside Scotland, about £125 million of Defence Budget expenditure was spent in Scotland in each year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances 800,000 pairs of Army boots are surplus to requirements; for how long these boots have been in stock; how he proposes to dispose of these boots; and if he will take into consideration the points made by the British Footwear Manufacturers Federation and the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives in their letters dated 25th October and 30th October, 1967, respectively.

We are equipping the Army with new and better boots. This represents good business to the footwear trade, and we are taking the views of the trade into account in deciding how to dispose of the old boots. These have been in stock for about ten years, and we do not propose to get rid of them all at once.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many officer cadets at Mons Officer Cadet School have died from exhaustion under training since 1945.

Such records are not available for the years before 1961. Since that year there have been no fatalities other than the deaths of the two Commonwealth officer cadets who died last week following a patrol and endurance exercise.I wish to express my deep regret at their deaths and my sympathy with their relatives. There will be a full inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether British Service men now attached or seconded to the South Arabian Forces for training or liaison or any other purposes will be withdrawn before the end of November.

Yes, but so far as the Military Mission is concerned I would remind the hon. Member of the statement of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 2nd November.—[Vol. 753, c. 327–45.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an assurance that British troops in Aden will be entitled to defend themselves from attack and that the restrictions placed on them at the time of the Crater incident will not be reimposed.

Yes. They will follow the normal principle that no more force must be used than is absolutely necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that adequate arrangements are being made for the repatriation during November of all the British Service men now in Aden; and if special precautions will be taken for the safety of military hospital staffs and others who may be the last to leave Aden.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, if he proposes to modify, or depart from, the formula set out in paragraph 251 of Command Paper No. 570 in reviewing the pay and allowances of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs has made a standing reference of Armed Forces' Pay to the National Board for Prices and Incomes. This has been followed by an Instruction to the Board in which its attention is drawn to the fact that the next review of Forces' Pay under the former procedure would have been due to take effect from 1st April, 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of increases in the military strength of friendly and allied Governments since January, 1967.

The hon. Member will not expect me to summarise the published statements of all friendly Governments. The other reports I receive are given in confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to advise the abolition of distinction between awards of gallantry for officers and other ranks in Her Majesty's Forces.

A number of gallantry awards, including the V.C. and G.C., are already made without distinction of rank. I have no proposals in mind to alter the arrangements for military awards, but would be prepared to consider any representation by my hon. Friend or other hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps she is taking to stop the increasing practice of commercial traffic using simultaneously the slow, middle and fast lanes on motorways.

Regulations banning heavy goods vehicles and all vehicles drawing trailers from the offside lane of three-lane motorways came into effect on 23rd May, 1966. We understand that in general these arrangements are working well and we do not at present see any reason for extending the ban to other types of commercial traffic. Enforcement of the Regulations is a matter for the police.

	MINISTRY MOTORWAYS Line not yet published				Miles	RCU Region (Schemes in the GLC area shown separately)
M.11	London-Cambridge
	South of Chigwell section	…	…	…	3·0	GLC
M.18	Thorne Section	…	…	…	2·2	NE
	Doncaster Southern Section	…	…	…	11·1	NE
M.25	South Orbital Motorway	…	…	…	35·44	SE
M.40	London-Oxford Motorway
	Stokenchurch-Waterstock Cross Roads	…	…	…	10·0	E
M.52	South Lancashire
	Queens Drive-Tarbock	…	…	…	3·5	NW
	Croft-Eccles	…	…	…	8·3	NW
M.53	Mid-Wirral
	Hooton-Backford	…	…	…	5·58	NW
M.56	North Cheshire Motorway
	Bowdon-Preston Brook	…	…	…	10·4	NW
	Sharston By-pass	…	…	…	3·25	NW
M.62	Sale Eastern and Northenden By-pass	…	…	…	4·5	NW
A.1(M)	Birtley By-pass	…	…	…	2·5	NE
					99·77

	Draft Schemes published
M.1	London- Yorkshire
	S. of Fiveways Corner-North Circular Road			…	…	2·0	GLC
M.4	London-South Wales
	Winnersh-Holyport	…	…	…	…	6·72	SE
	Wickham-Theale	…	…	…	…	16·2	SE
M.11	London-Cambridge
	Chigwell-Stump Cross	…	…	…	…	34·0	E
M.23	London-Crawley	…	…	…	…	26·0	SE (15·67) GLC (10·33)
M.25	South Orbital Motorway
	Leatherhead-Godstone	…	…	…	…	11·56	SE
M.52	South-Lancashire
	Tarbock-Croft	…	…	…	…	11·84	NW
M.53	Mid-Wirral
	Bidston Moss-Hooton (including Moreton Spur)				…	11·44	NW
M.56	North Cheshire Motorway
	Princess Park way-Bowdon	…	…	…	…	6·5	NW
M.65	Gildersome Street-Leeds	…	…	…	…	3·92	NE
						130·18

asked the Minister of Transport if she will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorway for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction, and which were in use, respectively, on 31st October, distinguishing between each road construction unit area.

The following table shows the position at 31st October. 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.

asked the Minister of Transport what research is being made by the Road Research Laboratory into the proposed 60 miles per hour limit for all vehicles using all-purpose roads.

There are some types of road, for example main roads other than dual carriageways, where a limit of 60 m.p.h. could be appropriate. The Ministry and the Road Research Laboratory are currently studying this possibility. In addition, the relationship between speed, speed limits and accident rates on various classes of road is a continuing item of research in the Laboratory's programme.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the traffic conditions on the Watford Way, A41, just north of its junction with Station Road and The Burroughs where road improvements are being carried out; and how long she estimates these will continue.

Yes; the works are likely to be completed in November, 1968, but traffic conditions are expected to become easier in about two months' time during the next and subsequent constructional stages.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that the residents of Colindeep Gardens, Richmond Gardens and Endsleigh Gardens are virtually precluded from getting out of these cul-de-sacs by reason of the permanent traffic jams passing their ends; and what action she is proposing to take to improve matters.

I expect the residents' present difficulties to be reduced when the next constructional phase begins in two months' time. In the meantime, we are arranging for additional signs to help traffic emerging from these side roads.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that roads leading into Birmingham from those areas which are chosen for the siting of 15,000 houses to take overspill from that city will be adequate to take the extra traffic.

The suitability of roads and other transport facilities will be taken fully into account before any decision is reached on sites for these houses. If any further road improvements prove to be necessary, we shall have to consider how best they can be fitted into the road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will announce the proposed level of expenditure on the construction and improvement of roads in England in 1968–69 and 1969–70, respectively.

As already announced on 25th October, 1967, public expenditure on the English Road Programme is expected to rise to about £320 million in 1970–71. Expenditure in 1967–68 is estimated to be of the order of £220 million. Comparable figures for the intervening years are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if she is aware that when Highway Statistics, 1966 is issued, the figures it contains which are published annually will be more than a year out of date; and if she will arrange for an earlier publication of future issues of this document.

Yes: steps have been taken to speed up the publication of future issues.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will ensure that the National Board for Prices and Incomes investigates the freight rates and fares on British Railways Irish Sea Ferry Services when they review the increase in rail fares.

No. My right hon. Friend does not propose to refer charges on individual routes to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

asked the Minister of Transport what part of the net loss sustained by British Railways in 1966 is apportionable to Wales.

British Railways do not maintain their accounts on a basis enabling the financial results of operations in Wales to be calculated separately.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the undoubted success of the mid-week travel concession and the relief this brings to the road network, she will issue a general instruction to British Railways not to withdraw this concession.

No. It must be left to the Railways Board to decide when it is worthwhile to offer special reduced rates of this sort.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will seek to give further powers to traffic wardens including power to report unlicensed vehicles and will include proposals to speed up action to enforce the law when such reports are made by the police, traffic wardens and enforcement officers.

We hope to introduce, in agreement with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, legislation which will extend the powers of traffic wardens to include, inter alia, the reporting of apparently unlicensed vehicles. The second part of the Question is not a matter for legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, when introducing her proposals to give power to traffic wardens to report unlicensed vehicles, she will seek to introduce a system of automatic fines, or notice of intent of prosecution to be placed on the windscreen of such vehicles by traffic wardens, on a similar basis to fines for parking offences, as is now generally in operation throughout the country.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to his Question yesterday.—[Vol. 753, c. 105.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will introduce legislation to provide that adequate parking arrangements should be made in towns serving overspill areas.

We are now reviewing, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government, the general advice given by our departments to local authorities about parking policy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the Government's policy to press for the formation of an International Patents Office.

Yes. I am convinced of the need for closer international collaboration on patents with the ultimate aim of an international patent issued by some central body.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total value of imports from Pakistan of manufactured and semi-manufactured goods for each of the last three years; and if it is intended to maintain this trade whether or not Great Britain enters the Common Market.

We hope this trade will continue. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs expressed the hope in his speech to W.E.U. on 4th July that the agreement reached in principle in the 1961–63 negotiations about arrangements for developing independent Commonwealth countries for which association was not thought appropriate would be revived. This agreement would include Pakistan.The figures are:

IMPORTS FROM PAKISTAN
£ million
	Manufactured goods Manufactures for further processing	Finished Manufactures
1964	5·6	1·3
1965	6·0	1·0
1966	8·8	1·7

asked the President of the Board of Trade what contacts are being made to develop British exports through the new State Trading Organisation being established by the Government of Pakistan.

Our information is that so far this new Corporation has been asked to handle imports of only a limited range of products from a limited number of countries. We shall, however, watch developments for any opportunities for the expansion of our exports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of unexamined applications for patents.

On 27th October there were 39,009.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give his latest estimate of the level of investment in manufacturing industry, excluding oil refining, in 1967, expressed as a percentage rise or fall on the previous year.

Companies' forecasts, provided in August and September, suggested a fall in volume of about 8 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of applications outstanding with the Board of Trade Advisory Committee; and what is the average length of time such applications have been outstanding.

754 as at 31st October, 1967. Details of average time outstanding are not readily available, and would have little meaning. But nearly two-thirds of the cases are held up because information is awaited from the applicant.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what changes have been made to speed up the consideration of applications to the Board of Trade Advisory Committee; and when those changes were made.

In December, 1966, changes were made in the procedures for collecting the necessary financial and technical information from applicants. At the same time departmental procedures were revised and speeded up. In March, 1967, the amount of financial information required was reduced in building grant cases. And from June, 1967, for small building grants, a simplified form of undertaking could be substituted for a legal agreement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to prevent company directors disposing of company assets while their company is subject to a take-over bid.

My right hon. Friend will consider this suggestion in preparing the further Companies Bill which he hopes to introduce in the present Parliament.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the total exports of typewriters constructed in this country in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

The following is the information:

UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS OF TYPEWRITERS (EXCLUDING PARTS)
	Thousand	£'000 c.i.f.
1964	131	2,431
1965	133	2,841
1966	207	3,382

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that during the period preceding the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II his Department banned imports of souvenirs connected with the Coronation from foreign countries; and whether he will take similar action with regard to the period preceding the Investiture of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in view of the need to conserve our foreign currency and thus assist our balance of payments.

The Answer to the first part is "Yes". The import of commemorative medals manufactured in gold is prohibited and there are rules governing the use of certain of the Royal Arms, Emblems and Portraits on articles manufactured as souvenirs of the Investiture. I am considering whether any further action is necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he is aware that the British National Export Council, under his authority, directs insufficient attention to the trade, industry and commerce of provincial export trade between Aberdeen and Northern Europe and Russia; and if he will take steps to rectify this.

I am sure that the British National Export Council are fully aware of the important part that Scottish industry can play in exporting to all parts of the world including Northern Europe and Russia. But the Council must be free to decide the extent to which they can give special attention to the export trade of individual towns or districts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he accepts the conclusion in the report of the Second German Inquiry that the accident to the Ambassador aircraft at Munich in February, 1958, was due to ice on the wing upper surfaces.

The report was made to the German authorities and it is not for me to accept or reject it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the fact that the results of the inquiry carried out by experts at the Royal Aircraft Establishment on the causes of the Munich air disaster in February, 1958, conflict with the conclusions reached by the recent German Commission, if he will now appoint an official British Court of Inquiry to report on this matter.

It would be impracticable to hold a further inquiry, having regard in particular to the time which has elapsed since the accident occurred, and the problems of bringing the necessary evidence.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the total value of livestock exports lost during 1966 and 1967, respectively, as a result of the failure to eradicate brucellosis.

Difficulties in export have arisen from the requirements of importing countries, but I cannot estimate what exports might otherwise have taken place. The Brucellosis (Accredited Herds) Scheme is an essential step towards removing the difficulties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the outbreak in Shropshire of foot and mouth disease.

Yes. The first case in this most unfortunate epidemic was confirmed on 25th October near Oswestry. Subsequently 73 cases have been confirmed in Shropshire, and 68 in Cheshire, Denbighshire, Flint, Montgomeryshire and Staffordshire, and two outbreaks in Lancashire. It is not possible yet to say what the origin of this outbreak was, nor, indeed, whether all these outbreaks are connected with a single origin. I am advised, however, that time has shown that none of the animals which were in Oswestry market when the outbreak was confirmed could have picked up infection there.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation prohibiting the export of live ponies for slaughter.

No. No application to my Department has shown slaughter as the purpose of export of ponies. My inquiries have not so far substantiated previous statements that ponies stated to be exported for breeding and riding are in fact being exported for slaughter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the National Farmers' Union about the 2d. per gallon surcharge on fuel oils; what percentage increase this amounts to for horticulturists requiring to heat glasshouses in comparison with the percentage increase for non-commercial users of petrol and oil; and if he will make a statement.

I have had correspondence with the National Farmers' Union and on 26th September met their representatives. I estimate that in a full year the surcharge would increase by about 20 per cent. the cost of heating glasshouses by oil. No meaningful comparison can be made between non-commercial users who pay the retail price for petrol and oil, and horticulturists who buy oil for glasshouse heating at the wholesale price (often at a discount) and enjoy a tax rebate of 2·2d. a gallon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce a new timetable of office hours in Government offices in the city of Edinburgh, with a view to setting an example of the staggering of office hours as a means of alleviating transport problems in large cities.

The hours of attendance of office staffs were changed in my Departments in 1965, regard being paid then to transport congestion in Edinburgh. I see no need for a further review at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking following the decision in the case of Noble versus Heatly to ensure that holders of the multiple licences for the sale of liquor do not permit breaches of the peace and drunkenness on their premises.

I am satisfied that licensing courts have adequate control over the standard of conduct of licensed premises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the hon. Member for West Ham, North was warned by the police to remove his road taxed and insured car from Park Lane on Monday, 2nd October after it had been parked for less than 5 minutes and why an untaxed Ford car, details of which have been sent to him, which was parked within 50 yards, having been so parked for five days, was allowed to remain in this situation for this period of time.

My hon. Friend was no doubt asked to move his car because waiting was restricted at that time and place. The other car quickly attracted a fixed penalty notice and was reported for removal; but it was not in a condition to be driven away, and more urgent calls on the time of the removal crews prevented its being towed away for some days. The Commissioner has told me that he is reviewing the arrangements for removing vehicles which cannot be driven away.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions are given to the Metropolitan Police regarding their directing the drivers of road taxed vehicles to move on when they are alleged to be causing obstruction; and why no action is taken against the owners of dozens of unlicensed vehicles which are allowed to remain for days in the same roads.

Standing instructions are that unauthorised or unreasonable waiting is to be prevented, due regard being paid to traffic conditions at the time and the purpose and period for which a vehicle is left. This applies whether or not the vehicle has been licensed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is aware that during the last two months the Greater London Council has been conducting a campaign against unlicensed road vehicles resulting in a 30 per cent. rise in the licensing of vehicles as compared with 12 months ago; to what extent the Metropolitan Police have co-operated in this effort; how many cases of unlicensed vehicles have been reported by the police during the past two months and how this compares with 12 months ago; and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table of figures giving for the Metropolitan Police area details of the number of road vehicles which have been reported as apparently unlicensed during the latest 12 month period, and showing how these compare with the previous 12 months' figures, how long it takes on average for a prosecution to ensue, how many prosecutions have taken place and with what results,

1965						1966
November	…	…	…	…	7,661	November	…	…	…	…	15,468
December	…	…	…	…	6,864	December	…	…	…	…	11,207

1966						1967
January	…	…	…	…	7,153	January	…	…	…	…	15,474
February	…	…	…	…	10,237	February	…	…	…	…	17,355
March	…	…	…	…	12,578	March	…	…	…	…	20,111
April	…	…	…	…	10,972	April	…	…	…	…	18,749
May	…	…	…	…	13,892	May	…	…	…	…	20,461
June	…	…	…	…	15,557	June	…	…	…	…	16,153
July	…	…	…	…	12,183	July	…	…	…	…	13,197
August	…	…	…	…	11,905	August	…	…	…	…	13,729
September	…	…	…	…	10,284	September	…	…	…	…	10,300
October	…	…	…	…	14,781	October	…	…	…	…	15,094
Total	…	…	…	…	134,067	Total	…	…	…	…	187,298

The Metropolitan police reported 144,866 apparently unlicensed vehicles to the Greater London Council during 1966, and have reported 158,351 such vehicles during the first ten months of this year. These statistics are not available on a monthly basis.The number reported to the Metropolitan police, or by them to authorities other than the Greater London Council, is not available.It is primarily for the vehicle licensing authority to decide in each case whether proceedings should be brought, and I have no statistics of prosecutions or loss of revenue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will circularise voluntary bodies advising them how they can help both police and individuals in reducing the spread of the use of drugs by young people.

When the Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence has reported on health education and publicity, I intend to consider, in consultation with my right hon. Friends principally concerned, what advice can be given to the various interests about collective effort of this kind.

I understand that the following monthly totals of apparently unlicensed vehicles were reported to the Greater London Council by all police forces:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will initiate legislation to amend the Shops Acts to provide for greater variety and flexibility in opening hours.

As I stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker) on 26th October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I do not intend to introduce legislation at present to amend the existing provisions governing weekday hours for shops.—[Vol. 752, c. 522.]