asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why no practising librarian has been invited to serve on the Dainton Committee on National Libraries.

It seemed to me best to have a small independent committee which could work as fast as possible. Librarians and other experts will have every opportunity to give evidence, but if they had been included on the committee it would have had to be considerably larger.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of postgraduate students expected in the next three-year period.

No reduction is expected. The number of university postgraduate students in the academic year 1966–67 was 31,973, and the recent quinquennial grant settlement assumed an increase of nearly 7,000 by 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of pupils remaining at school beyond the statutory leaving age in the Northern Region at the latest available date; and how this compares with the percentage for England and Wales.

In January, 1967, 36·1 per cent. in the Northern Region and 46·6 per cent. in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the latest estimated cost of the introduction of universal comprehensive secondary schools.

The introduction of comprehensive education is bound to be a gradual process depending both on the extent to which local education authorities can devise sensible means of using existing buildings and on the rate at which new school building is justified for other reasons. No estimate of the kind requested by the hon. Member is, therefore, possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue a circular to local education authorities urging them to refrain from spending money at the present time on marginal activities, such as sailing centres, astronomy and winter sports.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to establish a technical advisory service for sport.

It is desirable that as a first step the technical assessment of all local authority sports projects should be undertaken in the Department of Education and Science. The provision of staff for this purpose is being examined in the light of the standstill on Civil Service manpower announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16th January.—[Vol. 756, c. 1577.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to receive the Second Report of the Sports Council.

The report of the Sports Council issued in November, 1966, was intended as an introduction to its work and it is not planned to issue a further report at present. But regular information on current developments is given in the Department's Annual Reports and in the quarterly Sports Development Bulletin issued by the Central Council of Physical Recreation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of places at universities in England and Wales during each of the past 10 years; how many were not filled; what was the number of new entrants during the same period; and what percentage were those figures in relation to the relevant age group.

Following is the information:The numbers of full time students in universities in England and Wales, together with the numbers of undergraduate new entrants (including entrants from overseas) and the latter as a percentage of relevant age group, in each of the last 10 years are shown in the following Table:

Academic Year		Total number of fulltime students	Total number of under-graduate new entrants	New entrants as a percentage of the relevant age group
1958–59	…	83,028	23,846	4·3
1959–60	…	86,457	23,607	4·3
1960–61	…	89,170	24,812	4·3
1961–62	…	93,710	27,001	4·3
1962–63	…	98,431	28,279	4·2
1963–64	…	104,525	28,902	4·3
1964–65	…	113,428	32,214	4·6
1965–66	…	141,220	43,894	5·5
1966–67	…	154,964	44,909	5·7
1967–68	…	167,752	47,738	6·5

Available information on the number of unfilled places in universities is contained in the reports of the University Central Council on Admissions. The Council started full operations in the academic year 1963–64, and not all universities were then included in the scheme. Although the coverage of the scheme has since been extended it still does not include all universities, so statistical information is incomplete.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many proposals from local authorities for secondary reorganisation he has approved which incorporate a transfer from junior to senior high school at the age of 14 and what proportion this is of the total approved to date.

Of 103 schemes approved, 21 include two-tier arrangements with transfer at the age of 14.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many education authorities in England and Wales have not yet submitted proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education in their area; and what proportion they are of the total.

Of the 162 local education authorities in England and Wales, 23 have not yet formally submitted proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education in any part of their area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the numbers of children receiving free school meals in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and in the urban district of Newburn.

6,487 and 361 respectively on a date in September 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the number of children per 1,000 of the school population in the Northern Region receiving free school meals; and if he will give comparisons for the other regions of the United Kingdom.

The numbers for the Northern Region and other regions in England and Wales are as follows:

Region		Number per 1,000 Day Pupils Present Receiving Free School Meals
Northern	…	106
Yorks, and Humberside	…	68
North West	…	66
East Midlands	…	41
West Midlands	…	49
East Anglia	…	49
South East	…	35
South West	…	60
Greater London	…	52
Wales	…	82

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the changes in proposed dates of school construction and improvement in the county of Shropshire arising from the public expenditure decisions outlined in Command Paper No. 3515.

I have asked Shropshire, along with other local education authorities, to review urgently their school building programme and to submit revised proposals for 1968–69 based on a realistic assessment of projects which can and should be started in that year. Until I have their replies I cannot say how individual authorities' programmes will be affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of concern among recipients of Government financial support for the arts, he will give an assurance that future allocations will be increased to allow for rising costs.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my Answer today to the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Robert Cooke).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that in the month of October, 1967, 5,889 new immigrants arrived from India, 1,307 from Jamaica, and 4,565 from Pakistan, how many years he estimates it will take before there are more coloured than white people in Great Britain after allowing for those returning to their native lands and the birth rate in this country.

As the hon. Member well knows, the figures in the first part of the Question do not represent the rate of settlement here. They cover all arrivals for whatever purposes, including visitors, students and businessmen and take no account of departures. As to the second part of the Question, I have nothing to add to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by the hon. Member on 30th November.—[Vol. 755, c. 415.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet made a decision on the recommendation of the Poisons Board concerning the sale of quinine.

The Poisons Board has confirmed its previous recommendation concerning quinine, but recommends that mineral water and tonic wine should be exempted. My right hon. Friend is disposed to accept the recommendation in principle, but he is giving further consideration to the scope of exemptions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the Second Report of the Working Party on the Place of Voluntary Service in After-Care; and what action he intends to take upon it.

I have read the Report with interest. My right hon. Friend is now awaiting the comments of the representative organisations concerned with voluntary after-care.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he is reducing police recruitment; and which forces will be affected.

I would refer the hon. Member to the speech made by my hon. and learned Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State during the Second Reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill.—[Vol. 757, c. 1206.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give an undertaking that the present cuts in public expenditure will not involve any reduction in the provision of police equipment.

I have advised police authorities that investment in equipment required for mobile beat policing schemes should not be reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police were recruited in 1967 in the Metropolitan Police district; by how many this increased the number serving; and how many short of establishment the force was at the end of 1967.

1,537 men and 128 women; 756 men and 52 women; 5,876 men and 84 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police were recruited in 1967; by how many this increased the numbers serving; and how many short of establishment the force was by the end of 1967.

The figures for England and Wales were: 8,000 men and 839 women; 3,684 men and 324 women; 17,119 men and 720 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what percentage police establishments in England and Wales fell below the levels planned for 1969–70 on 1st January this year.

There is no nationally planned establishment for 1969–70.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were taken out under the Firearms Act 1965 during 1966; and what figures are available so far for 1967.

From 1st March to 31st December, 1966, the only period in 1966 for which figures are available, the number of prosecutions in England and Wales was 1,546. From 1st January to 30th September, 1967, the figure was 1,847.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now take steps to put into operation the proposals for the amalgamation of the police forces of Northumberland, Tynemouth and Newcastle, in view of the agreement reached by all parties to this proposal.

This amalgamation will lead to greater efficiency of policing for the area, and I have asked the police authorities concerned to continue to cooperate in the submission as quickly as possible of a voluntary amalgamation scheme, on which a good deal of progress has already been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the action he has taken pursuant to the visit of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to Sunderland.

I have nothing to add to the replies given to similar questions by my right hon. Friend on 16th November and 20th December.—[Vol. 754, c. 621–2; Vol. 756, c. 455.]

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs on what date it is proposed to publish the Report of the Central Planning Unit on Humberside Developments.

The Central Unit for Environmental Planning has not yet presented its Report; and questions about the date or form of publication are, therefore, premature.

asked the Postmaster-General what sizes and weights of envelope will be accepted for general election communications.

My right hon. Friend proposes to bring the permissible dimensions for these envelopes into line with the Post Office Preferred range by increasing the minimum from 4 in. x 2¾ in. to 5½ x 3½ in. and the maximum from 9 in. x 4½ in. to 9¼ in. x 4¾ in. Envelopes would need to be oblong with the longer side at least 1·414 times the shorter; preferably they should be made from paper weighing at least 63 grammes per square metre. As now, envelopes and their contents must not exceed 2 oz. in weight.

asked the Postmaster-General why the inclusive charge for an official cover on the first day of issue of the third group of new definitive stamps on 5th February containing stamps to the total value of 9½d. on an envelope costing 6d. is 3s. 9d.

This charge is for our A Service from the Philatelic Bureau and includes the clerical and typing cost of providing individually addressed envelopes for customers. It gives a small margin of profit only. Other and cheaper forms of First Day Cover service are provided by the Post Office if customers prefer them.

asked the Postmaster-General what proposals he has for the use of satellites for European and national communications for telephones and television; and if he will make a statement.

None at present; the scope for satellite communications within Europe is the subject of international studies in which we are participating fully.

asked the Postmaster-General what research has been undertaken by his Department into possible health dangers to viewers of colour television; and what arrangements he is making to keep this matter under review.

My Department participated in the work done by the British Standards Institution which has issued British Standard No. 415 "Safety Requirements for Mains Operated Domestic Sound and Vision Equipment". This standard, with which television sets of British manufacture comply, secures that radiation from them does not exceed the limit recommended by the International Commission for Radiological Protection. I do not think a review is called for now.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when last a widow of a civil servant who has remarried and again been bereaved, was refused a restoration of her widow's pension, and for what reason.

December, 1967. Her circumstances did not justify the exercise of the discretion vested in the Treasury to re-grant the pension.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on the decimalisation project until 1971.

The estimated expenditure to Decimalisation Day in February, 1971, by Government Departments is £23½ million. This figure does not take into account the cost of a new Mint in Wales, the scrap value of withdrawn £ s. d. coins that will be realised after Decimalisation Day, or the value of the silver in the withdrawn coins.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the expenditure already incurred in connection with discussions on the subect of British entry into the European Economic Community; and what is the estimate of further expenditure.

I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 23rd January to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. Roebuck).—[Vol. 757, c. 72.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage increase, in constant prices, is now estimated for public expenditure, as defined in table 181 of the National Plan, between 1964–65 and 1969–70.

Excluding S.E.T. additional payments, R.E.P. and investment grants, which did not form part of public expenditure in 1964–65, the average annual increase is 4·3 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount raised by taxation on companies during the financial years 1965–66 and 1966–67, and the total amounts raised during the same periods by Income Tax and Surtax on earned incomes and on unearned incomes, respectively.

The following estimates refer to the sectors on the National Income Accounts:

	£ million
	1965–66	1966–67
Taxes on income paid by companies	688	926
Income tax paid by persons (including non-residents) divided as follows:—	3,410	3,424
(i) earned income	2,321	2,588
(ii) investment income	1,089	836
Surtax	204	244
Notes:
(1) Tax on dividends and interest is treated as paid by the recipients of such payments.
(2) It is not possible to split the receipts of surtax between earned and investment incomes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that stocks of maturing whisky now equal 10½ years consumption at the present rate of sales, and that the level of excise duty on spirits is disproportionate to that levied on other alcohols; and if he will seek to remedy this anomaly.

The excise duty on spirits, when measured in terms of duty per degree of proof spirit content, is higher than that on other alcoholic beverages, but the rates of duty on different drinks are not determined solely by the relative strength. I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the concern amongst valuers in Kingston upon Hull regarding the delay in negotiations for settlement of compensation in the acquisition of land for public purposes; and what steps he is taking in this matter.

The District Valuer and his staff at Kingston upon Hull, like other District Valuers, are working under considerable pressure. If my hon. Friend will write to me more fully I shall look into the matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the estimated figures of taxation collected in Scotland in 1967 into the amount derived from Income Tax and the remaining headings of tax, stating in each case the amount under each heading.

The total amount of taxation excluding Surtax collected in Scotland, which is not, of course, a good measure of the amount paid by residents of Scotland, was just under £700 million in 1967. The table below gives details as available.

TAXATION COLLECTED IN SCOTLAND IN 1967
	£ million
Inland Revenue Taxes and Duties:
Income Tax (excluding Schedule C)	220
Corporation tax	70
Profits tax, etc.	3
Capital gains tax	1
Stamp duties	6
Death duties	35
Customs and Excise Duties:
Tobacco	116
Beer, Wine and Spirits	151
Purchase tax	25
Others*	15
Motor Vehicle Duties (net)*	21
S. E. T.†	31
	694
* i.e. after deducting Export rebates and refunds.
†The figure for S.E.T. is a full year estimate based on the distribution of the insured pulation after deducting refunds in respect of part-time employees and employees overseas. No account has been taken of the substantial sums paid in respect of the additional sum in the Selective Employment Premium and the Regional Employment Premium during 1967.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of reducing the standard rate of Income Tax by 6d.

On the basis of the Budget estimate for 1967–68 the cost of reducing the standard rate of Income Tax by 6d. for 1967–68 would have been £136 million for the full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present annual yield of Surtax; and how many people pay it.

The Budget estimate for 1967–68 (which included £25 million for the 10 per cent. Surtax surcharge for 1965–66) was £250 million, paid by about 350,000 people.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the highest percentage of his income that a taxpayer can now be called upon to pay in taxes.

This depends on the nature and amount of his income and on the tax reliefs and allowances due to him.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present annual yield from Purchase Tax; and what is the estimated yield from a 2 per cent. sales tax on all goods and services and a 2 per cent. tax on added value, respectively.

The present annual yield from Purchase Tax is £735 million. The estimated yield from a sales tax on consumer expenditure on all goods and services charged at the rate of 2 per cent., either at the retail stage or on an added value basis down to the retail stage, would be of the order of £400 million to £500 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of the central Government's net balance for 1967; how this was financed by type of debt, and the distribution of each type of debt among the overseas, banking, and non-bank private sectors.

The relevant information for the first three quarters of 1967 is given in Table 16 of the January issue of the Central Statistical Office's monthly publication "Financial Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library. The information for the fourth quarter will be published in the March issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will initiate discussions with the Common Market Ministers on the feasibility of Great Britain's changing from $2·40 to a floating rate, in order to facilitate Great Britain's entry.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will issue a general direction to British Railways to vary the conditions covering the issue of tickets, so that passengers who are obliged by the failure of advertised rail services to complete their journey by other means can in future claim to be reimbursed with the resultant additional cost.

No. This is essentially a matter of management for the Railways Board: we are satisfied that it considers claims for reimbursement on their merits.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will issue a general direction to British Railways for immediate safety measures on Continental type half-barrier crossings in view of the continued incidents on such crossings, for example at Leominster on 25th January, in advance of the publication of the report on the Hixon accident.

No. We do not think that a general direction is necessary or appropriate. The Ministry is now including in all special orders to move abnormal loads by road a requirement to telephone the signalman before proceeding over a level crossing fitted with automatic half-barriers. My right hon. Friend is urgently considering whether any other measures can usefully be taken in advance of the formal investigation.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the cuts in the road programme, she will now cut the level of proposed road haulage charges.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport how many questionnaires have been sent out as part of the Survey of Roads Goods Transport, as authorised in the Statistics of Trade Act, 1947; and what has been the total cost involved to date in preparing this survey.

Approximately 57,000 of which some 20,000 will be unproductive due to vehicles having been sold or scrapped; £38,000 including accommodation and other "overhead" costs.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on the Channel Tunnel project in research and development in the next five years.

The main responsibility for research and development work for the tunnel is expected to lie with the company which, if present negotiations with private interests succeed, will finance and manage the construction of the project. In the meantime it may prove necessary for Governments to sponsor a limited amount of urgent preliminary research. The extent and cost of this will depend on progress in setting up the company.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now give a figure for the cost of works index for new construction and improvement of roads from each of the years 1963–64 and 1967–68, taking 1963–64 as 100.

I have nothing at present to add to the Answer given to the hon. Member on 12th December, 1967.—[Vol. 756, c. 124.]

asked the Minister of Transport if she will now give a figure for the cost of works index for maintenance of roads for each of the years 1963–64 and 1967–68, taking 1963–64 as 100.

For the years up to 1966, I would refer the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Peter Walker) to the Answer given to him on 12th December, 1967. The corresponding figure for 1967 is 117. [Vol. 756, c. 123.]

asked the Minister of Transport how much money it is estimated will be spent in total in the maintenance of roads, other than trunk roads, in Cheshire for 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969–70, respectively.

The maintenance of non-trunk roads is the responsibility of local highway authorities of which, in Cheshire, there are 37.We have no recent estimates for the expenditure likely to be incurred by these authorities in 1967–68. For the forthcoming two years it is for the local authorities to decide how much they will spend, in the light of the advice being given to them both by my right hon. Friend and by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the announced dates for the construction of the Market Drayton by-pass have been affected by the public expenditure changes outlined in Command Paper No. 3515.

We have not yet announced a date for the construction of the Market Drayton By-pass. It was included in the first instalment of the preparation list of urban road improvements announced last May, which covered schemes likely to have the highest priority for the principal road programme in the earlier years of the 1970s. We shall consider including it in the firm programme for a particular year when its preparation has reached a sufficiently advanced stage.

asked the Minister of Transport when and why her representative authorised the replacement of the halt sign at the Maultway/Chobham Road crossroads, Camberley, by a give way sign; and how many accidents involving death or injury have occurred at the crossroads since the change was made.

Conditions at the crossroads did not justify the new "stop" sign. The erection of "give way" signs is the responsibility of the highway authority. The "give way' signs at the Maultway/Chobham Road crossroads were erected on 27th December, 1967. Two accidents involving death or serious injury have occurred since that date.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will indicate, for each of the municipal bus undertakings, the present shortage of platform staff, the turnover rate of such staff during 1967, and the net change in numbers employed between 1st January, 1967 and 1st January, 1968.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will list the buildings which are rented by his Department in Brussels, and state the annual cost of upkeep and total rent, respectively.

The following 34 dwellings in Brussels have been leased by my Department as residential accommodation for British Service personnel serving the N.A.T.O. Military Committee:

• 72–74 Avenue Mutsaart, Laeken (10 Flats).
• 2 Avenue Princess Paola (2 Flats).
• 57 Avenue de ('Exposition Universelle (2 Flats).
• 454 Avenue de 1'Exposition Universelle (1 Flat).
• 42 Avenue des Citronniers (1 Flat).
• 60 Memlingdreff, Overijse.
• 97 Avenue du Heymbosche Jette.
• 17 Avenue Ghislaine de Villiers, Dilbeek.
• 59 Dreve du Rembucher Boitsfort.
• 3 Avenue des Boutons d'Or Wesembeek.
• 4 Avenue de la Chapelle, Kraainem.
• Avenue de la Joyeuse Entree, Ten Trappen, Hoeilaart.
• 6 Hazenlaan Tervuren.
• 33 Rue d'Oppem, Wemmel.
• 5 Avenue de l'Hermine, Boitsfort.
• 3 Avenue des Platanes, Wemmel.
• 35 Rue Knappen, Schaarbeek (1 Flat).
• 12 Avenue Guillaume Abeloos, Woluwe St. Lambert (1 Flat).
• 89 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt (1 Flat).
• 18C Rue des Champs Elysees Ixelles (1 Flat).
• 8 Avenue de Broqueville, Woluwe St. Pierre (I Flat).
• 2 Leeuwrikkenlaan Tervuren.
• 15 Avenue Colonel Daumerie, Woluwe St. Pierre.

Annual rents for these properties total £33,444. Upkeep costs are negligible as maintenance responsibilities remain with the lessors.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the estimated penalty charges arising from the cancellation of the 50 F111 aircraft.

Intake		Target Figure for Intake	Number of Applicants	Number Rejected on Educational Grounds	Number Rejected for Other Reasons*	Number Accepted	Number Subsequently Commissioned
January, 1963	…	200	423	94	190	139	139
September, 1963	…	260	599	111	225	263	237
January, 1964	…	200	363	41	114	208	192
September,1964	…	240	647	94	313	240	203
January, 1965	…	200	504	66	220	218	213
September, 1965	…	240	763	98	429	236	198
January, 1966	…	200	525	65	263	197	184
September, 1966	…	240	600	†	359	241	‡
January, 1967	…	200	314	†	149	165	‡
September, 1967	…	200	563	†	362	201	‡
January, 1968	…	160	293	†	154	149	‡
* Includes those applicants who withdrew.
† Since January, 1966 there has been no Civil Service Commission Examination. Entrants are accepted on GCE results.
‡ Not yet commissioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications have been received for entry to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in September next; and how many applications had been received on the corresponding date last year for entry in September, 1967.

The number of applications so far received for entry to Sandhurst next September is 236.The corresponding number at this time last year was 275.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardigan (Mr. Elystan Morgan) on 18th January.—[Vol. 756, c. 666.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures for each intake at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, over the past five years and in January this year, showing separately the number of vacancies, the number of applicants, the number rejected on educational grounds, the number rejected for other reasons, the number accepted, and the number subsequently being commissioned.

The information asked for is given in the table below. It refers to United Kingdom cadets only.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will transfer the surplus property adjacent to Moor Park Hospital to the Tynemouth Local Authority, if it is required, before he offers it commercially;(2) whether, in his offer to the Tyne-mouth Corporation of surplus property adjacent to Moor Park Hospital he will deal with the transaction as being a transfer from one social service to another.

I offered the land on 31st March, 1967, and am ready to transfer it immediately if the local authority accepts the terms recommended by the district valuer. This is in accordance with the long-standing and approved practice when Crown assets are disposed of, whatever the purpose for which they are required.

asked the Minister of Health what are the annual number of consultations in general practice and for hospital outpatients, respectively.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will list the professional qualifications of the successful applicant for the post of Group Engineer to the Stockport and Buxton Hospital Management Committee, and indicate how these qualifications compared with those of the other applicants on the final short-list; and how many applications for posts other than the one he held have been made during the past 12 months by the successful applicant.

Ministry of Transport First Class Certificate with Ordinary National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering. I understand that one candidate had a higher qualification and the others an equivalent qualification or less. I have no information on the last part of the question.

asked the Minister of Health what is the smallest and highest charge for local authority services involving home helps, meals on wheels and chiropody; what is the average charge for these services; and how many authorities provide each of these services.

Information about individual or average charges for these services is not available centrally since they are at the discretion of local authorities; but my information is that the standard charge probably varies between 5s. and 7s. per hour for home help and between Is. and 6s. per treatment for chiropody. The charge for meals-on-wheels varies with the cost of the meal.All local health and welfare authorities in England and Wales provide a home help and chiropody service and all but three provide a meals-on-wheels service.

asked the Minister of Health what research is undertaken into methods of treatment of brucellosis among humans.

There is at present no formal research project on methods of treatment. A working party set up by the Public Health Laboratory Service Board is studying diagnostic methods, and a number of clinicians are assessing the effect of different drugs or combinations of drugs in the course of treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the import-saving potential at post devaluation prices of the 30 million hoppus feet of windblown timber from Scottish woodlands on the basis that it is utilised in the most worthwhile manner; and whether he will set up a departmental inquiry into measures to ensure that this is done, taking into account both the national interest and balance of payments problems.

It is too early to assess the market value of the blown timber or its relevance to import saving. The joint action group of the Forestry Commission, the timber trade and private forestry interests will be considering marketability, and I must await their report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that medical officers of health have no authority to prevent the sale of dairy cattle known to be carriers of brucellosis; and if he will introduce legislation to remedy this and to offer proper compensation to farmers who dispose for slaughter cattle which might otherwise endanger public health.

It is not possible at present to forecast when we shall reach the stage of compulsory eradication or to say how many years it will take before the disease can be regarded as no longer a problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of brucellosis have been reported among humans in each of the past five years; if he is satisfied with the procedure for assessing the incidence of this disease; and if he will initiate a survey to determine this incidence accurately.

:188 cases of brucellosis were diagnosed by laboratory methods among humans in Scotland between 28th January and 30th December, 1967. Comparable figures for earlier periods are not available. I believe that generally procedures for assessing the incidence of the disease are adequate and I do not consider that a special survey is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet reached a decision on the future pattern of the sea services to Islay and the associated islands.

Yes. These services have been reviewed in the light of the limited life of R.M.S. "Lochiel". After careful consideration of the various proposals which have been put forward, I have decided that a drive-on-drive-off vehicle ferry should be built to enable MacBrayne's to serve Port Ellen, Port Askaig and Colonsay from a new site on West Loch Tarbert. Jura will be served by a smaller vehicle ferry operating between Port Askaig and Feolin, and Gigha by a similar vessel operating from West Loch Tarbert. I am asking Argyll County Council and MacBrayne's to put in hand as quickly as possible the planning of the piers and ships required, whose total estimated cost is £1·1 million, but it is too soon to make a close forecast of the date on which the new service will be able to start. Timetables will be drawn up in due course in consultation with the interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his estimate of the proportion of the money invested in motorways and dual carriageways, respectively, in Scotland by 1970; and what proportion this sum bears to expenditure in Great Britain as a whole;(2) what is his estimate of the proportion of the mileage of motorways and dual carriageways, respectively, expected to be constructed in Scotland by 1970; and what proportion this bears to the mileage expected to be completed in Great Britain as a whole.

I estimate that in Scotland during the period from 1964 to 1970 £50 million will have been invested in motorways, bringing their total length to about 60 miles and that £30 million will have been invested in other trunk road dual carriageways bringing their total length to about 150 miles. Information is not available on which to base the other comparisons requested by the hon. Member, but for the years 1967–68 to 1969–70 investment in Scotland on the construction and improvement of trunk and principal roads is expected to amount to over £100 million, or about 10 per cent. of the proposed amount for Great Britain as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will recommend that the French Head of State be invited to pay a state visit to Scotland in the course of 1968 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Franco-Scottish alliance.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the present number of farm holdings in Scotland of more than 50 acres that are leased to farm tenants, and of the number of cases where the sitting tenant did not enter voluntarily into a legal contract with the owner at the commencement of the tenancy, on the understanding that the lease would automatically expire following his death with occupation reverting to the owner unless provision to the contrary were contractually agreed in advance.

According to information available to my Department, there were approximately 12,000 farms of 50 acres or over in Scotland leased to farm tenants at June, 1967. I have no information as to contracts entered into between landlords and tenants; these are private matters between the parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints he has received concerning cases during the past 10 years in Scotland of the sons of tenant farmers of holdings of more than 50 acres having been denied on unreasonable grounds the opportunity of inheriting the occupancy of the holdings following the death of their fathers; what investigations were made by his Department into these complains; and in how many cases they were found to be justifiable.

I have had representations from the National Farmers Union of Scotland from time to time that sons of tenant farmers were being denied the opportunity of inheriting the holding: two cases have recently been drawn to my attention. I have, however, no locus to investigate such cases where a landlord is acting in accordance with his statutory rights under Section 6(3) of the Agriculture Act, 1958, and where the notice cannot be contested by the tenant.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases have been made known to him where landowners in Scotland have unreasonably withheld consent to formal applications from farm tenants to improve the fixed equipment of their holdings as a tenant's improvement.

No representations have been made to me. I understand that the Scottish Land Court has dealt with two cases since 1958 in which tenants have applied, under Section 52 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1949, for approval of the carrying out of proposed improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements have been made for assistance from the Armed Services for the repair of vital agricultural equipment, once the immediate task of helping the homeless has been completed.

Building contractors are concentrating on repair work and deferring new work on farm buildings. On present information I am satisfied that present arrangements not involving the Armed Forces will ensure that essential repairs to farm buildings will be completed in a reasonable period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the steps which his Department are taking to give assistance to the development of non-ferrous mining in the Principality of Wales.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to his Question of 17th January.—[Vol. 756, c. 586.]

			Aircraft Landings			Complement at 1st December
			1955	1961	1967 (provisional)	1955	1961	1967*
Heathrow	…	…	59,788	78,758	118,230	1,893	2,160	2,864
Gatwick	…	…	6,276	22,257	35,259	35	430	596
Stansted	…	…	5,758	14,263	16,492	106	129	293
Prestwick	…	…	13,486	12,752	9,801	477	636	700
* Includes staff complements of the British Airports Authority and the Controllerate of National Air Traffic Control Services of the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Technology what discussions he has had regarding the future of the Dunton Engineering and Design Centre with the Ford Motor Company; whether he is satisfied that the Company's plans are in accordance with assurances given for the development of the British company by its United States owners; and if he will make a statement.

Though I have had no specific discussions about the future of the Dunton Engineering and Design Centre with the Ford Motor Company I have consulted it informally on future plans and have no reason to doubt that these are in accordance with assurances given in November, 1960.

asked the Minister of Technology how many new Beagle 206 and 206S aircraft have been delivered to clients and paid for in full since August, 1966 by the Beagle Aircraft Company Limited; how many are in stock; and for how long have they been in stock.

The company informs me that 2 B.206 aircraft and 17 B.206S aircraft have been sold and delivered since

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the number of landings at the three airports now in the hands of the Airports Authority, and the number of staff employed at those airports in 1955, 1961 and 1967, respectively.

Aircraft landings and staff complements at the four airports of the British Airports Authority were:August, 1966; of these all bar one undergoing installation of certain equipment abroad have been paid for. It would not be in the commercial interest of the company for me to divulge the information sought in the latter part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Technology what he is doing to promote the development of industrial instruments.

I am instituting an Advanced Industrial Instrumentation Project to help instruments manufacturers develop technically advanced instruments for measurement and control in industrial processes. My Department will be prepared to provide up to £250,000 a year for three years to be spent in sharing with industry the finance required for transferring promising new concepts into working equipment. There will be arrangements for the recovery from sales of my Department's investment.One of the principal means of raising productivity in the manufacturing and processing industries is the application of advanced methods of measurement and control. Such methods can reduce staff requirements, improve the quality of product and accelerate production, all of which can lead to considerable economies in costs of production and, therefore, to a greater competitiveness for British products in home and export markets. The feasibility of these methods depends heavily on adequate instrumentation being available. However, instruments manufacturing firms, for a number of reasons, often face unusual risks and uncertainties when they develop new industrial instruments. In many cases these difficulties deter them from developing instruments which are essential for the evolution and application of advanced forms of measurement and control.Accordingly I have decided to help the industry overcome these problems by sharing with it the risk involved in developing new instruments which represent a significant advance in technology and which can make an important contribution to higher productivity. I am, therefore, inviting instruments makers which are encountering such problems to apply to my Department for support.In deciding which projects to back I shall, of course, have to be satisfied about the competence of the firms concerned to carry out the necessary work and exploit its results both technically and commercially. I shall also be looking for returns in terms of improvements in the balance of payments, through the replacement of imports and through the exports of the instruments developed under the scheme.The scheme will be managed by my Department advised by a technical committee of experts from the Ministry and other non-commercial bodies. A partipants' panel will provide a forum for the exchange of technical information among firms taking part in the scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he first received a request from the Egg Marketing Board to remove the statutory lion on the egg.

The lion mark is not a requirement under the egg stamping regulations, which require only the weight grade and packing station number. The first official approach by the Board for the removal of the obligations under the regulations was made in June, 1967, as part of wider proposals for changes in the marketing arrangements for eggs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the prices of bread and flour.

Over the past weeks I have received from leading milling and baking firms notifications under the "early warning" system of proposed increases in the price of flour and bread.The increases in the price of flour were proposed mainly on account of the effect of devaluation on the cost of imported wheat. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and I therefore asked the National Board for Prices and Incomes to examine the increases attributable to increased costs due to devaluation. The N.B.P.I., whose report is published today, finds that, over the industry as a whole, the cost of the wheat in bakers' flour has increased by 8s. 3d. per sack, and that in Springs flour by 12s. 1d. per sack.Against this background, I have considered the notifications by individual firms of proposed increased prices of flour. I have taken into account the actual cost to each firm of the higher grain prices, other increased costs (of which increased wages and salaries are by far the biggest item) falling within the criteria for price increases set out in Cmnd. 3235, and also, in respect of the latter, each firm's capacity for absorbing cost increases. I have told the firms which have proposed price increases varying between 8s. and 10s. a sack for bakers' flour, and between 12s. and 12s. 6d. a sack for Springs flour, that their proposals are consistent with the Government's prices and incomes policy. I have told those which have proposed larger increases that they are not regarded as justified.An increase of 8s. to 10s. a sack in the price of flour adds about ½d. to the cost of producing a large loaf. In addition, the principal bakers have notified me of proposed price increases on account of a wide range of other increased costs, of which increased wages and salaries, and increases due to devaluation in the price of the other ingredients in bread and of wrapping paper are the biggest items. These proposals have been strictly examined against the criteria for price increases and have been found to justify an increase of a little over½d. a large loaf.Finally, I have discussed with the plant bakers the recommendation in paragraph 69 of N.B.P.I. Report No. 17 published in June, 1966, that the Government should recognise that the ability of bakers to contain costs in future depended on a return to new investment sufficient to encourage the trend to larger and more automatic bakeries. The N.B.P.I., at my request in agreement with the bakers, subsequently quantified this recommendation. The N.B.P.I. advised that the return to new investment in this industry should be about the same as the average for manufacturing industry as a whole, and that an increase of½d. a large loaf would bring a rate of return of this order.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if, in view of the housing shortages in Wales which are worsened by the factor of a high percentage of houses built pre-1900, he will give an assurance that the number of planned approvals of new council houses in Wales will not be reduced in 1968 and 1969.

Although Wales will take its share of the reduction in the number of planned approvals of new council houses in 1968 and 1969, the reduction will be achieved by re-phasing less urgent schemes, and will not adversely affect areas where there is a real shortage or a need to replace houses that have become unfit. The revised figures for 1968 and 1969 will permit a higher total than the actual number of approvals given in 1967.