asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, how many square feet of office accommodation will be available in the new offices of the Ministry of Transport in central London; and what is the available floor space in the offices which will be released by that Department as a result of the move.

The Ministry of Transport have been allocated about 180,000 square feet of accommodation in the new Horseferry Road building. About 285,000 square feet at present occupied by Ministry of Transport staff will be released as a result of this and other moves. Space will be found in nearby buildings for Ministry of Transport staff who cannot be accommodated in the Horseferry Road building.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, whether he will make a statement about the latest daubing of Stonehenge.

On the night of 20th-21st February yellow paint was daubed on seven of the stones. Certain resulting inquiries have been followed up and the papers are now with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works by what date he expects to issue plans and bills of quantity using the metric system.

Planning in metric measurements will start from 1st January, 1969, and I expect to issue plans and bills of quantity using the metric system progressively from the latter part of 1969.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what discussions he has had, in connection with the introduction of British Standard Time, with different interests in the building industry about the time of starting work on building sites; and whether he will make a statement.

In October, 1966 my Department consulted 10 trade associations, professional bodies and unions connected with the construction industry on the implications for the industry of adopting British Standard Time. Widely differing views were expressed and these were taken into consideration when the change was being examined.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many professionally qualified staff are at present employed in the research unit of his Department.

127 professionally qualified staff are employed at the Building Research Station.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will now make a further statement on his policy regarding Government intervention in the building industry.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Londonderry (Mr. Chichester-Clark) on 27th November last.—[Vol. 755, c. 3.]

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what action he proposes to take to ensure that the recommendations of the Economic Development Committee for the building industry about selective tendering are followed by public authorities; and whether he will make a statement.

Selective tendering for construction work is already normal practice for Government Departments. My Department and the others involved have taken every opportunity to draw the attention of other public authorities to the recommendations of the Economic Development Committee.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what representations he has received regarding the exclusion of fabricated steel reinforcement from the quantity licensing proposals in the Transport Bill.

I received a letter from the Concrete Reinforcement Steel Association on 24th February arguing that fabricated steel reinforcement should be excluded from the category of "Prescribed Goods" under the Transport Bill. A copy of this letter has been sent to the Ministry of Transport for consideration.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, what have been the total admissions to ancient monuments and historic buildings in Scotland during each of the last three years.

The total admissions to ancient monuments and historic buildings in my charge in Scotland during each of the last three years were:

	1965	1966	1967
Ancient Monuments	516,497	522,086	563,649
Historic Buildings (Edinburgh and Stirling Castles and Fort George)	566,854	568,462	639,107
Palace of Holyrood-house	208,890	198,309	217,545

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is aware that certain kinds of industrialised building are excluded from the Selective Employment Tax premium provision whereas others attract premium; whether he will seek to amend the law so that the present distinction is eliminated; and whether it is still the policy of the Government that industrialised building should be encouraged where this results in higher productivity.

There are difficulties in defining industrialised building for S.E.T. purposes. After careful examination of alternatives, I have concluded that any change in the present arrangements would increase and not diminish anomalies. The Government support all methods of construction which are likely to lead to economy in the use of resources.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many colour television sets there are in the Palace of Westminster; where they are situated; and what was the cost of installing each one.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member. I cannot, however, promise a complete inventory because in a number of cases my Departmental responsibility is limited to the provision of facilities rather than the sets themselves.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has received the report of the Director of Public Prosecutions following his submission to him of the report of the inspectors appointed by the Board of Trade to investigate the affairs of Town Centre Properties Limited and Star Explorations Limited; and what action he now proposes to take.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is considering the result of police investigations into these matters.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women were registered as unemployed at each labour exchange in the county of Dorset at the last convenient date, and for the corresponding month in 1964.

I will with permission circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures for February, 1968, and February, 1964.

asked the Minister of Labour what representations have been made to him seeking equal pay for women; what facts and arguments they have adduced; and what decision he has made.

I have received representations from a number of organisations in support of the introduction of equal pay for women. The Government are committed to the principle of equal pay and I have been examining the problems involved in consultation with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, I have explained the latest position on this examination in my reply today to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Blyth (Mr. Milne).

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of male and the number of female employees placed directly by his Department's adult placement service in 1966 and 1967.

Following is the information:

NUMBERS OF ADULTS PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT BY EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN GREAT BRITAIN
	Men	Women	All adults
2nd December, 1965 to 7th December 1966 (53 weeks)	1,060,431	508,428	1,568,859
8th December 1966 to 6th December, 1967 (52 weeks)	936,349	486,713	1,423,062

asked the Minister of Labour what was the cost to his Department of placing females in secretarial and clerical employment; and how many were placed, in the Greater London area, and elsewhere, respectively, in 1966 and 1967.

I regret that the information is not available. Placings are recorded by industry and not by occupation.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total cost in 1966 and 1967 of the placement service of his Department, broken down into juveniles and adults.

The total cost in 1966 and 1967 of the employment service of the Ministry, broken down into youth and adult services, is as follows:

	Youth	Adult
1966	£852,000	£10,250,000
1967	£860,000	£10,500,000

In addition, Local Authorities operate a Youth Employment Service for the Ministry, the estimated cost of which, for the 1966–67 financial year, was £4,063,000 and for 1967–68 is £4,692,000. 75 per cent. of this is grant-aided by the Ministry.The figures for the adult service include the cost of the disablement resettlement service (about £2 million per annum), the professional and executive register and the occupational guidance service for adults. The figures for the youth employment service include the careers advisory service.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the present figure for unemployed in the Petersfield constituency, by age-groups according to returns from his local employment office.

Following is the information for 8th January, 1968, the latest date for which an age analysis of the unemployed is available:

ANALYSIS BY AGE-GROUPS OF THE NUMBERS OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE PETERSFIELD AND ALTON EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES
	Males	Females	Total
Under 18	10	4	14
18 and under 20	14	7	21
20 and under 25	25	23	48
25 and under 30	23	3	26
30 and under 35	24	4	28
35 and under 40	24	2	26
40 and under 45	23	5	28
45 and under 50	18	5	23
50 and under 55	34	9	43
55 and under 60	32	7	39
60 and under 65	103	1	106
65 and over	2
Total, all ages	332	70	402

asked the Minister of Labour what discussions have taken place with the various bodies and organisations interested in the introduction of a minimum wage throughout industry and distribution; and if he will make a statement.

This subject is amongst those included in talks I am having with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress on the future of Wages Councils.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the introduction of a minimum wage of £16 in the docks, he will take steps to introduce a similar minimum wage throughout industry and distribution.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what is the total number of non-manual employees employed by local authorities in Wales at the present time; and how this figure has increased annually over the past five years;(2) what is the total number of manual employees employed by local authorities in Wales at the present time; and how this figure has increased annually over the past five years.

Employment statistics for local authorities do not distinguish manual and non-manual employees separately. Following is the information for all local authority employees in Wales:

TOTAL NUMBERS EMPLOYED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND IN POLICE FORCES IN WALES
	Numbers employed	Increase since June of previous year
June, 1962	94,766	1,599
June, 1963	98,061	3,295
June, 1964	103,564	5,503
June, 1965	107,633	4,069
June, 1966	110,985	3,352
June, 1967	114,146	3,161

asked the Minister of Labour what reports he has received from the Cost-of-Living Advisory Committee on any matter referred to it last year.

Yes. The Committee has submitted an interim report recommending that meals bought and consumed outside the home should be included among the price indicators used in the Index of Retail Prices from February, 1968, and that they should be incorporated in the index as a separate group—Group XI. I have accepted these recommendations. I expect to receive a report on the other matters referred to the Committee about the middle of the year.

asked the Minister of Labour what reduction there has been in working hours in Scotland since the introduction of British Standard Time.

Information is not yet available. Details of actual hours worked in Scotland in April, 1968 for some of the principal industries and services should be available by August, 1968.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will list the names of the employment exchanges throughout Great Britain which have an unemployment percentage of eight per cent., or over, stating which of them are eligible for special area status because of colliery closures.

Following is the information as at 12th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what plans he has to ensure that there will be at the Osaka International Exhibition in 1970 a separate pavilion to portray and project the social and cultural, economic and commercial life of Wales.

Our pavilion at Osaka is being planned to present a picture of the United Kingdom as a whole. Within the limits of the space and money available, the achievements and interests of all sections of the British people will be covered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what plans he has to ensure that there will be at the Osaka International Exhibition in 1970 a separate pavilion to portray and project the social and cultural, economic and commercial life of Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what refunds have been made to foreign diplomats in Great Britain in the past year on duty and taxes paid by them on alcohol and tobacco.

Reimbursement of excise duty to heads of foreign diplomatic missions and to appropriate heads of international organisations in respect of purchases of United Kingdom-produced spirits for official entertainment purposes amounted in the twelve months prior to 29th February, 1968, to £167,107 6s. 6d.The concession does not extend to tobacco.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the cost of the Signals Department (Government Communications Headquarters) and Communications—Electronics Security Department in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967; what was the cost of research done there; how many qualified scientists and engineers worked there; and if he will consider transferring the work to the Royal Radar Establishment at Malvern.

The cost of the Signals Department (Government Communications Headquarters) and the Communications—Electronics Security Department to the Diplomatic Service vote and the number of qualified scientists and engineers were as follows:

	£m.	Numbers
1964–65	3·0	78
1965–66	3·5	146
1966–67	3·7	155
1967–68	4·0 (Estimated)	159

I regret that I cannot say the proportion of this effort which was devoted to research. The work is highly specialised and it would not be practicable to transfer it elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the cost of the Diplomatic Wireless Service Unit at Boreham Wood in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967; what was the cost of research done there; and how many qualified scientists and engineers worked there.

The cost of the Diplomatic Wireless Service Unit at Boreham Wood, including allied services, was:—

	£
In 1964–65	908,000
In 1965–66	875,000
In 1966–67	708,000
In 1967–68	571,000 (estimated)

No research work is done by the Unit and no qualified scientists are employed there.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether the Geneva Protocol on the use of chemical and biological warfare, signed by Great Britain in December, 1966, lists crop destroying agents;(2) what lethal and non-lethal agents are listed in the Geneva Protocol on the use of chemical and biological warfare signed by Great Britain in December, 1966.

Parties to the Geneva Protocol of June, 1925, of which the United Kingdom is one accepted the prohibition of "the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices", and agreed to extend it to the use of "bacteriological methods of warfare". Individual agents were not listed and there was no mention of crop spraying agents. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution of December, 1966, which the United Kingdom supported, called for strict observance of the principles and objectives of the Geneva Protocol; individual agents were not mentioned in it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will support the draft resolution circulated by seven members of the Security Council censuring South Africa for its failure to release 34 South-West Africans illegally tried and sentenced.

Consultations about this draft resolution are currently taking place in New York between the Members of the Security Council. The British representative is taking an active part in the consultation. I cannot yet say whether these exchanges will result in the formulation of a resolution which Her Majesty's Government will be able to support.

asked the Minister of Social Security what action she now proposes to take as a result of the report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on unemployment benefit for occupational pensioners; and if she will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will make a statement on her policy regarding the conditions for unemployment benefit and contribution credits for occupational pensioners and the related recommendations of the National Insurance Advisory Committee outlined in Command Paper No. 3545.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner) on 29th February. The necessary amending regulations are being prepared.—[Vol. 759, c. 420.]

asked the Minister of Social Security (1) what is the total cost to the National Insurance Fund in a full year, of the current rates of benefit paid to all employees and those who have retired from employment; and what percentage this is of the current payrolls of all employers;(2) what is the total cost of the National Insurance Fund in a full year, of the current rate of benefit paid to all self-employed persons, and those who have retired from self-employment; and what percentage this is of the total current incomes of all self-employed persons.

The total cost of National Insurance benefits is now running at rather more than £2,000 million a year, which is estimated to be nearly 10 per cent. of the total of earnings from employment and incomes from self-employment. It is not possible to apportion the total cost of National Insurance benefits by reference to insurance category at a particular time.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the number of cases determined by rent officers from January, 1966 to the most recent date available, showing in what proportion rents have been increased, decreased or left unaltered, as compared with the original rent.

From January, 1966 up to 1st March, 1968, 64,981 applications for the registration of fair rents had been determined by rent officers in England and Wales. The previous rent was increased in about 51 per cent. of these cases, decreased in about 32 per cent. and left unaltered in about 17 per cent. The proportion of cases where the previous rent was left unaltered includes registrations based on certificates of fair rent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the provisions of national and local building regulations may lead to wastage of scarce capital resources; and what steps he is taking to prevent this.

If the hon. Member will let me have examples I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek to amend the Rent Act, 1965 to give furnished tenement accommodation the same full security of tenure and the same rent machinery for tenants and landlords as the Act provides for unfurnished accommodation.

Whilst in some respects furnished lettings may need special treatment, my right hon. Friend would like to see the relations between the codes governing furnished and unfurnished lettings made as close as possible. He cannot, however, at this stage promise to introduce further legislation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the fact that when tenants of certain local authorities apply for transfer of accommodation the Director of Housing insists on knowing the family income as a condition of agreeing to a removal, whether he will issue a circular to local housing authorities reminding them that the disclosure of such information is voluntary and that refusal to disclose will not prejudice transfer of accommodation.

In a circular to local authorities issued last June on rent rebate schemes, I expressed the view that no tenant should be required to declare his income unless he wished to apply for a rebate.

asked the Minister of Power what is the estimated date on which a level price range for coal will be implemented; and what will be the cost per ton and therm of coal available to the Central Electricity Generating Board.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board.

asked the Minister of Power when he intends to announce the scheme for payments to redundant miners over the age of 55 years as provided for in the Coal Industry Act 1967.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 29th February to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Swain).—[Vol. 759, c. 419.]

asked the Minister of Power whether he will give a general direction to the electricity boards and the Gas Council that in all future construction of electricity and gas plant, imported building materials shall be dispensed with where there are suitable home-produced alternatives available.

I am sure that the two industries may be relied upon to use home-produced materials where these are competitive with, and as suitable as, the best foreign products.

asked the Minister of Power what account he is taking of the implications of the total energy system of generating power in his long-term planning of electricity generation; and if he will make a statement.

I am of course willing to consider any such scheme (i.e. a scheme for energy supply to a site in which the whole of the heat and power requirements are derived from a single source of energy) included in the Electricity Boards' capital programmes. Under Section 50 of the Electricity Act 1947 it is the duty of the Boards to investigate means of using heat from generating stations. The fuel industries are well aware that a total energy scheme needs to be subjected to careful technical and economic assessment in comparison with alternative systems.

asked the Minister of Power if he will issue a general direction to area electricity boards to use 66 Kilovolt underground cable in those areas of outstanding natural beauty where pylons are undesirable.

No. The Electricity Act 1957 provides that electricity boards and the Minister shall have regard to the preservation of amenity. Boards have to obtain my right hon. Friend's consent be- fore they can place an electric line overhead. Each case is considered on its merits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make arrangements for export credits of 30 to 180 days to be financed at the same rate of interest as longer-term credits also covered by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, instead of at current Bank Rate.

No, Sir; this is a matter for the commercial banks concerned who chose Bank Rate as the appropriate rate for credit below two years when supported by E.C.G.D.'s direct guarantees to them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the sums spent on printing by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on printing in Scotland and Wales, respectively.

Interested firms in Scotland and Wales are regularly invited to tender for work required in their own country, and they also have the opportunity to tender for work required in England. Firms situated in appropriate areas receive special attention under the Government Development Areas scheme. The extent of any increase in the amount spent on printing by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Scotland and Wales will depend on the interest shown in Her Majesty's Stationery Office contracts by firms in these areas and on their ability to compete on service, quality and price.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will specify the projects under the Industrial Expansion Bill which he is taking into account when calculating the level of Government expenditure in 1968–69 and 1969–70 prior to making his Budget judgment; and what is the estimated cost of each project in these years.

Expenditure in 1968–69 and 1969–70 under the Clauses concerning ships, aircraft and the National Research Development Corporation is provisionally forecast at £21·5 million and £19 million respectively. I am circulating details in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I cannot anticipate details of industrial investment schemes to be submitted to the House under Clause 1, but I do not expect the amounts involved in 1968–69 to be such as to affect my right hon. Friend's Budget judgment.Following are the details:

PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURES UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION BILL IN RESPECT OF SHIPS, AIRCRAFT AND THE N.R.D.C.
		£ million
	1968–69	1969–70
Clause 8:
Finance for the Queen Elizabeth 2	15·0	—
Clause 9:
Additional grants in connection with reorganisations in shipbuilding	1·4	4·0
Clause 10:
Advances to the National Research Development Corporation	—	10*
Clause 11:
Acquisition of Beagle Aircraft Company	1·1	—
New Clause:
Concorde production finance	4·0	14·0
Total	21·5	19·0
* This figure refers only to advances in excess of the existing limit of £25m., which is not expected to be reached before the end of 1969.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total in the latest convenient year of the import duties on tea paid in total, at London, at other English ports, and at Scottish ports, respectively.

There has been no import duty on tea since 1st January, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether individuals who dispose of gold coins under the provisions of Statutory Instrument, 1966, No. 438 after devaluation are under his regulations subject to Capital Gains Tax on any profit they may make.

Only if the proceeds of disposal of any coin (or of a number of coins that constitute a set) exceed £1,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he is giving to owners of coin-operated machines about methods of operating half-crown slides during the fourteen months between the withdrawal of the half-crown and the introduction of the new decimal currency; and if he will seek to compensate small businesses for the losses they incur as the alternative to increasing relevant prices from 2s. 6d. to 3s.

The Decimal Currency Board, whose function it is to promote arrangements for the adaptation or replacement of commercial and other equipment, are advising owners of coin-operated machines to consult their suppliers. The Board's engineers are in touch with the machine manufacturers and importers. The Government have said that compensation as a general principle is not acceptable. It is for the Decimal Currency Board to receive and consider representations for compensation in special circumstances. The Government will consider any recommendations the Board will make.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum of interest paid by local authorities on loans from the Public Works Loan Board and other Government Departments in 1967 in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question on this subject on 6th February.—[Vol. 758, c. 76.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the gross amount of capital outflow in the years 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967; and by how much the gross amount was reduced each year, by short-term borrowings from abroad, long-term borrowings from abroad and by the sale of Government-owned securities held abroad.

Balance of payments figures for the period 1964 to September, 1967 were published in Economic Trends for December, 1967. Summary figures for 1967 as a whole will be published on 13th March, with the usual further detail in Economic Trends towards the end of March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of the deficit or surplus on current visible trade in the balance of payments in each of the years 1961 to 1967.

Provisional estimates for 1965 to 1967 were published in the Board of Trade Journal for 9th February, and slightly revised estimates will be published on 13th March as part of the regular quarterly series of publications relating to the balance of payments as a whole. Estimates for earlier years were published in the United Kingdom Balance of Payments, 1967.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the volume of imports from non-sterling countries bought by Government Departments, nationalised industries and Government-controlled public companies, respectively, for the years 1965, 1966 and 1967.

I regret that this information is not available and its collection would entail a disproportionate amount of time and expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many young men between 17 and 21 years of age are serving sentences in the young offenders' institution at Barlinnie; how this compares with March 1967; how many are serving sentences of less than six months; and what are his plans for building a separate institution for young offenders.

On 1st March 1968 the number serving sentences at Barlinnie Young Offenders Institution was 289 (including 143 with sentences of less than six months), compared with 270 on 1st March 1967.There are already separate young offenders institutions at Edinburgh and Dumfries to which 110 places will be added this year. Plans for new establishments in the early 1970s include one for male offenders under 21.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied at the progress of repairs done to property in Glasgow as a result of the storm damage of 15th January; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot add anything at present to the replies I gave on 6th March to the hon. Members for Hill-head (Mr. Galbraith) and Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor).—[Vol. 760, c. 437–8; Vol. 760, c. 78.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now completed his survey of the effect of local authority rates on commercial property; and if he will make a statement.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the extent of the survey carried out in Scotland by the Road Research Laboratory in relation to the standard time proposals; and if he will publish details of the survey.

The Road Research Laboratory's studies were made on a United Kingdom basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received against the introduction of British Standard Time into Scotland since 23rd January.

Nineteen.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of compulsory purchases of private dwelling houses in Scotland, in the year to the most convenient date, was on grounds that the homes were certified as unfit for human habitation.

In the year to 29th February, 1968, seventeen clearance area compulsory purchase orders were made, and these affected 494 houses which were unfit for human habitation. It is not possible to say how many houses were affected by other compulsory purchases of land.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average percentage change in rates, domestic and other subjects, respectively, in Scotland from 1966–67 to 1967–68.

I estimate that, after allowing for the domestic element of rate support grant, domestic ratepayers will pay on average about 0·4 per cent. less in rates this year, and other ratepayers 3·7 per cent. more.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average interest rates payable by local authorities on new loans in 1967.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer of 6th February.—[Vol. 758, c. 162.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the basis of his estimate that there will be a surplus of 3,000 teachers by 1971; and if he will give the figures for the number of teachers who have qualified at colleges of education in each of the last five years, and his estimate of those expected to qualify in the next five years.

The figure of 3,000 relates to primary teachers only. Estimates are based on recent trends in recruitment and wastage and forecasts of the numbers of pupils; they assume present staffing standards and the present pattern of distribution of teachers between the primary and secondary sectors.The following table gives the numbers of persons qualifying as primary or secondary teachers on completing college

of education courses in the years 1963 to 1967 and the numbers expected to do so in the next five years:

Actual
1963	2,679
1964	2,889
1965	3,141
1966	3,384
1967	3,642

Forecast
1968	4,360
1969	4,360
1970	5,060
1971	5,320
1972	5,560

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many bone depots there are in Scotland of the type described in the Appendix to Command Paper No. 3560.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will estimate the saving to public funds of legal aid for litigants in undefended divorces in Scotland of enabling them to present their cases in the sheriff court.

It is not possible to make a precise estimate, but, on the assumptions suggested in paragraph 106 of the Report of the Committee on the Sheriff Court (Cmnd. 3248), the saving to the legal aid fund might be about £130,000. This takes no account of other costs which the additional work in the sheriff courts would entail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present operation of the statutory law relating to treason and allied offences against the State; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has no reason to contemplate any early review of this branch of the criminal law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, for as many as possible of the fees mentioned in the Miscellaneous Fees (Variation) Order, 1968, is the approximate rise in the general consumer price level between the last date each revelant fee was fixed

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Date when fee was fixed at present rate	Matter to which fee relates	Enactments specifying fees or maximum fees	Old fee or maximum fee	New fee or maximum fee	Consumer Price Index when the fee was fixed (i.e. in 1938 or subsequently	Consumer Price Index 1967	Increase
							Per cent.
1951	Pet shop licence	Pet Animals Act 1951 Section 1(2)	10s. 0d.	£2	79·6	125·3	57·4
1939	Registration of adoption society	Adoption Act 1958 Section 30(1)	£1	£2	100·0	125·3	25·3
		Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 Paragraph 11 of Schedule 2			109·6	125·3	14·3
1954	Registration of pool promoter initial and and annual		£50	£100
1960	Permits for amusement: with prizes	Paragraph 4 of s Schedule 6	£1	£1 5s. 0d.
1956	Registration for small lotteries initial	Paragraphs 3 and 9 of Schedule 7	£1	£1 5s. 0d.
	(para. 3) annual (para. 9)		£1	£1 5s. 0d.
1963	Animal boarding establishment licence	Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 Section 1(2)	10s. 0d.	£2	109·6	125·3	14·3
1964	Riding establishment licence	Riding Establishments Act 1964 Section 1(2)	10s. 0d.	£10	112·7	125·3	11·2

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research and development work is done by the Home Office Telecommunications Branch; and how many qualified scientists and engineers are employed.

Until recently the development work of the Telecommunications Directorate has been confined to evaluat

The official Consumer Price Index commences with the year 1938. The following table shows the increase in consumer price levels between the date each revelant fee was fixed and 1967—the latest year for which details are available.ing and modifying commercially produced equipment. Subject to the need for economy in manpower my right hon. Friend hopes to be able to increase the scope of the Directorate's research and development activity and make further use of the resources of the Government's research and development establishments. There are no scientists on the staff of the Directorate at present, but my Chief Scientific Adviser and his staff are available. There are four qualified engineers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the loss that milk producers in England and Wales will sustain as a result of the discontinuing of milk for secondary schools; and what consultations he had with the farmers and the Milk Marketing Board on this question during the Price Review.

About £½ million in the financial year 1968–69 or nearly £1½ million in a full year. The issue was discussed at the Annual Review, but it would not be proper for me to disclose details.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is available to him about the type and quantity of livestock slaughtered annually in Establishment 1408 in the Argentine for export to the United Kingdom, in addition to the lamb specifically mentioned in Command Paper No. 3560 as a possible source of foot-and-mouth disease infection; and if he will make a statement.

It is regretted that this information is not available in the form requested. It is estimated that during the seven-month period, June to December 1967, imports from Establishment 1408 were approximately:

Beef	240 tons
Beef Offals	10 tons
Lamb	1,330 tons
Lamb Offals	100 tons

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when meat establishment No. 1408 in the Argentine was last inspected on behalf of Her Majesty's Government or British meat interests; and what report he received on the health standards at that plant.

I cannot answer for British meat interests. The establishment was last inspected on behalf of Her Majesty's Government on 4th January this year, when standards continued satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the consignment which included 770 frozen lamb carcases which were eventually dispatched to Wrexham, left establishment 1408 in the Argentine.

The consignment was shipped on 2nd August, 1967.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the deficiency payments on home-killed beef in each week from March, 1966, to February, 1968, inclusive.

As the Answer contains a lengthy table of figures, I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many outbreaks of anthrax in sheep or cattle have occurred within 50 miles of Gruinard Island off the north-west coast of Scotland; and whether, in view of the deliberate contamination of Gruinard Island, during World War 2, by tests for micro-biological weapons, compensation was paid to the owners.

Since 1939, 11 cases of anthrax, all in cattle, have occurred within 50 miles of Gruinard Island, and of these only three cases, which occurred in 1943, could reasonably be attributed to the Gruinard infection.The second part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. But I understand that Gruinard Island was requisitioned by the Government in 1942 and purchased from the owner in 1947.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how his Department proposes to encourage the increase in supplies of poultry-meat without a preceding increase in egg production.

The increase in demand for poultry meat is being met from home production almost entirely by the expansion of specialised table poultry production. This is quite distinct from commercial egg production and any increase in egg production as a by-product has been insignificant.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department is taking to promote the marketing of surplus potatoes for the manufacture of starch.

At present, none. Starch is not manufactured from potatoes in this country. A potato starch industry would obviously need a source of raw material more reliable than the irregular and intermittent surpluses of potatoes grown for human consumption.We discussed this as a possible method of surplus disposal with the Potato Marketing Board in 1966 but did not find it promising. We shall return to it in the discussions with the Board and the National Farmers' Unions mentioned in paragraph 55 of the recent Annual Review White Paper (Cmnd. 3558).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the formula used by his Department in Command Paper No. 3558 in the references to forecast actual farming net income, estimated actual farming net income, farming income and net income; and if he will make a statement.

Income is defined for these purposes as the reward for the manual and managerial labour of the farmer and his wife and for the use of the occupier's investment. In making the determinations published in the White Paper, the Government paid particular regard to the need for the industry to have resources for further investment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the normal weather conditions to which actual farm net income forecasts are adjusted in Command Paper No. 3558; and what are the criteria applied in such adjustments.

The effects of abnormal weather conditions on net farm income are assessed during the technical discussions with the Farmers' Unions before each Annual Review, in order to facilitate the comparison of basic trends in farm income year by year. There is no firm definition of "normal weather conditions" as such. Each of the items of output and input are examined separately, so that any necessary adjustments can be made to the total net income figure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the number of full-time farm businesses for 1967–68 compares with those trading in 1966–67.

The number of full-time farm businesses in the United Kingdom in estimated at about 207,000 in 1967–68 and about 212,000 in 1966–67.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to promote, and make more popular, the consumption of homegrown mutton and lamb.

This is primarily a matter for industry, but the First Schedule to the Agriculture Act, 1967, will enable the Meat and Livestock Commission, if they so decide, to undertake such promotion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he took to safeguard the public, in view of the reports at the end of August, 1967 to a veterinary officer in his Department raising grave doubts as to the condition of 770 carcases of frozen Argentinian lamb then at Wrexham.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 8th March.—[Vol. 760, c. 192–3.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he anticipates imports of frozen beef from Australia and New Zealand will be substantially less in the year 1967–68 than they were in 1966–67; and if he will make a statement.

Most of the 1967–68 period has now elapsed and I do not expect that arrivals recorded in February and March will significantly alter my forecast. The forecast that imports of frozen beef from Australia and New Zealand will be less than in 1966–67, can, therefore, be virtually confirmed. Clearly, the level of purchases from Australia and New Zealand, or from any source, normally depends on commercial decisions taken by the traders concerned in the light of many factors, including the supplies available, given the attractions of alternative markets. In the case of these two countries, the United States of America in particular has for some time been a profitable alternative outlet for their frozen beef.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many full-time medium-sized egg producers were trading at 1st March, 1968 compared with the same date for the past five years.

The number of agricultural holdings with laying flocks of 1,000–4,999 birds returned at the June census for England and Wales in each of the last five years was:

	Number of holdings with 1,000–4,999 laying birds
1963*	6,585
1964	7,268
1965	6,392
1966	5,892
1967	5,451
* Changes in the census questionnaire after 1963 may have affected comparability with later figures.

It is not possible accurately to distinguish between full-time and part-time egg producers, but it is estimated that about 90 per cent. of the laying flocks in this size group were on full-time agricultural holdings.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has now reached a decision on the extension of Class B (Amateur) Transmitting Licences.

I am pleased to say that I have decided that the Amateur (Sound) Licence B can be extended to permit operation in the radio frequency band 144–146 Mc/s. I shall be issuing a Gazette Notice to give effect to this decision as soon as possible.I have also decided to introduce a Beginners Licence, to encourage interest in radio by people not yet possessing the qualifications needed for a full Amateur Licence. The details of the availability of this new licence are still being worked out, but I expect to have it on issue by the Autumn of this year.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will institute an inquiry into the postal services between London and Leeds in order to avoid the regular delay of up to two days between the posting of a letter at Leeds Central Post Office and delivery in the Westminster area.

Yes. I will let the hon. Gentleman know the outcome.

asked the Postmaster-General why letters posted at Coalville on 28th February were not delivered in Westminster until 9 a.m. on 1st March, and a letter posted in Weybridge on 28th February before 5 p.m. was not delivered until 1st March.

These were unsealed packets of printed papers pre-paid 3d. Such packets are not usually delivered as quickly as fully-paid letters, and I do not think 40 hours is unreasonable.

asked the Postmaster-General how many main and sub-post offices have been the victims of hold-ups by criminals in each of the last three years.

I am circulating the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.We have done a great deal to reduce the vulnerability of post offices and have been having some success as the figures show. I recently agreed with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters further preventive measures at sub-post offices. Nevertheless, I think there would be advantage in an outsider having a thorough look at Post Office security problems and I have arranged with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary

			Crown Post Offices		Sub Post Offices
			Robberies	Attempted Robberies	Robberies	Attempted Robberies	Total
1965–66	…	…	—	—	59	56	115
1966–67	…	…	5	—	49	38	92
1967–68 (ten months)			3	—	42	28	73

asked the Prime Minister if he will dissociate Her Majesty's Government from the United States bombing of the civilian population of Ben Tre, in Vietnam, which was deliberate.

We deplore all the violence brought about by the war in Vietnam. Our aim is to bring this to an end and with it the risk of incidents such as those involved in the capture of Ben Tre by the Viet Cong and its recovery by the South Vietnamese and their allies.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied as to the extent to which the British Broadcasting Corporation overseas services conveyed to the population of Rhodesia news of recent developments which affect that country; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I explained the general arrangements made by the B.B.C. Overseas Services for transmitting news to Rhodesia in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Alan Lee Williams) on 5th March. Those arrangements were vigorously employed in conveying to Rhodesia news of the developments of the last few days. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary himself broadcast to Rhodesia on 6th March.—[Vol. 760, c. 48–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the toxicity of CS gas, ortho chloro benzyl malono

The toxicity of CS vapour, expressed in milligram minutes per cubic metre to give a 50 per cent. probability of death, has been estimated from experimental evidence to be 45,000 for rats and 150,000 for larger animals comparable with man. The latter is 50,000 times the dose which can be tolerated by a human being and about 200,000 times the amount needed to disperse rioters. CS has been used on a world-wide basis for about seven years, but no authenticated report has been received of death or injury resulting from its inhalation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence with which countries there are shared facilities for testing equipment and weapons developed at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton, and the Microbiological Establishment, Porton; and where these facilities are located.

In the United States, at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; in Canada, at Suffield, Alberta; and in Australia, at Innisfail, Queensland. The term "weapon" in this context refers solely to riot control apparatus.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what initiatives are being taken by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton, to make available the results of research to the protective clothing industry.

Novel materials for protective clothing have been developed by the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment in association with two industrial companies and are covered by patents. Full scope has been given to these firms for the commercial exploitation of these new materials.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the cost for the years 1965, 1966 and 1967 incurred by the United Kingdom at the Suffield Testing Ground for Chemical and Microbiological Weapons, near Medicine Hat, Canada; how many qualified British scientists and engineers have been stationed at Suffield during these years; and how many tests of British weapons or equipment have been carried out at Suffield.

No costs were incurred during those years, apart from the expenses incurred as a result of normal exchange visits to Canada, which included Suffield. During the same period, no British scientists or engineers were stationed at Suffield, and no tests of British weapons or equipment were carried out there.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the 600 qualified scientists and engineers working at Fort Detrick, United States of America, on research in chemical and biological warfare are British citizens.

None.