asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in Scotland were admitted to hospital in 1967 suffering from rickets; how this figure compared with each of the six previous years; and how far this disease affects the city of Glasgow in particular.

The following table shows for hospitals in Scotland as a whole and in the City of Glasgow, the number of children under 15 years of age discharged after in-patient treatment who were recorded as having rickets:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by individual counties in Scotland on school text books in the last financial year; and how these figures compared with 1966 and 1965.

The accounting practice of most education authorities does not enable expenditure on text books to be separately identified.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will indicate the latest available figure of average weekly hours worked in Great Britain compared to the 1938 level.

The available figures, which relate to the United Kingdom, not Great Britain, are:

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if, in view of the arbitrariness of the proposed dividing line, she will include all landward areas of the county of Aberdeen within employment exchange areas in the county which would be eligible for the refund of Selective Employment Tax to the hotel industry proposed in the Finance Bill;(2) if she will include the area of the Alford District Council, Aberdeenshire, within the employment exchange area of either Huntley or Banchory for purposes of the refund of Selective Employment Tax to the hotel industry proposed in the Finance Bill, in order that Upper Donside may enjoy the same benefits as Royal Deeside in attracting tourists.

It would not be appropriate to make changes in the boundaries of employment exchanges for this purpose. The areas proposed for relief of Selective Employment Tax are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Labour what consultations she has had with the Northern Ireland Government about the reference to the National Board for Prices and Incomes of the increase in prices for sale of houses owned by the Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust; and if she will make a statement.

None.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many ratepayers in Rugby Borough and Rugby Rural Council areas have benefited since the rate rebate scheme was introduced, and by what average amount.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether county planning boards rank as local authorities for purposes of Circular No. 43 and 57/66.

Government Departments notify county and district or borough councils of their surplus land under the arrangements in this circular. It is open to a county council which is a constituent body of a joint planning board to pass the information to that board and the board would therefore have an opportunity to bid for the land.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much his Department estimated it would save by the 50 per cent. cut in the proposed increase in student grants which was announced on 16th January.

The estimated saving to public funds is about £5½ million in a full year.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many additional office buildings have been acquired in London and elsewhere since October, 1964, to house Government Departments; and what has been the cost in rent and rates.

1,100 office buildings or parts of buildings have been acquired and about the same number of holdings have been surrendered. There was, however,

The figures 1966–67 and 1967–68 are as follows:a net increase in the area of accommodation held of about 6 million square feet, giving rise to an increase in rent of about £4·5 million.Figures for contributions in lieu of rates are not immediately available.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether, in view of the recent riots, he will replace the existing net fencing round Grosvenor Square Garden with the spiked iron railings traditional in London squares.

No, but I will keep the matter under review.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that hon. Members are kept waiting weeks for replies to correspondence sent to Ministers on matters which could be dealt with within a few days if a Minister or junior Minister were available to sign letters; and whether he will ensure that there is a Minister on duty, particularly during Parliamentary Recesses, to deal with correspondence from hon. Members.

I am not aware of any general difficulty but if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind perhaps he would take it up with the Minister concerned.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom Parliamentary delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Yes. The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe will be meeting in Strasbourg on the 6th of May. I have appointed 18 delegates from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The delegation this year will consist of 10 members of the Labour Party, seven members of the Conservative Party and one member of the Liberal Party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.The appointments of Conservative and Liberal representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the Leaders of those Parties.The same delegation will be representing the United Kingdom Parliament at the Assembly of the Western European Union.Representatives from the Government benches will be:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of the United Kingdom delegation to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Delhi; and how many Ministers attended for any period of the conference.

The accounts are not yet completed but the cost to public funds is expected to be a little over £30,000. I attended the first week of the conference accompanied by my hon. Friends the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Development.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the unemployment rate in Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello, announced on 22nd April, he will revise the boundaries of the development area so as to include them.

Unemployment is only one of the factors taken into account in the designation of development areas. My right hon. Friend has no present intentions of revising the boundaries of the Scottish development area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many British dogs were exported over the last five years, respectively; which countries were the principal purchasers; and what is the approximate annual sum earned in foreign exchange.

The information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made to him about cruelty to dogs exported from this country either in passage by sea or air, or on arrival at their destinations.

None.

asked the Chancellor why he approved of an increase in the dividend paid by Allen, Harvey and Ross to shareholders out of reduced profits.

The company paid a dividend less than 3½ per cent. above that for the previous year. This was in accordance with Government policy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total cost of all Government grants, loans and subsidies to private industry in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967.

The total financial assistance provided to industry, including, in 1967 only, investment grants, Selective Employment Tax additional payments, and regional employment premium, was:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the computer centre at East Kilbride, which is to handle Scottish Pay as You Earn tax returns, will begin to operate; what it will cost in a full year; and how much it will save the Scottish taxpayer.

The Inland Revenue's Schedule E computer centre at East Kilbride started to operate on a limited scale at the beginning of April and by the middle of 1970 will be handling all the P.A.Y.E. cases at present dealt with in Scottish tax offices. The decision to set it up was based on an estimate that the full annual cost would be £1·4 million, representing a saving to the Exchequer of about £175,000 a year. The cost and saving will be reassessed, so as to take account of current trends, when the centre is fully established.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what work is currently being done by the Government Social Survey.

The Government Social Survey is responsible for three continuing statistical surveys: the Family Expenditure Survey, the International Passenger Survey and the National Food Survey. In addition to this continuing work the following ad hoc studies are now in progress:

• Smoking Amongst Schoolchildren.
• Social Welfare of the Elderly.
• A Nutrition Survey of Pre-Schoolchildren and Expectant Mothers.
• Leisure Activities in Relation to Planning.
• Sixth Form Curricula and Examinations.
• The Home Help Service.
• Community Relationships (for Royal Commissions on Local Government).
• The Demand for Dental Health Treatment.
• Parents' Attitudes to their Children's Education.
• London Housing.
• Personnel Management Issues in the Police and Fire Service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why it took his Department until 16th April to send a formal letter of acknowledgment to the hon. Member for West Ham, North advising him of the receipt of his letter of 8th April concerning the National Theatre Project and pointing out that this was a matter for the Secretary of State for Education and Science; and whether he will ensure that his officers act more expeditiously in deciding what falls within their Departmental responsibilities.

My hon. Friend appears to have overlooked the Easter holiday. This letter was replied to within three working days of being received. In the circumstances that was not undue delay.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the constituency of North Cornwall are in receipt of public service or Armed Forces pensions.

There are approximately 1,000,000 public service and Armed Forces pensioners, but the number resident in the constituency of North Cornwall cannot be ascertained without disproportionate cost and effort.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek to remove the Purchase Tax on measuring rules for printers marked with millimetres so as to bring them into line with similar rules marked only with inches.

There is no tax distinction between rulers calibrated in millimetres and like rulers calibrated in inches.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the decision of the Phoenix Assurance Company Limited to increase its distribution from 6s. 3d. to 7s. was in accordance with the Government's prices and incomes policy.

The final dividend of the Phoenix Assurance Company Limited was the subject of a firm and final recommendation of the Board of Directors made before 19th March, 1968.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent Customs Officers made a check or inquiries into duty-free goods purchased by the sur- viving passengers involved in the recent air disaster at Heathrow; and whether he will make a statement.

There was no Customs check on passengers. The senior Customs Officer chatted informally with a few passengers so as to obtain information relating to certain goods. These inquiries did not relate to any Customs liability of the passengers themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners eligible for parole applied for it; and what percentage succeeded.

All prisoners who are eligible for parole are considered, unless they expressly ask not to be. About 9 per cent. of the prisoners in England and Wales eligible up to 1st April, exercised this option. Of the remainder, 8 per cent. were granted parole. Detailed figures are available in the reply I gave on 28th March to questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Bebington (Mr. Brooks) and Bolton, West (Mr. Oakes).—[Vol. 761, c. 1694–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it costs per week to keep a dog on duty in prison.

On the basis of single handling, the weekly cost is about £3, of which 22s. represents the cost of the allowance paid to the prison officer handling the dog.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what has been the reply to the representations made concerning the kidnapping of Mr. Desmond Francis.

The position of Her Majesty's Government as regards the detention of Mr. Desmond Francis, a South African citizen, in Rhodesia, and his subsequent deportation to South Africa, was fully explained by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs, in the House on 21st February. Her Majesty's Government continue to remain in contact with the South African authorities on behalf Mrs. Francis, who is a United Kingdom citizen.—[Vol. 759, c. 149.]

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he is aware, that for many weeks before the official announcement of Mr. Len Williams, former Secretary of the Labour Party, being appointed as Governor of Mauritius, most newspapers in Great Britain carried reports stating that this announcement was to be made; and whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how this information was given to the Press prior to the Government's official announcement.

The announcement was not made by the British Government but was made on behalf of Her Majesty as Queen of Mauritius. I have no reason to suppose that there was any improper disclosure from British Government sources prior to the official announcement.

asked the Minister of Power how many redundant coal miners have been found jobs with the National Coal Board Opencast Executive in the last three years.

I have asked the chairman of the National Coal Board to give the hon. Member the figures.

asked the Minister of Power (1) how many serious and fatal accidents have been suffered by members of the general public as a result of the National Coal Board's deep mining operations in the last three years;(2) how many serious and fatal accidents have been suffered by members of the general public as a result of the National Coal Board's opencast mining operations in the last three years.

I am informed by the National Coal Board that the figures are not immediately available, but the chairman of the board will supply the of information to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Power what is the weight of enriched uranium to be used in the Dungeness B nuclear power station.

This is a matter for the C.E.G.B. and I am bringing the hon. Member's question to the notice of its chairman.

asked the Minister of Social Security how many people living in the constituency of North Cornwall are unable to receive the retirement pension because they were too old when the scheme started.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will direct the British Railways Board to include in their annual statement of accounts the revenue and expenses of each of the five regions.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Gentleman on 3rd April.—[Vol. 762, c. 102.]

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he will ensure that the track from Lake Side to Plumpton Junction will not be removed until the future of this route is finally determined;(2) what representations he has received from the North-West Regional Economic Planning Council on the use of Lake Side to Plumpton Junction route by a voluntary company set up to manage this as a light railway.

The disposal of the track is a matter for the Railways Board, but my predecessor consulted the North-West Regional Economic Planning Council before agreeing to the disposal of the formation of the line. Any subsequent arrangements for its take-over and operation by a private company would also be a matter for the Board who have, I understand, been negotiating with such a body.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is now in a position to introduce a 60 m.p.h. speed limit on the A45 between Dunchurch and Thurlaston roundabout, near Rugby.

I have decided that a 50 m.p.h. speed limit is the most appropriate for this short length of road. Consideration of two objections to the proposal has taken a little time but we will shortly bring the limit into operation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet completed his investigations into the cause of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Westbrook Farm, Kingsley, on 3rd April, 1968; and if he will now make a statement.

It has not been possible to trace a definite source of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Westbrook Farm, Kingsley. It is possible that the disease spread from an outbreak at Tarvin, near Chester on 22nd March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the proportion, in the areas recently affected by foot-and-mouth disease, of the main breeds of cattle before the outbreak of the disease; and what has been the proportion of these breeds affected by the disease.

I regret that no figures are available giving the proportion of the main breeds of cattle in the areas recently affected by foot-and-mouth disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to make known to growers the two new varieties of wheat available, Maris Ranger and Joss Cambier, which the National Institute of Agricultural Botany's tests indicate may raise yields by up to five hundredweights per acre.

Information about these and other winter wheat varieties on the current Recommended List of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany is being made available to growers and merchants by the Institute itself, and by the National Agricultural Advisory Service through the medium of county bulletins, newsletters and individual advice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average payment per acre by way of farming grants and subsidies in Wales as compared with England during recent years.

Average payments of farming grants and subsidies per acre of crops, grass and rough grazing were approximately £2·7 in Wales and £2·6 in England in both 1965–66 and in 1966–67.

asked the Attorney-General if he will include in the scope of the committee he has appointed to study amendment of the law the need for modernising the law relating to teenagers in Scotland and England.

I do not know what committee the hon. and learned Member has in mind. He will be aware that the Latey Committee on the Age of Majority has recently reported and that it was announced in this House and in another place on 10th April, 1968 that the Government have in general accepted the recommendations made in their report. The Law Commission has been invited to consider the proposals made by the Latey Committee for substantive changes in the law of infants' contracts, and is already examining family law with a view to its systematic reform and eventual codification.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is considering whether legislation is required to amend the law of Scotland in relation to minors.As other branches of the law are reviewed their application to different age groups will no doubt be considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what were the conditions Her Majesty's Government imposed upon the proposed visit of the East German hockey team to Wales which has led to the cancellation of the visit; and whether he will make a statement.

The organisers of this visit were asked to give an assurance that the East German national flag and emblem would not be shown; that their national anthem would not be played; and that the team would not be described as being from the "German Democratic Republic". These assurances which follow agreed practice were given and there was therefore no obstacle from our point of view to the team coming here. East German teams have taken part in many events in this country in the past on these conditions.

asked the Minister of Health how many people are awaiting hospital treatment in Coventry, Nuneaton and Rugby.

Numbers on waiting lists of hospitals in the Coventry, Nuneaton and Rugby areas, as at 31st December, 1967, were 6,132, 1,775 and 1,269, respectively.

asked the Minister of Health what new hospital facilities are being provided to meet the influx of 60,000 residents at Thamesmead; and whether he is aware that wards at St. Nicholas Hospital, Plumstead, are already overcrowded.

To meet the needs of the increased population additional diagnostic and consultative services will be provided and the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board are reviewing the in-patient facilities in the Woolwich area.