asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of Government grants to individuals or individual firms and companies in Scotland to aid tourism in each of the past five years to the most convenient date.

Grants offered by the Highlands and Islands Development Board and by the Board of Trade in the five years ending March, 1968, totalled approximately £2·7 million. Most of the assistance went towards the cost of providing more or improved accommodation. Details are given below.

				£'000
			H.I.D.B.*	Board of Trade†
1963–64	…	…	—	13
1964–65	…	…	—	508
1965–66	…	…	1	381
1966–67	…	…	111	765
1967–68	…	…	264	651
Total	…	…	375	2,318
* Grants offered by the H.I.D.B. for tourism projects, since it was set up in December, 1965.
† Building grants offered under the Local Employment Acts for hotel, catering, sport and other recreational projects.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost of the Government information services.

The provision for 1968–69 is £40,146,000. Details are given in Table IX of my Memorandum on the Estimates 1968–69 (Cmnd. 3583).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many people do not understand the new coding provisions in Pay As You Earn which result from reclaiming additional children's allowances; and what steps are being taken to assure the public that codes are being properly worked out and that each person's code is adequately checked.

In describing in my right hon. Friend's Budget Speech his proposals for withdrawing the family allowance increases, in whole or in part, by use of the tax system, he explained in some detail what the Inland Revenue would be doing. People affected by the proposals should by now have received a revised coding notice, together with a leaflet explaining the Budget proposals. The coding notice invites the taxpayer to check his code number and get in touch with the tax office if he thinks it is wrong.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he approved a 7½ per cent. increase in total distribution by Brush Group Holdings Limited, a 25 per cent. increase in total distribution by Wimbledon Stadium Limited, and an increased distribution by Dennis Day Limited; and to what extent in the last case approval was made conditional on abandonment of a proposal for a one-for-six scrip issue.

The Treasury have had no direct communication with Brush Group Holdings Limited. Wimbledon Stadium Limited and Dennis Day Limited consulted the Treasury before announcing dividends at the same level as three years and two years ago respectively, and their decisions did not conflict with the voluntary scheme of dividend restraint. As a separate matter Dennis Day Limited were asked to defer a proposed scrip issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what dates

Study	Date commissioned
Smoking Amongst Schoolchildren	5thJanuary, 1965
Social Welfare of the Elderly	14th December, 1965
A Nutrition Survey of Pre-Schoolchildren and Expectant Mothers	14th November, 1966
Leisure Activities in Relation to Planning	5th May, 1965
Sixth Form Curricula and Examinations	13th May, 1966
The Home Help Service	6th January, 1967
Community Relationships (for Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland)	21st November, 1966
Community Relationships (for Royal Commission on Local Government in England)	5th January, 1967
The Demand for Dental Health Treatment	16th June, 1967
Parents' Attitudes to their Children's Education	14th March, 1967
London Housing	12th February, 1967
Personnel Management Issues n the Police and Fire Service	22nd March, 1967
The Chronic Sick and Handicapped	29th March, 1968
The Youth Employment Service	6th October, 1967
Readership of the Board of Trade Journal	28th November 1967

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed upon the research projects currently being carried out by the Government's Social Survey.

All the staff of the Government Social Survey at present totalling 186, contribute directly or indirectly to the Department's current Survey Programme. Field work is done by trained, fee-paid interviewers of whom there are 322. In addition, some work is put out to contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Chinese Government's proposal to prosecute the British firm, Vickers-Zimmer.

We learned of the intention of the Chinese Government to prosecute Vickers-Zimmer from our Mission in Peking and from the company themselves, with whom we have kept in close touch. The summons gives no details of the charge to be made against were each of the subjects currently being studied by the Government's Social Survey referred to that body; and when the results of each study are likely to be published.

Current studies and the dates when they were commissioned are set out below. Questions of likely publication dates are a matter for the Ministers of the Departments sponsoring the studies.the company, except that it is one of fraud. The company stated on 24th April that since their contract specifies arbitration in Sweden they have declined to accept the jurisdiction of the Chinese court. The summons was returnable on 25th April but neither we nor the company have received any indication whether the trial actually took place.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what further information he has received about the detention in China of the British engineer, Mr. Peter Watt.

As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member for Richmond, Surrey (Mr. A. Royle) on 20th March, Mr. Watt was sentenced to three years imprisonment on charges of spying. Despite continued representations in Peking, the Chinese authorities have still not supplied details of those charges or granted consular access to Mr. Watt. I raised the case of Mr. Watt, among others, when I summoned the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires ad interim on 5th April and made it clear we regarded the Chinese failure to supply information or grant access as inhumane and entirely contrary to accepted international practice. We shall continue to press the Chinese for information and access.—[Vol. 761, c. 422–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will propose further steps at the United Nations to strengthen a United Nations Emergency Relief Organisation to enable immediate aid to be brought to major disasters in the world.

This subject will be considered later this year, in preparation for the 23rd Session of the General Assembly, when the Secretary-General is expected to report on the working of the arrangements approved by the General Assembly at its 20th Session. As my hon. Friend the then Minister of State told my hon. Friend on 29th November, 1966, new procedures for co-ordinating United Nations assistance in cases of natural disaster were authorised by the General Assembly in December, 1965, and the Secretary-General can call upon a fund of $100,000 for emergency aid in any one year.—[Vol. 737, c. 69–70.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he will place in the Library the Annex referred to in Article 2 of the United States Mediator's proposed Treaty between the United Kingdom and Guatemala.

I shall be glad to place this Annex in the Library when it is received from the Mediator. It does not at present exist, though the Mediator's text of the proposed Treaty provides for an Annex which would, I understand, be merely a map showing the routes between the places mentioned in this Article.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the total number of leucotomy operations which have taken place under the National Health Service for all causes during the past three years;(2) if he will specify the particular conditions in which leucotomy operations have been approved during the past three years under the National Health Service; and what they were intended to cure;(3) if he will indicate the method of recording leucotomy operations under the National Health Service required by his Department.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend's reply to him on 30th April—[Vol. 763, c. 157.]

asked the Minister of Health when administrative staffs in hospitals last received a salary increase; and what negotiations are now in hand for a further increase.

1st April, 1966; a claim was presented by the Staff Side of the Administrative and Clerical Staffs Whitley Council on 22nd February last and is being considered by a Negotiating Sub-Committee.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors emigrated from Great Britain in each of the years 1960 to 1968.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to my reply on 24th July, 1967, to my hon. Friend the Member for Wandsworth, Central (Dr. David Kerr), and I am sending him a copy of the detailed study referred to in that reply.—[Vol. 751, c. 17.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why permission was given by the Metropolitan Police for a wreath in memory of the dead of the North Vietnamese army to be laid at the Cenotaph in Whitehall after the ANZAC Day Service on 25th April.

No application was made to the Metropolitan Police for permission to lay this wreath. The persons who laid the wreath were observed among the crowd near the Cenotaph during the ANZAC Day Service and were told that they would not be allowed to display the banners they were carrying or to lay a wreath during the ceremony. As the ceremony was ending, however, these persons evaded the police, laid their wreath and displayed their banners; in the resulting disturbance, nine persons were arrested and the wreath was removed by the police.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those architecturally listed buildings which have been destroyed in the latest convenient period recently; if he will list those, such as Burton Constable, which he has been notified are threatened at the moment due to shortage of funds; and whether he will seek to establish a public appeal fund to save such buildings.

In the year ended 31st March, 1968, notice was given of proposals to demolish 407 buildings on the statutory list. Not all of these will, in fact, be demolished, but it is not possible to say how many, since actual demolition once allowed does not have to be statutorily notified. It is not practicable to identify all those buildings where the proposal to demolish is due to shortage of funds.

Apart from grants made by my right hon. Friend and by some local authorities funds for preserving buildings are already raised by many bodies nationally, locally, and for specific buildings. The establishment of any new fund would appear more appropriate for nongovernmental initiative.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what sum was allocated to the London Borough of Harrow in 1967–68 as the domestic element of the rate support grant which secured a reduction in the rate poundage of 5d. in the £ sterling in respect of dwelling houses and 2d in the £ sterling for mixed hereditaments which are predominantly residential; and what is his estimate for similar grants in 1968–69.

The latest estimates of the domestic element of the rate support grants payable to the London Borough Council of Harrow are £162,522 for 1967–68 and £331,895 for 1968–69. The amount for 1968–69 secures in that year a reduction in the rate poundage of 10d. in the pound in respect of dwelling houses and 5d. in the pound for mixed hereditaments which are predominantly residential.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the total amount of money paid in regional employment premiums to industries in each of the scheduled development areas.

Between 4th September, 1967, when regional employment premium became payable, and 31st March, 1968, about £13 million was paid to industries in the Scottish Development Area, about £4 million in the Wlesh Development Area and about £½ million in the South Western Development Area. Because these payments are analysed only by Ministry of Labour Regions it is not possible to give exactly comparable figures for the Northern and Merseyside Development Areas, but between the dates given above, about £8½ million was paid to industries in the Northern Region and about £6½ million to industries in the North-Western Region.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage of the total insured population ranking for payment of regional employment premium, unemployed, and employed, respectively, in the catering industry, in each employment exchange area in Scotland on the latest date for which figures are available.

Figures giving the number of employees in establishments eligible for regional employment premium are not available for individual employment exchanges areas. Broad estimates are, however, available of the number of employees in employment exchange areas, or in some cases groups of such areas, analysed by industry. The proportion of the total of employees (which include the unemployed) in manufacturing industry derived from such estimates will not correspond exactly with the proportion in establish-

PERCENTAGES THAT (1) ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES (ORDERS III—XVI OF THE STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION) AT MID, 1966; (2) ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN CATERING, HOTELS, ETC. (MINIMUM LIST HEADING 884) AT MID, 1966; AND (3) TOTAL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED AT APRIL, 1968 FORMED OF THE ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF ALL EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED, AT MID, 1966 IN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE OR TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREAS IN SCOTLAND.
		Percentage of employees in all industries and services
		Manufacturing industries (rounded to the nearest whole number) Mid, 1966	Catering, Hotels, etc. (rounded to the nearest whole number Mid, 1966	Total registered unemployed April, 1968
		(1)	(2)	(3)
Aberdeen	…	28	3	2·2
Inverurie	…	30	1
Stonehaven	…	13	4
Anstruther	…	14	7	6·8
Arbroath and Carnoustie	…	39	3	2·9
Ardrossan	…	13	5	5·4
Irvine	…	55	2
Kilwinning	…	35	—
Stevenston	…	79	1
Ayr	…	23	6	3·9
Troon	…	45	6
Banchory	…	4	13	3·1
Banff	…	10	2	6·5
Bathgate	…	43	2	3·0
Broxburn	…	32	2
West Calder	…	30	2
Blairgowrie	…	23	3	3·2
Brechin	…	26	3	3·9
Buckie	…	20	2	6·2
Campbeltown	…	14	4	10·1
Castle Douglas	…	13	5	5·2
Cumbernauld	…	60	1	3·0
Cumnock	…	16	1	4·6
Cupar	…	22	1	2·0
Dingwall and Invergordon	…	12	6	7·8
Dumbarton	…	42	1	4·4
Alexandria	…	66	3
Helensburgh	…	12	6
Dumfries	…	23	4	4·5
Annan	…	44	4
Dundee and Broughty Ferry	…	48	2	2·9
Dunfermline	…	31	2	4·6
Burntisland	…	59	2
Cowdenbeath	…	13	3
Inverkeithing	…	61	3
Dunoon	…	7	14	3·6
Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello	…	27	5	2·3
Dalkeith	…	27	3
Loanhead	…	28	1
Elgin and Lossiemouth	…	22	4	4·6
Eyemouth	…	16	2	3·9

asked the Minister of Labour what information she has as to the index of women's earnings, in the private sector, in comparison with men's; what change this index shows in past years for which information is available; and when she expects to be able to announce plans for phased progress towards equal pay.

A separate index of earnings is not available for the private sector. The following indices, however, have been compiled for manufacturing industry which falls very largely within the private sector. Joint talks between officials of my Department, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress are in progress on the cost of implementing equal pay. The Government will consider its plans when these are completed.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
MANUAL WORKERS
April, 1956=100
		Full-time Men (21 years and over) Average earnings
		Weekly	Hourly
October, 1956	…	101	101
October, 1957	…	108	108
October, 1958	…	110	112
October, 1959	…	116	116
October, 1960	…	124	126
October, 1961	…	130	134
October, 1962	…	134	139
October, 1963	…	141	145
October, 1964	…	153	157
October, 1965	…	165	172
October, 1966	…	170	182
October, 1967	…	179	190

		Full-time Women (18 years and over) Average earnings
		Weekly	Hourly
October, 1956	…	103	103
October, 1957	…	109	109
October, 1958	…	112	113
October, 1959	…	118	118
October, 1960	…	124	126
October, 1961	…	129	134
October, 1962	…	134	140
October, 1963	…	140	146
October, 1964	…	149	157
October, 1965	…	160	171
October, 1966	…	168	182
October, 1967	…	176	191

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL AND CLERICAL EMPLOYEES
October, 1959=100
		Average earnings on a weekly basis
		Males (21 years and over)	Females (18 years and over)
October, 1960	…	106	104
October, 1961	…	111	110
October, 1962	…	116	115
October, 1963	…	122	120
October, 1964	…	130	128
October, 1965	…	140	138
October, 1966	…	146	147
October, 1967	…	153	155

asked the Minister of Labour how much the levy of the Agricultural Training Board is expected to raise in the current year; and how much of this will be spent on administration.

Approximately £920,000 and £370,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the average attendance of members of all public companies in which the Government had equity holdings, as expressed in numbers of persons attending and excluding cases where any persons attending held proxies on behalf of other members, for the year 1967; and what was the percentage of all members represented at such meetings;(2) what was the average attendance of members, other than by proxy, at annual general meetings of public companies expressed as a percentage of the total membership for the year 1967; and what were the corresponding figures for 1945, 1951 and 1964.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General, what representations he has received from the National Union of Journalists and other newspaper interests about the Greater London Council's proposals for local broadcasting; and what replies have been sent.

I have had a letter from the National Union of Journalists expressing their opposition to the Greater London Council's proposals. I have referred them to my Answer on 11th April to my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Boston).—[Vol. 762, c. 1569–70.]

asked the Postmaster-General whether a letter endorsed On Her Majesty's Service will receive the 4d. stamp treatment for letters or the 5d. stamp treatment.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to the Answer which I gave to a Question from the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 24th April.—[Vol. 763, c. 63–4.]

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he will take to improve the telephone service in the House of Commons as a contribution to Telephone Fortnight.

I am not responsible for the standard of the telephone service in the House of Commons. A comprehensive report on the telecommunications services at the Palace of Westminster has recently been completed by the Post Office. I understand that the Services Committee is considering it.

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate he has made of the number of inland local and trunk calls and the number of overseas calls to Europe and the rest of the world, respectively, over the next five years; and what action he is taking to develop mathematical models for prediction of telephone usage as an aid to capital expenditure decisions.

A review of the capital investment requirements, system growth, and financial prospects for the period to 1972–73 is at present in progress.I have accepted the recommendation in paragraph 216(1) of the Report by the National Board for Prices and Incomes to strengthen the team working in the field of mathematical model building. Advertisements for the recruitment of additional specialist staff have been displayed in the appropriate papers and journals.

asked the Postmaster-General what contracts have been placed for equipment and buildings to extend the capacity of Orpington telephone exchange since 1st January, 1967; and if he will publish in each case the names of the contractors, a brief description of the work, the planned and actual completion dates, the penalty in the case of contracts extended beyond the planned date, and the amount claimed by the Post Office in respect of these contracts.

A contract for the supply and installation of equipment for 5,200 additional exchange lines and for the growth of S.T.D. traffic and trunk switching was placed under the Bulk Supply Agreement in September, 1966. It is not normally our practice to disclose the contractor's name. The work was originally planned to begin in January, 1968 and to be completed in March, 1969; but both these dates had to be deferred by two months because the Post Office was late in supplying some details of the requirements to the contractor.I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works that a contract for the vertical extension of the building, at first floor level, was also placed in September, 1966. The completed building was handed over to the Post Office in February, 1968. The question of penalties does not arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what changes have been made in international air routes over Worthing during the last year; what is the width of the traffic lanes now being used and the minimum height at which aircraft using the traffic lanes are allowed to fly when crossing the coast.

On 5th April, 1968, a new airway came into operation, covering the area between Brighton and Littlehampton and contiguous with an existing airway to the east. Aircraft passing over the coast within five miles of Worthing should not be below 6,500 ft. and normally will be much higher.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what considerations led him to approve the re-routing of aircraft on international flights over Worthing, rather than over less densely populated parts of the coast; what publicity was given to proposed changes before a decision was made; and what consultation he had to ascertain the views of those likely to be affected by increased aircraft noise.

The increasing volume of traffic at Heathrow and Gatwick has necessitated the westward extension of the London Terminal Area, and consequently the broadening of the airway band crossing the south coast. The general effect is, therefore, not to concentrate traffic over any one place but to spread it more widely. The new routing was fully discussed with representatives of all the flying interests concerned, and the noise implications were throughly examined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a list of international airports in all parts of the world used by British aircraft where the normal approach or take-off is mainly over water, and of those where both are over water.

I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the congestion on the North Circular Road between the Cambridge public house, Edmonton, and the Cock Tavern, Palmers Green, particularly during peak hours, has been aggravated by the recent decision to shut off all intersections on this stretch of road; and whether he will restore the previous position or have one or two intersections allowed with automatically operated traffic signals correctly adjusted for peak periods.

The closure on 1st April of four gaps in the central reservation of the North Circular Road in Edmonton has been effected by the police, with the consent of the other authorities concerned, for the purpose of carrying out an experimental scheme of traffic control. The gap opposite Ashley Gardens was re-opened on 26th April for limited use.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the cost of diverting services under Euston Road before the underpass at the junction with Tottenham Court Road and Hampstead Road could be constructed.

About £225,000. The exact costs are not yet known.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the cost of diverting services under the Kingston by-pass before the Hook underpass could be constructed.

£70,360.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have occurred in the past two years on the five-mile three-lane single carriageway section of the A1 north of South Mimms.

In the period 1st January, 1966 to 31st December, 1967 there were 147 accidents involving personal injury. Accidents involving damage only are not recorded.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the cost of diverting services under Hyde Park Corner before the underpass could be constructed.

It is not possible to isolate the exact cost of diverting services at the Hyde Park Corner Underpass since this formed part of the larger Park Lane improvement scheme. An approximate apportionment is £485,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the precautions taken to safeguard motorists at the level crossing at Ricall, near Selby, in view of recent faults in the track circuit; and if he will make a statement.

Automatic half-barriers are so designed that, if faults develop in their mechanism, the barriers are lowered and lights flash until the fault is put right or until the crossing is manned. The faults are automatically indicated in the nearest signalbox and thereafter, under procedure laid down by the Railways Board, drivers of trains are warned to approach the crossing with caution and to be prepared to stop unless it is safe to proceed.These precautions came into effect during the intermittent electrical failures at Turnhead Level Crossing, Ricall, last week. I recognise that prolonged delays in raising the barriers cause difficulties to motorists but precautions of this sort seem to me to offer the greatest measure of safety to traffic in general. The hon. Member will, however, understand that I can make no wider statement on future policy pending the formal investigations into the safety of automatic half-barriers, which is now in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has for improvements in the near future to the Swansea-Manchester Trunk Road at Llanbadarn Fynydd, Radnorshire, and Llanwrtyd Wells, Breconshire.

In Radnorshire I shall shortly authorise the County Council to carry out a scheme at a cost of £35,763 to improve the road between St. Padarn's Church and New Inn. In Breconshire, subject to the acquisition of the necessary land, I expect to authorise the County Council to improve the road between Llanwrtyd Wells and the Cambrian Factory at a cost of £40,900.