asked the Minister of Transport if he has now received all relevant reports on the stretch of the Liverpool and Leeds canal from the Bootle boundary to the Mersey; and when a decision on the future of this stretch of waterway can be expected.

I understand that the working party set up by the local authorities, which, in association with the British Waterways Board, is considering the future of this stretch of canal, has not yet completed its investigations. The future of the canal can hardly be settled until the working party have reported.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the percentage by which long-distance lorry drivers' earnings will be affected as a result of the Transport Bill.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to a similar Question by the hon. Member for South Norfolk, on 1st May.—[Vol. 763, c. 199.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to introduce a 30 miles per hour speed limit on motorways when fog lights are switched on.

The operation of these flashing lights already conveys an advisory maximum limit of 30 miles per hour.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will initiate discussions with the manufacturers of seat belts, with a view to providing standardisation of belt fasteners.

The essential requirements for buckles on seat belts are already specified in the British Standard for Seat Belt Assemblies. Complete standardisation would be undesirable since it would be likely to result in a compromise design.

asked the Minister of Transport what research is being undertaken into the cause of rear-end collisions on the roads of this country.

There are many reasons why these collisions occur. The Road Research Laboratory are investigating some of the contributory factors.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to speed limits on motorways and class A roads; and if he will now introduce legislation or regulations to allow a maximum speed limit in the outer lane of three-lane motorways of 80 m.p.h. in normal conditions.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now introduce regulations to prohibit the use of the outer lane on three lane motorways to vehicles with a maximum speed of less than 50 miles per hour, other than in exceptional circumstances.

We intend shortly to issue a consultation paper to initiate discussions on speed limit policy. This paper will deal primarily with roads other than motorways but we will be prepared to look again at the motorway situation if any fresh evidence is produced, including the points raised by my hon. Friends.

asked the Minister of Transport what recent progress has been made by his Department in discussing with car manufacturers the need to improve the safety factors in car design.

We have now received the industry's ideas on safety features for passenger cars and are considering how best to develop these in relation to both domestic and international requirements.We are also discussing with manufacturers the application of the new E.C.E. regulations on steering columns and doors. Many British cars already meet these.

asked the Minister of Transport how many special smoke checks have been carried out on the hilly sections of trunk roads to and from the City of Bristol; how this figure compares with those of three years ago; how many lorries have been stopped and cautioned; and what follow-up procedure exists under his regulations to check offenders.

Each lorry stopped at a roadside check because it is emitting excessive smoke is prohibited from being used or the roads until the defect has been remedied. The vehicle must be passed tit by one of our examiners at a re-inspection. Following are the figures:

	1964	1967
Number of special smoke checks	27	7
Number of lorries inspected	1009	303
Number of prohibitions imposed because of emission of excessive smoke:
(a) immediate prohibitions	2	2
(b) delayed prohibitions	1007	301

asked the Minister of Transport what are the estimated approximate costs of constructing a bridge and an underpass, respectively, at the Leominster railway crossing.

A bridge would cost about £100,000; an underpass would be less satisfactory and the cost of providing one has not been estimated.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now consider introducing legislation to make it compulsory for riders of all types of motor cycles to wear crash helmets.

The majority of motor cyclists now wear safety helmets and I am therefore reluctant to make this a matter of compulsion. I hope we can persuade all motor cyclists to wear safety helmets and will continue with our publicity to this end.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of road vehicles by weight classification, and the number of people employed by British Road Services at 1st May, and at the end of the last three financial years.

It would not be in the best interests of the Holding Company to divulge the weight classifications of their subsidiaries' vehicles, nor the number of people employed by individual subsidiaries. The total number of staff employed in all the road haulage subsidiaries in the calendar years 1965 and 1966 are given in the Annual Report of the Holding Company as 38,258 and 38,206 respectively. The total for 1967, which has not yet been published, was 38,097.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the cost of new vehicles, and whole transport fleets, respectively, purchased by British Road Services in the current year to date, as compared with the last three financial years; and how many vehicles have been involved.

It would not be in the best commercial interests of the Holding Company to give information about expenditure on new vehicles or the acquisition of transport fleets.The total number of traffic vehicles owned by all the road haulage subsidiaries of the Transport Holding Company, including British Road Services, in the calendar years 1965 and 1966 are given in the Annual Report of the Holding Company as 18,346 and 19,247 respectively. The total for 1967, which has not yet been published, was 18,214.

asked the Minister of Transport what comparative studies his Department has made on the amount of tonnage carried by lighterage on the River Thames compared with the amount of tonnage carried by road hauliers to destinations in which the river transport has hitherto been used.

General studies on this subject are being undertaken by the Freight Group of the Transport Coordinating Council for London. As part of their studies of freight transport as a whole they are considering the best use to be made of the Thames as a highway. My Department did, however, establish in detail the implications of transferring coal supplies to Hackney power station from water to rail and road.

asked the Minister of Transport when the hon. Member for West Ham, North may expect a reply to his letter sent to his predecessor under date of 22nd March, concerning the evasion of road fund licences and related matters; and why it has taken so long to send a reply.

A reply to this, and other letters sent by my hon. Friend, was sent on 29th April, and I have my hon. Friend's acknowledgement dated 2nd May.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps have now been or are to be taken to ensure the safety of schoolchildren and pedestrians using the crossings at the junction of Park Lane and Dunning's Bridge Road, Bootle; and if he will expedite work now in progress on this site.

Traffic signals have been installed at the junction of Park Lane and Dunning's Bridge Road, Bootle, and have been in operation for some weeks; work at this site is virtually completed.The provision of additional facilities to assist schoolchildren and pedestrians who cross the road near this junction is at present being considered by the Divisional Road Engineer.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations for the acquisition of the remaining portions of the route for the M4 between Maidenhead and Reading.

Until all the statutory Schemes and Orders have been made the exact requirements for the acquisition of land will not be known.The draft Scheme and Side Road Order proposals for the eastern length from Holyport to Winnersh are the sub- ject of Public Inquiries, which opened at Maidenhead on 30th April.To meet objections on the western length from Winnersh to Theale fresh proposals for the M4/A4 interchange and the diversion of Trunk Road A4 at Theale will be published shortly.

asked the Minister of Transport when the reconstruction of the A19 road through the county of Durham will be completed.

We aim to complete the comprehensive improvement of this road by 1971, apart from the major new crossing of the Tees involved in the Teesside Diversion.

asked the Minister of Transport what stage has been reached in his consultations with local authorities and others concerned on the route to be followed by the M11; and whether he will make a statement.

Consultations on the route as a whole, including an extension southwards to the North Circular Road, are nearing completion and I hope to reach a decision within the next few months.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what action he proposes to take to prevent hold-ups to traffic, and danger to children, resulting from the work being started this month on the Bristol Parkway at Eastville Park, Bristol;(2) what are the results of the discussions he has had with Bristol Corporation, with a view to minimising the dislocation of traffic and road-danger hazards caused by work starting on the Eastville Park section of Bristol Parkway; and if he will make a statement.

Bristol City Council, as the highway authority, are responsible for taking the necessary steps to minimise dislocation of traffic and to guard against danger to pedestrians during construction of this section of the Parkway.Specific discussions with them were not called for since they are well aware of their obligations.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorways for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction and which were

MINISTRY MOTORWAYS
Line not yet published
						Miles	RCU Region (or GLC)
M.11—London-Cambridge
A.12-A.406 (Woodford)	…	…	…	…	…	3·5	GLC
M.18—Doncaster Southern Section	…	…	…	…	…	11·1	NE
M.25—South Orbital Motorway
Staines-Leatherhead	…	…	…	…	…	17·50	SE
Godstone-Wrotham	…	…	…	…	…	18·15	SE
M.40—London-Oxford Motorway
Stokenchurch-Waterstock Cross Roads	…	…	…	…	…	10·0	E
M.56—North Cheshire Motorway
Bowdon-Preston Brook	…	…	…	…	…	11·2	NW
Sharston By-Pass	…	…	…	…	…	3·25	NW
M.62—Sale Eastern and Northenden By-Pass	…	…	…	…	…	4·5	NW
M.62—Lancashire-Yorkshire
Queens Drive-Tarbock	…	…	…	…	…	3·5	NW
Croft-Worsley	…	…	…	…	…	8·3	NW
						91·0

Draft Scheme published
M.1?London-Yorkshire
S. of Fiveways Corner?North Circular Road				2?0	GLC
M.4—London—South Wales
Winnersh-Holyport	…	…	…	6·72	SE
M.11?London-Cambridge
A.406 (Woodford)-Stump Cross	…	…	…	34·0	E
M.18—Thorne Section(including Tudworth Link)	…	…	…	3·5	NE
M.23—London-Crawley	…	…	…	26·0	SE (15.67)
					GLC (10.33)
M.25—South Orbital Motorway
Leatherhead-Godstone	…	…	…	11·70	SE
M.53—Mid-Wirral
Bidston Moss-Hooton (including Moreton Spur)	…	…	…	11·44	NW
M.62—Lancashire-Yorkshire
Tarbock-Croft	…	…	…	11·84	NW
M.65—Gildersome Street-Leeds	…	…	…	3·92	NE
				111·12

Schemes made
M.1—London-Yorkshire
Stourton-Leeds Extension	…	…	…	…	…	…	0·06	NE
M.3—London-Basingstoke	…	…	…	…	…	…	40·73	SE
M.4—London-South Wales
Tormarton-Liddington	…	…	…	…	…	…	30·5	SW
Liddington-Wickham	…	…	…	…	…	…	12·2	SW (5.5)
								SE (6.7)
Wickham-Theale	…	…	…	…	…	…	16·5	SE
Theale-Winnersh	…	…	…	…	…	…	12·23	SE
M.5—Birmingham-Bristol			…	…	…
South of Bredon-Almondsbury	…	…	…	…	…	…	39·5	SW
Avon Bridge	…	…	…	…	…	…	1·0	SW
Avon Bridge-Edithmead	…	…	…	…	…	…	22·40	SW

The following table shows the position for England at 30th April. Information about local authority motorways is limited to sections in use or for which schemes have been made by the highway authorities concerned and submitted to my right hon. Friend for confirmation.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a directive to British Railways to expedite the sale of property and lands which have become surplus to requirements following the closure of the lines concerned.

The Railways Board seek my right hon. Friend's agreement to the disposal of land rendered surplus by the closure of lines and unless there is a possibility of future development which might necessitate its re-use, we always give this agreement. The Board then have every incentive to sell and they need no directive from my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the concern about the functioning of railway level crossings; and whether he will, in the national interest, discuss with the Railways Board the elimination of all level crossings on public highways.

It is because we are aware of this concern that a Court of Inquiry has been set up to make recommendations about the safety of automatic half-barrier protection at level crossings. Whilst the separation of road and rail traffic by bridges or underpasses is generally desirable, these are often so expensive that other schemes of road improvement would give better value for money in eliminating both delays and danger.

asked the Minister of Transport how much disused rail track there is in Scotland at present; how much of this will be used in current road schemes; and whether he will make a survey of disused rail track, with a view to using the land for future road schemes in Scotland.

I am having inquiries made and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) on what grounds he refused the representation of the Ship and Boat Builders National Federation on the new interim body to take over the functions of the Southampton Harbour Board.(2) why he has transferred the powers of the Southampton Harbour Board to a new

The Harbour Board's functions have not been transferred to a new ad hoc body. They are to be transferred to the British Transport Docks Board under the Scheme now before Parliament.The independent inspector recommended against the Ship and Boat Builders Federation's request for rep-presentation on the local advisory board to be constituted under the Scheme and this recommendation was accepted.The inspector's fees and expenses for the inquiry amounted to £272; advertisement of public notices has cost £338.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent in framing the forthcoming legislation, he will use material furnished in reply to his predecessor's questionnaire to non-statutory undertakings engaged in port activities in connection with claims for compensation for the acquisition of such undertakings.

This material will not be used in connection with claims for compensation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amplification he intends to make in the retail food prices survey to enable specific food price movements to be charted.

The fortnightly reports published by this Department, which are based on a survey of retail food prices, are designed to indicate significant recent trends in these prices. We are keeping these reports under review but it would be wasteful for us to duplicate the detailed information about specific food prices and their movements which is now being published monthly by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consumer representations have been made to him in regard to the need to print the date of manufacture on the labels of tinned foods; and if he will make a statement.

A number of representations have been received on the date-marking of foods, including tinned foods. The Food Standards Committee advised against compulsory date-marking and we have accepted their advice.

QUANTITIES OF TROUT EGGS LICENSED FOR IMPORT INTO THE U.K. FOR THE YEARS 1963–1967
(SEE NOTE 1)
Country of origin			1963	1964	1965	1966	1967
Denmark	…	…	6,754,000	9,916,000	14,390,000	1,955,000	6,285,000
France	…	…	300,000	—	500,000	500,000	—
Norway	…	…	—	—	15,0000	15,000	—
Poland	…	…	100,000	—	50,000	50,000	—
U.S.A	…	…	2,000	5,200,000	5,100,000	5,265,000	6,000,000
New Zealand	…	…	—	—	—	—	50,000
Germany	…	…	—	—	—	15,000	—
TOTAL	…	…	7,156,000	15,116,000	20,190,000	7,800,000	12,335,000
NOTES:
1. The above figures are based on maximum quantities of eggs permitted for import as shown on importers licences. Imports licensed after 1st October in any year are accounted for in the following year's total. Figures of actual imports (which may in certain cases be less than permitted imports) are not available.

2. Value figures for imports are not available. At current rates there is a price range of from 15s. to £2 10s. per 1,000 eggs according to quality and country of origin.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the effect of the provisions contained in the Transport Bill on the carriage of fish from North-East Scotland to markets in the South.

The effect of the Transport Bill will be to improve freight services, and it contains effective safeguards to ensure that the needs of all consignors and of special traffics such as fish are met.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the importance to Aberdeen trade and industry of more and better roads north and west from Aberdeen, what plans he

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a further statement on the quantity and value of trout and trout eggs imported in each of the past five years; and if he will detail these by country of origin.

I very much regret that owing to a clerical error the particulars in table II given in my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 14th March, 1968—[Vol. 760, c. 360]—omitted certain figures. A revised table giving the full particulars is below:has to improve existing roads and to add to their number.

Aberdeen is well served by radial routes and I have no plans for adding to their number. Improvements costing more than £300,000 to trunk roads in Aberdeenshire are either in progress or due to start this year. For work on non-trunk roads grants were made last year amounting to almost £170,000 for Aberdeenshire and £126,000 for Aberdeen City.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will authorise work to start on the pier at Cullivoe this summer.

I shall let the County Council have a decision on this project as soon as my examination is completed of the up-to-date estimate of its cost which reached my Department on 22nd April; and meanwhile I cannot, of course, say when work might start.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost per week of keeping prisoners in the principal Scottish prisons.

£12 3s. 6d.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the shortage of police and prison officers, what further steps he has taken to obtain additional recruits for these forces.

So far as the police is concerned, I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 14th February.—[Vol. 758, c. 376.]The number of prison staff in post in Scotland is only marginally below the authorised complement. Recruiting campaigns of the kind conducted in recent years will be mounted as necessary to make good wastage by retirement, etc.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in the light of the views expressed by the Chief Constable of Lanarkshire and other experts on crime, details of which have been sent to him, he will take steps to ban the sale in Scotland of long-handled steel combs, which lend themselves to use as offensive weapons.

No. Any restrictions imposed on the sale of domestic articles such as steel combs would be virtually impossible to enforce even if legislation could be satisfactorily framed. I am fully aware of the views expressed about steel combs in particular, but there are many other common articles such as carving knives, axes and bicycle chains, all of which may be freely purchased for perfectly legitimate reasons, but which can be and have been used as offensive weapons. Persons determined to obtain an offensive weapon would not be discouraged by banning the sale of particular articles such as steel combs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many male and female qualified applicants for places in teacher training colleges for the physical education course in 1966–67 and 1967–68; how many were accepted; and how many are currently in teacher training on a physical education course.

The numbers accepted for training were:

			1966–67	1967–68
Men	…	…	71	76
Women	…	…	159	159

The numbers of qualified applicants are not available because many apply before they obtain academic qualifications, some so qualified withdraw and some are rejected as physically or in other respects unsuitable. 184 men and 363 women are currently in training.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of prisoners now in Scottish prisons who have been convicted for crimes caused by drink.

I regret that it is not possible to make an estimate of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will keep a register of unwanted historic buildings and endeavour to find uses for them so that they may be preserved as part of Scotland's heritage.

The Scottish Historic Buildings Bureau already exists for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make recommendations to all local authorities in Scotland that the February intake of primary schoolchildren should be continued.

No. School commencing dates vary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received against the proposed discarding of the February intake of children to certain primary schools in Scotland.

Thirteen individuals or organisations have made representations to me about Glasgow Education Authority's recent proposal to abolish the mid-session date for commencing school attendance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of girls eligible for day release obtain day release in Scotland; and what is the percentage of boys.

In session 1966–67, 5·9 per cent. of girls and 29·1 per cent. of boys under age 18 in insured employment attended day and block release classes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in future he will safeguard local authorities by bringing to their notice information in his possession bearing on the credibility and reputation of alleged industrial developers.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to make their own inquiries about the credibility and reputation of developers. Where a developer is also applying for financial assistance under the Local Employment Acts, the Board of Trade is prepared, on request and if the applicant agrees, to advise the local authority what assistance, if any, has been offered.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to increase the rate at which new industry is being introduced into the Consett and Stanley areas of County Durham, in view of the increasing unemployment in those areas arising from successive colliery closures.

Consett and Stanley are Special Development Areas and projects there may attract the additional assistance appropriate to these areas. New industrial developments are expected to provide nearly 1,900 new jobs in manufacturing industry, and most of these will be for men. The Board of Trade advance factory at Castleside has recently been allocated and discussions are in progress with possible tenants for two other Board of Trade factories.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to retain the 45 per cent. investment grant on plant and machinery in development areas after 31st December, 1968.

No. The increased rates were designed to give an additional stimulus to qualifying investment by industry during 1967 and 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether discussions with the United Kingdom's European Free Trade Association partners on the aluminium smelters project have now been concluded; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions with our E.F.T.A. partners on aluminum smelters have not been concluded. The matter is likely to be considered further at a meeting of the E.F.T.A. Ministerial Council later this week.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons are employed in Scotland by the 80 United States firms set up since 1945, the 20 overseas firms set up since 1945 and the 220 Welsh or English firms set up since 1945, respectively.

About 42,000, 8,000 and 50,000 respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total figures of industrial development certificates issued additional employment, industry by in-for projects over 5,000 square feet in the areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from 1963 to date, with the estimated

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES ISSUED* IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE†
1st January, 1963 to 31st March, 1968
Industries classified by Standard			Area	Estimated additional employment‡
Industrial Classification Order		Number	Th. sq. ft.	Males	Total
Food, Drink and Tobacco	…	27	1,171	300	700
Chemicals and Allied Industries	…	21	386	220	230
Metal Manufacture	…	42	780	430	490
Engineering and Electrical goods	…	100	1,355	1,360	1,680
Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering	…	—	—	—	—
Vehicles	…	27	860	450	620
Metal goods and not elsewhere specified	…	33	481	340	470
Textiles	…	78	1,487	840	2,240
Leather, leather goods and fur	…	—	—	—	—
Clothing and footwear	…	8	101	50	420
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement etc.	…	43	906	560	600
Timber, Furniture etc.	…	40	730	340	400
Paper, printing and publishing	…	16	297	240	370
Other Manufacturing Industries	…	11	108	180	390
Non-Manufacturing Industries	…	112	1,739	910	1,080
Total	…	558	10,399	6,220	9,690
* Schemes over 5,000 sq. ft. including buildings converted to industrial use.
†Employment Exchange areas of: Alfreton, Arnold, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Beeston, Belper, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Derby/Castle Donnington, Heanor, Hucknall, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Mansfield, Matlock, Netherfield, Newark, Nottingham/Basford, Retford, Shirebrook, Staveley, Sutton, Worksop.
‡ Applicants' estimates of additional employment expected to arise when schemes are completed and fully manned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the manufacturers of washing powders and detergents are reducing the price of their products by as much as 9d. per packet; and whether he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the prices charged by these firms in the previous year when taxes and costs were lower.

Certain washing powders have recently been offered by the manufacturers in special bargain packs. Such temporary offers are a form of sales promotion: they do not represent permanent price reductions. I do not think that a reference to the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend would be appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that cosmetic manufacturers and

The information is given in the following table:retailers of their products are going to reduce prices by 10 per cent.; and whether he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes prices charged by these firms 12 months ago when taxes and costs were lower.

There has been speculation in the Press about the effect on retail prices of the ending of resale price maintenance by cosmetic manufacturers; but I am aware of no proposals by manufacturers or established retailers to reduce prices. I do not think that a reference to the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend would be appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many square feet of office accommodation he estimates are now unoccupied in England and Wales, respectively;(2) how many square feet of office accommodation, at present unoccupied, he estimates have been so for six months or more in England and Wales, respectively.

Information is not readily available to enable me to make estimates of this kind, and the value of such information would not justify Vie expense of its collection.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total number of public quoted companies and private companies, respectively, whose net assets are half a million pounds or more.

I regret that this information is not at present available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what proportion of British exports were represented by British exports to the Commonwealth, plus Rhodesia and South Africa, in each of the years 1960 to date; and what was the average proportion in the periods 1920 to 1938 and 1950 to 1959;(2) what proportion of British imports were represented by British imports from the Commonwealth, plus Rhodesia and South Africa, in each of the years 1960 to date; and what was the average proportion in the periods 1920 to 1938 and 1950 to 1959, inclusive.

The following is the information:

IMPORTS FROM AND EXPORTS TO THE COMMONWEALTH* PLUS RHODESIA AND SOUTH AFRICA AS A PROPORTION OF TOTAL UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
			Imports Per cent.	Exports Per cent.
1920–38	…	…	30	40
1950–59	…	…	44	47
1960	…	…	35	41
1961	…	…	35	38
1962	…	…	34	34
1963	…	…	35	34
1964	…	…	34	34
1965	…	…	33	34
1966	…	…	31	30
1967	…	…	28	29
* All figures relate to the Commonwealth as defined in 1967.

asked the Postmaster-General for how long, and between what hours, on Friday, 3rd May, the Members' Post Office in the House of Commons was closed due to a strike of postal workers; and when the Members' Post Office last closed owing to strike action.

The House of Commons Post Office was closed for two hours from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. It had not previously been closed by strike action.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in order to save public money, he will give an undertaking that all pillar boxes, other Post Office kiosks and telecommunications vans in Scotland will remain painted red.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Antrim, South (Sir Knox Cunningham) and other hon. Members on 25th April.—[Vol. 763, c. 66–7.]

asked the Postmaster-General, of the estimated sum of £120 million to be spent over the next three years as capital expenditure, what sum he estimates will be spent in Scotland.

The estimated Post Office capital expenditure over the next three years is £1,200 million. Of this I estimate that approximately £100 million will be spent in Scotland.

asked the Postmaster-General how many public telephone kiosks or equipment therein in Edinburgh postal districts 9 and 10 were damaged by vandals in the calendar year 1967.

All 57 kiosks were wilfully damaged but in every case full service was restored within 24 hours.

asked the Postmaster-General how many households in Edinburgh are awaiting telephone connection.

In the area served by the Edinburgh automatic system, 865 applications for residential telephones were on hand at 31st March, 1968. 784 were under inquiry or in course of being met. 81 were on the waiting list, and, of these, 61 should be connected by the end of the year.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there is a delay in providing new telephone equipment in the Calne area which is causing hardship to those applicants who are on the waiting list for telephones; and what steps he intends to take to remedy the situation.

I regret the delay. Equipment is now being installed which will enable all present applicants to be given service by mid-summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why admission was refused to Dr. Naum Gourevich at London Airport on 26th April, in view of the fact that he is a political refugee who has set up a home and has his possessions in this country; and whether he will reconsider this decision.