asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now give the figures for public investment in new construction by planning regions in 1966–67.

Figures in the full detail published in Table 22 of the Abstract of Regional Statistics are not yet available but provisional totals for each region are given in a table which, with permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. This table also gives for comparison corresponding figures for 1965–66, which have been revised since publication in the Abstract.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the period since devaluation, what directions have been given to Government directors of public companies in which the Government has an equity interest to use their powers to prevent price increases in the goods or services which their companies provide; and if he will give such directions in cases where he has not already done so.

None; nor would it be appropriate to do so.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a further statement on the creation of an Inland Revenue computer centre in the North-East.

The matter is still under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to implement the resolution passed at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development II to increase the flow of private capital to developing countries.

This particular resolution calls for no immediate action by Her Majesty's Government. United Kingdom private investment in the developing countries is already substantial.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies with registered head offices in Bristol have increased their dividends to shareholders since 20th July, 1966.

The information is not available in the form requested.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax allowances are available to firms whose marketing staff spend much of their time overseas working on export orders; and if he will make a statement.

The salaries and expenses of overseas marketing staff, including reasonable expenditure on entertaining overseas customers, are allowed as deductions in computing the profits of a trade for tax purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the net outflow of private capital for the years 1960 to date; and if he will take further steps to limit private capital exports to the sterling and non-sterling areas in order to reduce the strain on the balance of payments.

I refer my hon. Friend to the published balance of payments figures. Extensive measures have already been taken, through the tax system, and by exchange control, the Control of Borrowing Order and the Voluntary Programme to restrain exports of capital from the United Kingdom and to ensure that private investment overseas is financed in ways which place the minimum burden on our balance of payments. I have no statement to make about further action.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to relax the present restrictions on overseas private investment.

I have no such proposals at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figure for personal disposable income at 1958 prices per head of population in 1967 and the annual average increase between 1964 and 1967; and whether he will also publish a table showing personal disposable income per household at 1958 prices in each year since 1946 and the annual average increase for the periods 1946 to 1951, 1952 to 1964 and 1964 to 1967.

With regard to incomes per head, the figures for 1965,

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, in view of the existing and prospective strains on the world monetary systems, he will take the initiative in calling for a new Bretton Woods conference.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the assignments given by Government Departments and nationalised industries to American management consultants since October, 1964; and if he will instruct Ministers concerned to ensure that in future British management consultants are invited to submit proposals for such assignments.

I will list the six assignments given by Government Departments to American management consultants since April, 1965 out of a total of 80 consultants' assignments; it is normal practice for Departments to seek proposals from British consultants.Full information about management consultants employed by nationalised industries is not readily available and this is in any case a matter within their managerial discretion.The list is as follows:

I do not think such a conference would be useful at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to maintain the level of United Kingdom investment in Canada, he will exempt the sale of Canadian securities from the 25 per cent. capital levy.

No; and the rule referred to is not correctly described as a capital levy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing consumers' expenditure at constant prices per household and per head of population for the years 1946 to 1967, inclusive, estimates for 1968 and 1969 corresponding to the forecasts given in Table 13 of the Financial Statement 1968–69, and the annual average increase for the periods 1946 to 1951, 1952 to 1964 and 1964 to 1967.

Figures of consumers' expenditure per head of population are given in the table, which, with permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I regret that corresponding figures of expenditure per household are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total cost to private employers, in terms of man hours, of the work required of them in the administration of Pay As You Earn Income Tax during 1968–69.

I am afraid that there is insufficient information to make an estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he is making to enable disabled ex-Servicemen to pay the additional road fund tax which will in future be payable on motor cars.

The existing arrangements whereby disabled ex-Servicemen are, in certain circumstances, entitled to exemption from vehicle excise duty will continue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made since 30th November, 1967 towards the abolition of all restrictions on current transfers and payments, and the relaxation of the present restrictions on capital transfers.

The first need is to strengthen our balance of payments. This is a prime object of present policy, and especially of my recent Budget. The restrictions referred to in the Question will be kept under review in the light of progress to this end.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he has sent to the Hong Kong Government's request for guarantees from Great Britain against further losses of its sterling reserves through devaluation of the pound, in view of its present £350 million reserves in Great Brtain.

Discussions about the financial affairs of Hong Kong have been taking place with the Governor and an announcement should be made shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the light of the latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report on the Germany economy, he will reconsider his refusal to seek invocation of the scarce currency Clauses of the International Monetary Fund against the German Deutschmark.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the nationalisation of British firms in Zambia.

On 19th April President Kaunda announced that the Zambian Government proposed to acquire a 51 per cent. interest in specified companies, some of which are British owned or have a major British investment. Her Majesty's Government are in contact with the British companies concerned and have asked the Zambian Government for details of the relevant legislative and administrative measures particularly in respect of the payment of compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effects of the present drought in Rhodesia; and what assistance he is proposing.

The current drought in Rhodesia is undoubtedly causing serious difficulties. However, I am not aware of any request from Rhodesia for external help to overcome its effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the peace talks now proposed by both sides, he will now reconsider Her Majesty's Government's policy on the export of arms from this country to Nigeria.

Although the question of arms exports is kept under-continuous review, I have nothing to add to previous statements about our policy. At the same time, we warmly welcome the direct contact between representatives of the two sides about possible peace talks which has been going on through the good offices 'of Mr. Arnold Smith.

asked the Minister of Power whether, in his review of connection charges by the electricity and gas industries, he will take steps to ensure that the principle of the consumer's freedom of choice is protected and that tenants of local authority and other houses have available to them an alternative method of heating.

Consumers' choice is one of the important considerations which my right hon. Friend is taking account of in his review of gas and electricity connection charges.

asked the Minister of Power what is the cheapest natural gas price in Western Europe; and how it compares with the price in the Phillips North Sea gas contract.

I do not have details of all natural gas contracts in Western Europe and cannot say what is the cheapest price. Comparisons of prices must in any case take account of the specification, quantity and point of delivery of the gas and of many other factors. There is no comparable agreement in Western Europe to that with the Phillips group covering a a supply at the beach from a major offshore gas field.

asked the Minister of Power what percentage of the total estimated cost of converting existing consuming appliances for the burning of natural gas will be spent in Wales.

About 4 per cent. of the estimated cost for the whole of Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Power what survey has been made of Michael Colliery, East Wemyss, with a view to supplying coal to the proposed aluminium smelter in Scotland.

I am informed that after an exhaustive examination of all the current factors, the National Coal Board have concluded that steps should not be taken now to re-open Michael Colliery.No decision has yet been taken on the possible siting of an aluminium smelter in Scotland, and I would ask the hon. Member to await the promised statement.

asked the Minister of Power what percentage of the £3·7 million spent on research and development in 1966–67 in the National Coal Board laboratories was spent in Wales.

I am informed by the Board that it was about 1 per cent.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that dental services are available under the National Health Service in respect of full dentures in the Oldham and South-East Lancashire Area; and what percentage of dentists decline to give such services except under private contract.

Yes. I understand that three of the 16 dentists on the list of the Oldham Executive Council do not provide dentures under the National Health Service; I do not know to what extent they provide dentures privately. The Lancashire Executive Council is not aware that dentists in the neighbouring county areas are refusing to provide dentures under National Health Service arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health what the average gross annual remuneration of a general practitioner will be after the review body's recommendations have been implemented, the net remuneration; and what percentage of increase this represents over the averages pertaining in 1948.

Estimated gross remuneration payable by Executive Councils in 1968–69 after implementation of the Review Body's latest recommendations would if divided by the estimated total of doctors give a quotient of the order of £5,800. On the basis of the Review Body's assumptions about practice expenses the net element of this would be some £3,800. A precisely comparable figure for the first full year of the National Health Service 1949–50 is not available, but I estimate that the increase is around 120 per cent.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to complete his negotiations with company A announced in paragraph 27 of the Report on Civil Appropriation Accounts 1966–67; what was the date on which his officers first met the representatives of the company concerned; and how many meetings have since taken place.

I am anxious to reach a conclusion as soon as possible, but it would be unwise to set a firm date for doing so; negotiations in 1968 have so far been by correspondence and telephone; the first meeting since December, 1967 is to take place next week.

asked the Minister of Health whether people suffering from hypertension, who at certain ages have to receive continuous treatment, will have to pay the prescription charges if they are not pensioners.

Yes, unless they are otherwise entitled to exemption.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will name the members of the Conference on Organ Transplantation;(2) if he will now list the individual qualifications of the members of the Conference on Organ Transplantation and the organisations they represent:(3) if he will now invite Members of Parliament to membership of the Conference on Organ Transplantation;(4) if he will now publish a Report of the deliberations of the Conference on Organ Transplantation to date;

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Wandsworth, Central (Dr. David Kerr) and the hon. Members for Chelmsford (Mr. St. JohnStevas) and Antrim, South (Sir Knox Cunningham) on 13th February, and to my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop) on 25th March. The conference is to hold a second meeting early next month. It has not been set up to receive and assess evidence but to deliberate privately. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I see no advantage in extending its membership at this stage. We are considering what future arrangements might be made to secure advice and guidance on problems associated with organ transplantation and related matters.—[Vol. 758, cc. 1127–1128. Vol. 761, cc. 216– 217.]

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to deal with the anomalies in the salary structure which will result from acceptance of the recommendations of the National Board for Prices and Incomes Report on hospital salaries; and if he will make a statement.

I do not know what anomalies the hon. Member has in mind but the negotiation of a salary structure in the light of the recommendations of the National Board for Prices and Incomes is a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council, and it would in any case he inappropriate for me to make a statement while negotiations are proceeding there.

asked the Minister of Health what was the cost to the National Health Service of the heart transplant operation performed at the National Heart Hospital on 3rd May last.

The cost of individual operations is not calculated.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are waiting for accommodation at Aycliffe Hospital; how many of these patients live in the North Riding of Yorkshire; what additional accommodation it is estimated will be provided in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

63, 13 of whom live in the North Riding of Yorkshire. By late 1970 it is expected that more than 500 additional beds will have been brought into use in other hospitals for the mentally subnormal which will help to relieve pressure on beds at Aycliffe Hospital. Within the next five-year period two 30-bedded villas will be added at this hospital.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements have been made for the employment of additional secretarial staff in hospitals to deal with the increased administrative work entailed by the anticipated increase in the number of therapeutic abortions.

This is a matter for the individual hospital authority.

asked the Minister of Health whether blood donor attendants are covered by the Report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes, No. 60: and if he will make a statement.

Blood donor attendants were included in the reference of nurses' pay to the Board; and the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council have agreed that the increase of 4 per cent. from 1st October, 1967 should apply to them. The further stage of salary increases from 1st January, 1969 is still subject to negotiation.

asked the Minister of Health by how much board and lodging charges for nurses are to be increased; and how much this increase will affect the new rates of pay for nurses and midwives as outlined in the Report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes, No. 60.

The Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council have so far agreed to a 4 per cent. increase from 1st October, 1967. This is in accordance with the Board's recommendation that these charges should be increased as from 1st October, 1967 and 1st January, 1969 in the same proportion as the general salary increases on those dates. The increases in salaries and training allowances range from £15 to £89 a year and the increases in board and lodging charges from £6 to £19.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the Government's policy on motels; and whether it remains as laid down in Appeals Note 65/3.

The policy remains unaltered. Favourable consideration should be given to the erection of motels to meet the needs of motorists, subject always to careful consideration of planning issues, including highway and amenity considerations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to increase Treasury grant for the clearance of industrial dereliction to 85 per cent., in respect of those areas under study by the Hunt Committee.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on this subject on 7th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Normanton (Mr. Albert Roberts).—[Vol. 764, c. 47.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what he estimates to be the total additional cost to local authorities as a result of the imposition of the Selective Employment Tax upon contractors working for them.

Selective Employment Tax has increased the costs which tenderers have to take into account in tenders by about 2 per cent., and will increase them by a further 1 per cent. from next September. Tender prices need not, however, be affected to the same extent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to amend the Land Commission Act to give statutory effect to the betterment levy concession announced on 10th April.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that those who paid betterment levy in accordance with the provisions of the Land Commission Act before the concession of 10th April was announced, will secure the refund of betterment levy to which they are entitled.

The Land Commission are aware of these cases and refunds will be made where appropriate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will review the general consent which was communicated to housing authorities in Circular 24/67 on Housing Acts: Sale of Council Houses.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to implement the resolution passed at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development II concerning the programme for the liberalisation and expansion of trade in manufactures and semi-manufactures.

The resolution referred to records a decision by the Conference that a study of the question of restrictive business practices should be carried out, and that the Secretary General of the Conference should prepare an outline of the study. There is nothing in the resolution for Her Majesty's Government to implement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorway 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 in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

A scheme is about to be published for the following new length of motorway:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what authority Sir Frederick Crawford, with or without a passport, is restricted from travelling to and from the United Kingdom.

Sir Frederick Crawford has not been prevented from entering, or leaving, the United Kingdom. As to the action taken in regard to his passport, f would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary to a Private Notice Question on 9th May.—[Vol. 764. c. 623–39.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purposes Brigadier-General van der Borg, head of the South African police, informed the immigration officers that he was visiting this country when he passed through immigration control.

Lieutenant-General van den Bergh was admitted as a visitor, having indicated that he wished to stay at the South African Embassy for a few days. He arrived on 18th April and left Britain on 22nd April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the names of those local authorities which are to receive special assistance from the Government to deal with the problems of immigrants in their areas.

I will give details of the special assistance to be made available as soon as the current study is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish his estimates of the costs in the current year of carrying out each of the functions of his Department, as listed in paragraph 34 of the Centre for Administrative Studies Occasional Paper No. 4, published by Her Majesty's Treasury.

A feasibility study on the application of output budgeting to the Home Office made it clear that it would not be appropriate, at this stage, to embark on the considerable work which would be involved in an attempt to apply the technique to all Home Office functions. But I am anxious to see the technique applied to some Home Office functions, and as a first step I have arranged for an experiment to be conducted in programme budgeting in the police service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so that there will be no discrimination in the assessment of awards between widows of public servants and widows of persons privately employed.

Yes. It is a basic principle of the Scheme that there should be no duplication of payments from public funds and public service pensions cannot, therefore, be entirely disregarded in the assessment of awards to widows. The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have decided, however, to amend the Scheme so that in assessing such awards the Board will take account only of social security benefits and of 80 per cent. of any additional occupational pension (including any gratuity) payable in consequence of death from injury on duty—that is, 80 per cent. of the difference between the pension actually payable and that which would have been payable if death had occurred otherwise than in consequence of injury on duty.The amendment will require occupational pensions paid to widows by private employers to be treated by the Board in accordance with the same criteria as occupational pensions paid to widows of Public servants. It will be applied to all the relevant compensation awards made to dependants of public servants since the inception of the Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is aware of the burden borne by the teaching staff of primary schools in Bedford, due to the high proportion of non-English born pupils; and what steps he proposes to take to help the local education authority by providing additional funds.

Yes. I understand that grant has already been paid to the local authority under the provisions of Section 11 of the Local Government Act, 1966, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I am very ready to discuss with the local education authority how I might be able to help in other ways, for example by approving extra school building or increasing the authority's teacher quota.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the cost of the 19 swimming pools completed during 1967 in maintained schools, and the estimated cost of the further 16 under construction in 1968.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants are now employed by his Department in Wales.

1,480 of the civil servants on the staff of my Department are employed in Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is yet in a position to make a statement regarding the consultations taking place about the culling of seals on the Fame Islands.

No. The Natural Environment Research Council has been reviewing the scientific facts about the seals on the Fames in consultation with the advisers of the National Trust. I hope to receive a report from the Council in the near future and I shall then decide what further action to take.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the expected increase in rates and earnings arising from the recent pay agreements concluded by Tubes Limited.

The agreement provides for increases in basic hourly rates averaging 19 per cent. Total average earnings are expected to be about the same for much reduced hours. This has been made possible as a result of the increased productivity stemming from the greater labour flexibility, reduction in overtime working and acceptance of new working practices contained in the agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what information has been given to her concerning the redundancies which are now to be made by the General Electric Company Associated Electrical Industries; how many of these redundancies will occur in the Manchester area; what action she proposes to take to assist those concerned; and if she will make a statement.

My Department has been in close touch with the company and has been given detailed information about the recently announced re-organisation in the engineering and light industry divisions. Because of the complexity of the plan it is difficult at this stage to say exactly how many workers will be dismissed. The overall intention is to reduce the labour force by about 2,500 employees during the next 12 months.The factories principally affected are at Witton (Birmingham), Aldridge (Staffs.), Coventry and Wythenshawe (Manchester). Part of the reduction will be achieved by normal wastage and transfers. I understand that in the Manchester area about 300 workers are expected to become redundant at Wythenshawe over the next six months, and that some technical and commercial staff at the Moseley Road factory and at Trafford Park may lose their jobs unless they are willing to transfer to other areas.Arrangements will be made for redundant workers to be interviewed and registered by our employment officers well before their employment is due to come to an end. Everything possible will be done to help them to find other jobs

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity when the increased prices for coke and Phurnacite announced by the National Coal Board on 29th April last were referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

The proposals for these increases were not referred to the Board. They were not major increases in the prices of a publicly owned industry which, in accordance with the Government decision announced on 7th September last year, should automatically be referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes whatever the merits of the case. I explained to the House on 1st May the circumstances in which these increases had been accepted as justified against the criteria of Cmnd. 3590.—[Vol. 763, c. 1233–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what she estimates will be the percentage change in personal consumption in real terms during the 18 months following 31st July, 1968 for those persons who do not receive an increase in remuneration during that period.

I have been asked to reply.I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the forecasts of personal consumption in Part III of the Financial Statement for 1968–69.

asked the Postmaster General what was the cost of moving the letter box less than 10 yards at the corner of Eaton Place and Upper Belgrave Street, S.W.1; and what were the reasons for doing so.

About £18. The erection of an essential traffic sign nearby impeded clearance of the box. It was therefore moved about six yards to ease the job of the postman collecting the mail.

asked the Postmaster General what estimate he has made of the extra time and expense involved in post office officials having to keep checks and records of postage stamps of the same monetary value, but of different sizes and designs; and if he will make a statement.

In our central Supplies Department, the extra time spent last year on special stamp issues was 20,000 hours, the cost being £12,000. It is not possible to put a precise figure to the additional time and expense spent at local post offices in stocking, selling and accounting for special stamps; but I am satisfied that all the extra costs involved are more than covered—indeed, are greatly exceeded—by the revenue from philatelic sales.

asked the Postmaster General if he will reduce the number of new issues of postage stamps.

No. My policy is to bring out five or six special issues each year. I have good evidence that this is popular and that the issues are widely welcomed both at home and overseas. In addition, the philatelic sales of these special issues attract considerable revenue to the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster General in which national daily and Sunday newspapers have official advertisements on the new telephone charges been placed.

One advertisement about the new telephone tariff changes was placed in each of the following national daily and Sunday newspapers over the period 13th–17th April:

• Daily Telegraph
• The Guardian
• The Times
• Daily Mail
• Daily Express
• Daily Mirror
• Financial Times
• The Scotsman
• Glasgow Herald
• Belfast Telegraph
• Sunday Times
• Sunday Express
• Observer
• Sunday Mirror.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why no fertiliser practice survey, similar to that undertaken in England and Wales in 1965–66, has been carried out in Scotland; and if he will now undertake such a survey.

Between 1956 and 1965, a co-ordinated programme of 50 district surveys of fertiliser practice was carried out by the three agricultural colleges, in asociation with the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research and the Agricultural Research Council's Unit of Statistics. In 1966 it was decided that a sufficient bank of information had been secured and that future surveys should be at longer intervals.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will review the present cost exemption limit above which building licences are required.

I have done so and I shall raise the cost exemption limit from £50,000 to £100,000 next week.

asked the Minister of Transport what proportion of the £2·34 million spent on research by his Department in the last financial year was spent in Wales.

The estimated expenditure on road research, chargeable to the Roads England Vote 1967–68, is £2·6 million, of which £2·3 million is in respect of the Road Research Laboratory. On the question of the proportion of this expenditure spent in Wales, I have nothing to add to the Answer given to the hon. Member on 20th February, l968.—[Vol. 759, c. 104.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will refer the effective increase of 25 per cent. in day return fares from Yatton to Bristol from 4s. to 5s. to the National Board for Prices and Incomes; and why only four days' notice was given in this case.

No. We do not propose to refer changes in substandard fares for individual routes to the National Board for Prices and Incomes. It is for the Railways Board to decide what notice to give.