asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what are the unemployment rates of the West Riding of Yorkshire and in County Durham.

At 8th April, 1968, the percentage rates of unemployment for the West Riding of Yorkshire and the County of Durham were 2·4 and 5·4, respectively.

asked the Minister of Employment and Productivity if she has yet received the report of the Advisory Committee on the Index of Retail Prices; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has just received the report and is arranging for its publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity when her Department will reach a decision concerning the agreement negotiated between the Co-operative Insurance Society Limited and the National Union of Co-operative Insurance Society employees for the increase of pay of district office clerks which was due to take place on 1st January 1968.

On 26th February 1968, the Society and the union were asked not to implement the agreement before 26th May, 1968 by which time a period of twelve months would have elapsed since the last increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what additions have been made to the goods and services listed in Part A of Appendix I of Command Paper No. 3590, as a result of the consultations with industry referred to in Paragraph 20 of that White Paper.

Discussions are proceeding with the industries concerned for the inclusion of additional items in the early warning system and so far two items have been added; Cigarettes and Tobacco and Linoleum.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the approximate number of notifications of pay increases received by her Department during 1967.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Answer given to his similar Question on 19th March.—[Vol. 761, c. 72.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the percentage change in average weekly earnings at 1958 prices each year since 1946; and the annual average change for the periods 1946 to 1951, 1952 to 1964, and 1964 to 1967.

The following table sets out for each year since 1946 the annual percentage changes in

(1) actual average weekly earnings

(2) the Index of Retail Prices, which is a chain index reflecting year to year changes in prices and expenditure patterns and does not involve revaluation at the prices of any one particular year

(3) average weekly earnings after adjustment by the movements in the Index of Retail Prices

• together with annual averages for the periods 1947 to 1951, 1951 to 1964 and 1964 to 1967.

Period			(1)	(2)	(3)
1946–47	…	…	+9·3	N.A.*	N.A.*
1947–48	…	…	+9·4	+7·7	+1·6
1948–49	…	…	+4·1	+2·8	+1·3
1949–50	…	…	+4·6	+3·1	+1·5
1950–51	…	…	+10·1	+9·1	+0·9
Annual average	1947–51		+7·1	+5·7	+1·3
1951–52	…	…	+7·8	+9·2	+1·3
1952–53	…	…	+6·1	+3·1	+3·0
1953–54	…	…	+6·6	+1·9	+4·7
1954–55	…	…	+9·3	+4·5	+4·6
1955–56	…	…	+7·9	+5·0	+2·8
1956–57	…	…	+4·7	+3·7	+0·9
1957–58	…	…	+3·4	+3·0	+0·4
1958–59	…	…	+4·5	+0·5	+3·9
1959–60	…	…	+6·9	+1·0	+5·9
1960–61	…	…	+6·0	+3·5	+2·5
1961–62	…	…	+3·6	+4·2	+0·6
1962–63	…	…	+4·2	+2·0	+2·1
1963–64	…	…	+8·7	+3·3	+5·2
Annual average	1951–64		+6·1	+3·4	+2·6
1964–65	…	…	+8·1	+4·8	+3·1
1965–66	…	…	+5·8	+3·9	+1·8
1966–67	…	…	+4·0	+2·5	+1·4
Annual average	1964–67		+6·0	+3·7	+2·1
* The Cost of Living Index which was in operation from 1914 to June, 1947 differed greatly in scope and in the methods employed from the Index of Retail Prices which succeeded it. Consequently the Department does not link the two series.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what are the current waiting lists for the various courses offered in Government training centres at Leicester, Coventry, Long Eaton and Birmingham; and whether she will make a statement.

On 8th April 1968, the waiting lists of accepted applicants were as follows:

Leicester	…	…	79
Coventry	…	…	34
Long Eaton	…	…	103
Birmingham	…	…	101

Waiting time varies according to trade and centre, but in Midlands Region a high proportion of suitable applicants can start training in the trade of their choice within three to six months of applying.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what action she recommends is to be taken by an employer, with under 100 employees, who cannot come to an agreement with his employees on a wage increase which falls within the criteria outlined in Command Paper No. 3590, and which he is willing to pay.

The Government expects all employers to ensure that any improvements in employment incomes satisfy the conditions set out in Cmnd. 3590. The advice and assistance of my Department are available in cases of difficulty.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity by what criteria she judges whether wage increases are significant for the purposes of the Government's prices and incomes policy.

All increases in incomes are significant in the sense that they are subject to the requirements of the Government's policy for productivity, prices and incomes as set out in Command 3590. In the context of arrangements for early-warning, however, increases should be reported in all cases where more than 100 employees are involved, and in other cases where the claim does not clearly satisfy the requirements of the criteria and the ceiling, or may have repercussions for the pay, or set trends in the conditions, of other groups of employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity which is the steepest increase in price referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

As stated in the Board's Report No. 64, that for Mercury hearing-aid batteries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in exercise of her overall responsibility for prices and incomes policy if she will publish a list of the prices charged by nationalised industries, public boards and the Post Office for a representative range

	October, 1964	July, 1966	November, 1967	Today
British Rail Fares
Standard mileage rate:
2nd class travel per mile	3d.	3¼d.	3¼d.	3¼d.
London Transport Fares
General (Bus and Underground rate)
One mile journey	4d.	4d.	4d.	4d.
Five mile journey	1s. 4d.	1s. 6d.	1s. 6d.	1s. 6d.
Ten mile journey	2s. 6d.	2s. 9d.	2s. 9d.	2s. 9d.
Domestic Air Fares—(single fare, tourist class):
London to Glasgow	£7 14s. 0d.	£8 14s. 0d.	£9 13s. 0d.	£9 13s. 0d.
London to Manchester	£5 10s. 0d.	£6 4s. 0d.	£6 9s. 0d.	£6 9s. 0d.
British Road Services (Parcels)
Rates for transporting 28 lb. load over:
100 miles	7s. 4d.	7s. 9d.	7s. 9d.	9s. 3d.
200 miles	9s. 1d.	9s. 6d.	9s. 6d.	10s. 3d.
400 miles	10s. l0d.	11s. 3d.	lls. 3d	11s 9d.
National Coal Board
House Coal (Group 4)—Zone delivered:
Prices per ton—London area	147s. 9d.* (167s. 9d.)	161s. 11d.* (181s. l1d.)	181s. l1d.	156s. l1d.*
Electricity Industry
Domestic tariff—London area on annual rate of consumption of 2,500 kwh:
Pence per kwh	2·108	2·382	2·699	2·699
Gas Industry
Domestic tariff—London area on annual rate of consumption of 250 therms:
Pence per therm	25·58	26·91	26·91	29·49
Post Office Charges, Telephone Service
Resident's exclusive line rental per quarter	£3 10s. 0d.	£3 10s. 0d.	£3 10s. 0d.	£3 10s. 0d.
Local calls: non-S.T.D.—from resident's lines	2½d.	2½d.	2½d.	2½d.
Local calls: S.T.D. Coinbox-full rates, minimum charge	3d. for 3 minutes	3d. for 3 minutes	6d. for 6 minutes	6d. for 6minutes
Postal Services
Internal rates for:
1 oz. letter	3d.	4d.	4d.	4d.
1 oz. Printed paper item	2½d.	3d.	3d.	3d.
21b. Parcel	2s. 0d.	2s. 9d.	3s. 0d.	3s. 0d.
* Discounted summer price. Figures in brackets for October, 1964 and July, 1966 are the normal winter prices.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will make a statement on the estimated number of families likely to gain no benefit from increased family allowances because of a corresponding reduction in social security benefits and the estimated cash sum involved.

The numbers for which my hon. Friend asked are: some 150,000 families on supplementary benefit in April, and (taking into account the supplementary benefit increase promised for the autumn) up to 180,000 families receiving National Insurance benefits alone in October. The additional annual cost of giving the advantage of the 7s. increase in family allowances in April to these and other beneficiaries who did not get it in full would have been about £10½ million; and extra 3s. a week for them in October would cost about £5 million, before making any allowance for the cost of the promised supplementary benefit increase.

asked the Minister of Social Security how many applications for industrial injury benefit have been made from persons suffering from motor neuron disease during each of the last five years.

I regret that the information requested is not available, since industrial injury benefit statistics only relate to successful claims to benefit and motor neuron disease can neither arise as an industrial accident nor as a prescribed disease.

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will refer motor neuron disease to the Advisory Council on Industrial Injuries for prescription as an industrial disease.

No: on present knowledge this disease would not satisfy the requirements for prescription set out in section 56(2) of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1965. It has so far been seen as a progressive disorder characterised by wasting and weakness of the voluntary muscles, with no evidence of any relationship between trauma and the disease.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of official cars that were allocated to each Department of State in October, 1964, and April, 1968, respectively.

The table below shows the number of cars so allocated in the Government Car Service. Certain Departments use cars from other sources for which I am not responsible.

GOVERNMENT CAR SERVICE—CARS ALLOCATED TO DEPARTMENTS
Department	October 1964	April 1968
1. Treasury (includes Prime Minister and Chancellor)	8	6
2. Economic Affairs	—	2
3. Employment and Productivity (formerly Labour)	1	1
4. Law Officers (Lord Chancellor and Attorney General)	2	2
5. Foreign Office	3	5
6. Commonwealth Office	3	2
7. Home Office	1	1
8. Ministry of Defence	2	2
9. Board of Trade	7	8
10. Education and Science	4	6
11. Ministry of Housing and Local Government	1	2
12. Ministry of Technology	5	5
13. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	3	3
14. Ministry of Transport	2	4
15. Ministry of Power	1	1
16. Ministries of Health, Social Security	3	4
17. Ministry of Public Building and Works	4	4
18. Scottish Office	1	1
19. Welsh Office	—	2
20. Smaller Departments and Ministers without Departmental responsibilities	9	10
	60	71
Footnote: The table takes account of changes in Departmental structure since October, 1964.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will issue a general direction to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to employ independent British engineering surveying and design consultants, in view of the importance of this type of work in the United Kingdom to such consultants to enable them to continue and to increase their contribution to United Kingdom invisible exports.

The Authority have already agreed to assist British consulting engineers in ways which are open to them. No general direction from my right hon. Friend is called for.

asked the Minister of Technology what progress has been made in identifying industrial projects relevant to the Northern Region's potential for technological development for which financial assistance could be made available by his Department or the National Research Development Corporation.

In supporting research and development work both in universities and industry the Department and the N.R.D.C. have particular regard to the Northern Region and other development areas. It is our policy to encourage more technologically advanced industry to expand in the Northern Region.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) if his Department will enter into discussions with Governments in Latin America about the use of British hovercraft as a means of transport in river and swamp areas;(2) if his Department will enter into discussions with Governments in West and Central Africa about the use of British hovercraft as a means of transport in river and swamp areas.

The Department and Her Majesty's Government's representatives abroad are constantly bringing hovercraft to the notice of potential customers in all parts of the world. The prime responsibility for sales, however, must lie with the manufacturers. In their support, the Department has helped with sponsorship, funding and direction of the programme in the current demonstrations of hovercraft in various countries of Latin America. Our representatives in each of the countries visited have afforded great help.

asked the Minister of Technology what were the terms of reference given to the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation for its inquiry into the British Nuclear Power Industry.

As I told the hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) on 16th May, the Chairman of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation was invited to seek the reactions of industry to the Select Committee's recommendation that there should be a single organisation concerned with the design and construction of nuclear boilers.—[Vol. 764, c. 282.]

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made, arising out of Her Majesty's Government's consideration of proposals for negotiations on Vietnam, affecting the supply of arms and military equipment to Australia and New Zealand for use there.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for a geological survey of the Falkland Islands.

We are in consultation with the Governor about this suggestion; but a survey was made in 1922 and there have been several investigations since then.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have taken advantage of the option mortgage scheme, to the latest convenient date; and what percentage of the total is in respect of those who previously had mortgages arranged in the normal way.

Under the arrangements made for operating the scheme through lending institutions, the vast majority of which operate on a United Kingdom basis, it is not practicable to give separate information about mortgagers resident in Scotland. General information provided by the ten largest building societies was given by my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government on 7th May in reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, South-West (Mr. Tom Boardman).—[Vol. 764, c. 200–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his intentions regarding the implementation of the provisions of the Schools Scotland Code 1956 as amended by the Schools Scotland Code (Amendment No. 1) Regulations 1968 including the provisions relating to the maximum number of children per class.

The draft Amendment No. 1 Regulations do not propose any alteration in maximum class sizes. I am sending the hon. Lady a copy of my Department's Circular No. 680 (6th May, 1968) on these Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce a decision on the proposed aluminium smelter project in the North of Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement of the latest position on the aluminium smelter proposals made by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Board of Trade, during the debate on the Adjournment on 16th May.—[Vol. 746, c. 1556–1560.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many traffic wardens are now employed in Scotland, and what was the comparable figure in the same month in 1967.

At 30th April, 1968, 434; the comparable number for April, 1967 was 245.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the average salaries paid to traffic wardens in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, respectively.

The basic salaries of traffic wardens vary according to length of service and the nature of the duties on which they are employed but fall within the following limits:

		Range of annual pay (rounded to nearest pound)
Glasgow	…	£718—£843
Edinburgh	…	£759—£837
Aberdeen	…	£763—£815
Dundee	…	£745—£860

An additional increment of 7s per week is payable in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen after five years' service.The National Joint Industrial Councils for Local Authority Services (Scotland) are now engaged in the negotiation of scales of pay, appropriate to the duties performed, for application throughout Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers applied for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland in each month from December, 1967 to the latest month for which figures are available.

The figures are given below.

Month			Applicants
December, 1967	…	…	960
January, 1968	…	…	1,700
February, 1968	…	…	7,300
March, 1968	…	…	11,000
April, 1968	…	…	6,780
May, 1968	…	…	1,420

In addition, 12,560 teachers had applied for registration before December, 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers have paid the one pound fee for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland in each month from Dec- ember 1967 until the latest month for which figures are available.

The figures are given below.

Month		Number of Teachers
December, 1967	…	3,155
January, 1968	…	2,051
February, 1968	…	2,717
March, 1968	…	5,362
April, 1968	…	11,244
May, 1968	…	5,438

In addition, 2,133 teachers had paid the fee before December 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers who have qualified in teacher training colleges are now not employed in the teaching profession; and how many of these have applied for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

The information requested in the first part of the question is not available. The General Teaching Council is unable at present to provide the figure asked for in the second part.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crimes of violence were committed in the first four months of 1968, compared with the same periods in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967.

I regret that the 1968 figures for the purpose of this comparison are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland 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.

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

asked the Secretary of State what representations he has received from members of Fife County Council concerning the rents of the county's council houses; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

Ten members have sent me a complaint about a recent decision by the Council not to increase these rents, and have asked me to hold a local inquiry. Their letter has been acknowledged, and I am seeking further information which I require before taking a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date Glasgow magistrates first requested that he should increase the powers of the police to search for offensive weapons; and when consulations regarding this matter started with the magistrates, with the Chief Constable of Glasgow and with the Scottish Police Federation.

ANALYSIS BY PRISONS OF PRISONERS IN ENGLAND AND WALES ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE ON 1ST APRIL, 1968
			1	2	3	4
			Eligible	Declined consideration by local review committee	Considered by local review committee	Parole approved after reference to Parole Board
Albany	…	…	35	—	35	3
Ashwell*	…	…	75	3	72	13
Askham Grange*†	…	…	25	3	22	6
Aylesbury	…	…	65	4	61	12
Bedford	…	…	11	2	9	1
Bela River*	…	…	5	1	4	1
Birmingham	…	…	73	10	63	1
Blundeston	…	…	185	3	182	2
Bristol	…	…	71	9	62	11
Camp Hill	…	…	92	—	92	1
Canterbury	…	…	22	2	20	—
Cardiff	…	…	21	5	16	1
Chelmsford	…	…	162	3	159	8
Dartmoor	…	…	390	74	316	1
Dorchester	…	…	20	3	17	—
Durham	…	…	83	4	79	1
Eastchurch*	…	…	17	4	13	5
Exeter	…	…	25	1	24	1
Ford*	…	…	97	6	91	25
Gartree	…	…	142	17	125	6
Gloucester	…	…	21	1	20	1
Grendon	…	…	64	3	61	6
Hill Hall*†	…	…	5	—	5	2
Holloway†	…	…	16	1	15	3
Hull	…	…	95	2	93	—
Kirkham*	…	…	162	4	158	33
Lancaster	…	…	115	8	107	5
Leeds	…	…	119	12	107	5

The request was initially made at a meeting which my right hon. Friend, the Joint Parliamentary Undersecretary, had with Glasgow Magistrates and others on 8th December last and the Chief Constables' (Scotland) Association was consulted later that month. The Scottish Police Federation has not been consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parole cases have been considered by the respective Prison Committee; in how many cases the man in question has been released on parole; and what are the relevant criteria on which the decision as to whether or not a man is released on parole is based.

The main criteria are the public safety; the nature of the offender's crime; his criminal record; his general social history, including domestic circumstances and work record; and his response in prison.Following are the details:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take, in view of the criticisms passed by the St. Pancras Coroner on the official actions of a police surgeon, whose name has been sent to him.

I am informed that the police surgeon concerned has resigned his appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the Chief Constable for the county borough of Oldham into how many offences of breaking and entering chemists' shops and stealing drugs were known to the police to have been committed in the years 1966 and 1967, respectively.

The information is: in 1966, none; in 1967, six.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the Chief Constable for the county borough of Oldham into how many people in the county borough of Oldham were convicted of offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1965, during the years 1966 and 1967, respectively; what proportion of those convicted were under the age of 21 years; how many people were convicted of offences under the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1964 during the same years; and what proportion of those convicted were under the age of 21 years.

The information is as follows:Under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1965, in 1966, none; in 1967, 10, of whom 9 were under 21. Under the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1964, in 1966, 3, all under 21; in 1967, 7, of whom 6 were under 21.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will adopt the recommendation of the Road Research Laboratory in its report LR 145 dealing with X-way pedestrian crossings that the white cross signal should be replaced by a green signal, preferably the normal one of a standard three-aspect traffic signal head.

This is one of the points we are considering before taking a decision on this type of crossing.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that 2,976 houses are to be demolished in Salford under present plans for trunk road building; and if, in view of the serious effect on the city's housing problem, he will ask for the amendment of these plans to avoid the loss of the majority of these houses.

There are no trunk roads in Salford, although a planned trunk road scheme at Irlams o' the Height may involve the demolition of about 160 dwellings in Salford. I understand that the estimate of 2,976 houses includes projects planned by Salford Borough Council, the highway authority for roads within the borough, for many years ahead. No avoidable demolition of houses will be permitted in the trunk road scheme and we are confident that the local highway authority will take the same attitude over the schemes for which it is responsible.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the number of houses in the United Kingdom which will be demolished before 1975 in order to build new roads.

No such estimate is possible.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give for the Ml the most recent traffic figures for the six census points with the heaviest flows.

There are only three census points in continuous use on the Ml. The most recent traffic figures available for them relate to February 1968. They are:

Site on M1	Flow of Vehicles (Combined) February, 1968
Friars Wash (Hertfordshire) between A5 and Luton Spur to A6	44,481
Linford Lane (Buckinghamshire) between A50 and A508	28,317
North of A52 Interchange (Derbyshire)	20,825

asked the Minister of Transport why tenders had not been invited by 30th April last for the length of M6 between Catthorpe and Coleshill, in view of the official announcement on 20th January 1967 in Birmingham that construction would start in the autumn of 1967.

Tenders for the Catthorpe to A46 section were invited on 30th April last and those for the A46 to Coleshill section will be invited this summer. Difficulties over scheme design, statutory processes and land acquisition have precluded earlier invitations.