asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will circulate a copy of the report on the Effects of Nuclear War prepared for U Thant by an international committee of experts, including Her Majesty's Government's representative, to all officers, noncommissioned officers and other ranks in the Armed Services who are trained in the use of nuclear weapons.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will review the monitoring system in defence research establishments, in the light of answer 812 given by the Electronic Engineering Association in evidence to the Select Committee on Science and Technology.

The arrangements for monitoring are kept under close scrutiny and I would not feel justified in embarking on a special review on the strength of the evidence to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the latest interceptions of ships by the Beira patrol; whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT full particulars of all such interceptions made since the patrol was instituted; and whether, having regard to the fact that sanctions have not so far achieved the object for which they were introduced, he will end the patrol forthwith.

There have been 28 occasions on which ships have been stopped or asked to slow down, in pursuance of the Security Council Resolution of 9th April, 1966, by the naval patrol off Beira. This figure includes two occasions in May this year when ships were stopped by the naval patrol and subsequently allowed to proceed. The future requirement for the naval patrol is a matter for the United Nations Security Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action is being taken to increase local overseas allowance to the Services in Germany.

I hope to publish the new rates very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the additional British forces contributed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

I have nothing to add to the full reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Alexander W. Lyon).—[Vol. 764, c. 151–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what official reports he has received concerning visits by Soviet warships to Persian Gulf ports since 1st January, 1968.

Soviet warships are known to have been present in the Persian Gulf over the past three months. They have visited various ports in the area. I cannot reveal sources of information.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why his Department took from December, 1966, until 15th May, 1968, to inform a constituent of the hon. Member for Winchester that his resignation from the Territorial Army would be effective from 1st April, 1967.

The Territorial Army Reserve of Officers ceased to exist on 1st April, 1967. The 4,500 Infantry officers of that Reserve were asked at the end of 1966 to choose between joining the Regular Army Reserve of Officers and resigning their commissions. On receipt of the replies Gazette action was taken and the officers were informed. To avoid taking on extra staff the task was performed in addition to normal duties. Priority of action was given to transfers to the R.A.R.O., which numbered 4,300. Action giving effect to the 200 resignations was not completed until May this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to moving for the establishment of a Select Committee on defence matters.

I have decided that it would be preferable to evaluate the recent experiment of appointing additional specialist Select Committees before deciding whether further to increase their number.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence from what bases British amphibious forces will conduct their training exercises for operations on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation southern flank.

The Commando ship which, as I announced on 10th May, will take part in N.A.T.O. exercises in the Mediterranean in 1969 will operate from the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an assurance that there will be no further disbandments of Scottish regiments in the next five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Gordon Highlanders and the Argyll Highlanders with particular reference to the units now stationed at Aberdeen.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave this afternoon to the hon. Members for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith); Dumfries (Mr. Monro); and Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. Wolrige-Gordon).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals were killed last year at the Porton Research Establishment in experiments with chemical and biological war weapons.

The number of animals used in 1967 in research on defence against chemical and biological warfare at the Microbiological Research Establishment and the Chemical Defence and Experimental Establishment, Porton, was 66,144. Home Office Regulations require that all animals used in experiments must subsequently be painlessly destroyed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now place an order for production of prototypes of an advanced combat aircraft by the British Aircraft Corporation.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to his Oral Question today.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to redeploy the Fleet on its withdrawal from the Far East.

The Royal Navy will be concentrated in the European and North Atlantic areas. Units will, however, be deployed elsewhere as circumstances demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the United States decision to withdraw the original Polaris missiles from use in the United States submarine fleet, he is satisfied as to the effectiveness of the present British Polaris programmes; and if it is proposed to continue it in service.

I think my hon. Friend will find that the United States Navy plans to use Poseidon in some submarines and to keep Polaris in others. We shall have Polaris missiles in our own force which, as my right hon. Friend has said on a number of occasions, will provide a powerful contribution to the Western nuclear stragetic deterrent.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the application of the Grigg formula for biannual increases in Services' pay.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Hendon, North (Sir Ian Orr-Ewing) today.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is aware of the hardship caused to naval officers serving abroad whose dollar pay and allowances have been cut by 5 to 6 per cent. following devaluation; and if he will consider restoring this cut.

My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Defence for Administration, during the defence debate on 5th March explained how the current interim rates of local ocerseas allowance were assessed to compensate for the devaluation of the pound sterling. The percentage change in pay and allowances varies somewhat from country to country because of different factors which have to be taken into account. I am satisfied that the reviews now taking place, with retrospection for increases, will result in fair treatment for all Servicemen abroad.—[Vol. 760, c. 263–5.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in regard to £140,000 paid by his Department in grants to the Beef Recording Association, and the additional £27,000 for three bull performance testing centres, what were the dates on which these various payments were made; and what was the sum paid in each case.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions were given to the official United Kingdom delegates to the Conference of Nations who fish in the North West Atlantic regarding the Canadian resolution on the future of the Atlantic salmon; and if he will make a statement.

Our delegation strongly supported the Canadian proposal. After full discussion, the Commission resolved to call the attention of member governments to the serious concern that had been expressed, and recommended them to consider urgently the desirability of preventing an increase in the high seas fishery for salmon for the time being and to give high priority to research into its effects on the stocks.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the rapidly increasing amount of heavy traffic now using the A659 road between Hare-wood Bridge and Pool-in-Wharfdale and the increasing number of accidents on this narrow twisting and dangerous road, he will apply a speed limit between Athington Church and Pool Bridge.

The imposition of a speed limit on this length of road would be, in the first instance, the responsibility of the West Riding County Council as highway authority. If it formally seeks our consent to a limit, we shall, of course, carefully consider its proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many families in Glasgow are still living in homes which have not had their roof permanently repaired after suffering storm damage in the gale of 14th-15th January.

Of the 29,000 roofs which were damaged over 7,000 have been permanently repaired. I am informed by Glasgow Corporation that a further 14,000 roofs of council houses have semi-permanent repairs fully adequate for the winter. The remaining 8,000 tenement roofs cover some 20,000 top-floor houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to attract qualified scientists and engineers to the teaching profession.

The recruitment of graduates is encouraged by various forms of publicity including annual visits by recruitment teams to all universities. The Special Recruitment Scheme which provides financial assistance to enable per- sons from other employment to train as teachers also makes an important contribution to the supply of teachers of science and engineering.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the total financial benefit for the hotel industry as a result of the new scheme of hotel development grants and loans in its first year of operation or for any convenient period.

I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 33 of the White Paper on Hotel Development Incentives presented to the House on 21st May.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new hotel beds were provided by the hotel industry in each year from 1953 to 1967, inclusive; and what estimate he has made of the effect of the Government's proposals for grants and loans to hotels on the number of hotel beds which will be provided in future years.

No reliable information is available on the number of new hotel beds provided in past years; the number of beds to be provided in future years will depend on the nature and timing of investment decisions and on the industry's response to the Government's proposed incentives.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for assistance were received under the hotel loans scheme which expired on 31st March, 1968; how many were approved; how many were taken up; and what sum those taken up represented.

One hundred and thirty-nine applications were received. Sixteen loans have been offered, of which 11, for amounts totalling £1·7 million, have been accepted. A further 2 offers will be made very shortly.Of the remaining applications, 71 have been rejected or withdrawn by the applicants and 50 are at various stages of examination.

asked the President of the. Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to ensure that a cooling-off period of 48 hours, similar to the existing hire-purchase provisions, is made mandatory before any sale by door-to-door salesmen is concluded.

No. The publicity given to this type of selling has forewarned many people of the possible dangers and I do not think that legislation to provide a cooling-off period would be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the salesmen of Sony Readers Club Limited and other similar companies are demanding money with menaces from retirement pensioners and others in the course of purporting to sell them magazines and periodicals, as in the case of the constituent of the hon. Member for West Derbyshire, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

On the information at present before me, it is not clear whether the action of the salesman in the specific case which the hon. Member has brought to my attention amounted to demanding money with menaces. But I think that there is a matter for investigation, and I am referring the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received the Report of the Monopolies Commission on Men's Haircutting Services.

My right hon. Friend has received the Report and it was published this morning.The Commission found that monopoly conditions do not prevail in relation to either the United Kingdom as a whole or any substantial part thereof and it thus had no further function to perform under the reference.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent, in considering the issue of industrial development certificates during the last 12 months to Rolls Royce, he satisfied himself on the question of future developments within the company in the light of Rolls Royce's subsequent decision to close its factories at Bentham and Cardiff, thus putting about 900 people out of work.

Rolls Royce told the Board of Trade of its decision to close its Bentham and Cardiff factories just before it made its public announcement. I am satisfied that the industrial development certificates issued to the company in the last 12 months were not for projects which could reasonably have been undertaken at Bentham or Cardiff.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what industrial development certificates have been granted to Rolls Royce in the last 12 months; and if he will give details.

It is not the practice of the Board of Trade to disclose the details of industrial development certificates issued to individual companies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the accumulated loss of earnings incurred by the four British ships being detained in the Suez Canal for the past 12 months.

I understand that loss of earnings may amount to about half a million pounds.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the ships currently detained in the Suez Canal are insured partially or completely in London; and what is the total sum involved.

The insurance against war risk perils in respect of the hulls of the four British vessels is underwritten entirely in the United Kingdom; the sum involved is £4¼ million. The liability of British insurers in respect of the hulls of the remaining vessels is estimated at £7 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the discussions with Great Britain's allies on the programme for the rundown of forces in the Persian Gulf.

No. I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 26th February, when I said these discussions were a long and continuing process. It is still too early to report on them.—[Vol. 759, c. 229–30.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will commission a survey of the job opportunities in Hillingdon borough in

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which new towns and overspill and expanding towns have surplus housing available for immediate occupation by suitably employed incomers.

My hon. Friend will be aware of the assurances given to the House by my right hon. Friend on 2nd May of her intentions to strengthen the Department on the manpower forecasting side so that we are better able to foresee problems likely to arise in the manpower field, and have time to take the necessary action. On my present information I would not regard the Hillingdon Borough as a potential problem area so far as concerns the engineering industry but I would be glad to hear from my hon. Friend what he has in mind.— [Vol. 763, c. 1312.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the total value of grants for housing purposes paid by central Government to the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967, respectively.

The following is the Answer:

I am informed that such accommodation is immediately available in the following places:

asked the Minister of Technology if he will publish the reply sent by his Department in 1967 to the Electronic Engineering Association on selectivity of companies in the matter of Government contracts.

An inquiry into the relationship between the Ministry of Aviation and the electronics industry was conducted in 1965 at the request of the Department by Mr. W. J. Richards, a former Director of the Royal Radar Establishment. One of the conclusions of his report was that whereas a multiplicity of project studies demonstrably ensures a large measure of competition, it involves waste of scarce scientific skills and added delays, and these disadvantages are considered to outweigh the advantages.In discussion between the Ministry of Aviation and the Electronics Engineering Association in May, 1966, both sides accepted the spirit of this conclusion for electronic development work.

asked the Minister of Technology what action he now intends to take following the National Board for Prices and Incomes' Report on the price increases in Mallory batteries.

As I informed the House on 16th May discussions on this issue and the other recommendations of Report No. 64 of the National Board for Prices and Incomes are in progress with Mallory Batteries Ltd.—[Vol. 764, c. 281.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for dealing with officers and men posted home unexpectedly from overseas in respect of customs duties; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Servicemen returning from abroad are granted the same Customs concessions and facilities as people in other walks of life.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the final date for claim for payments in respect of war damage to land and buildings.

All claims for payments must be made by 30th September 1968, which is the time limit set by the War Damage Act, 1964. It is important, therefore, that claimants who intend to claim a cost of works payment for the cost of making good war damage should both complete the necessary work and make their claims for payments by that date. Similarly, claims for value payments for war damage which is not to be made good must also be made by 30th September, 1968. The Act does not contain any provision for an extension of this time limit in any circumstances.