asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement on the demand for mortgages and the availability of funds to meet them.

Demand for mortgages remains at a high level. The funds available for lending were affected in the early part of the year by the low net inflow of money into the societies. Following the recent increase in the investment rate there has been a marked improvement in the position, but there is no ground for complacency and I hope that members of the public with funds to invest will remember the social importance of a high rate of housebuilding.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications have been received by the Durham rent officer from the National Coal Board for the issue of certificates of fair rent in place of licensed occupation.

712 applications have been received, 132 of these are still under consideration, and certificates of fair rent have been issued in respect of the other 580. In 341 of these 580 cases regulated tenancies have been granted and the rent specified in the certificate registered as a fair rent for the dwelling.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations about the level of rent can, under the regulations, be entertained by the rent officer from the licensed occupant of a house for which the landlord is making application for a certificate of fair rent.

Certificates of fair rent fix the rent which will be payable for a house when it is let to a tenant on a regulated tenancy. Only where an occupier of the house already falls into this category does the procedure entitle him to make representations to the rent officer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government on what grounds he bases his official estimate that the housing shortage will be over in five years' time; and if he will make a statement.

My forecast about the housing need in five years' time was contained in a speech made to the Building Societies Association on May 29th. As the forecast was based on a number of assumptions which are fully set out in the speech I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of it. I am also placing a copy in the Library.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether Circular 100 of 1950 concerning planning procedures by public authorities is still in force.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the present position regarding Birmingham City Council's proposals for overspill schemes in the surrounding areas.

Provision is being made in new town and town expansion schemes for the reception of overspill from Birmingham and the rest of the conurbation. In addition, applications to develop land in North Worcestershire are being prepared by the Birmingham Corporation for submission to the Worcestershire County Council. I understand that discussions about these applications are taking place between the two authorities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement about the composition of the National Parks Commission.

The appointments of the members of the National Parks Commission expire next summer. On the enactment of the Countryside Bill the National Parks Commission will become the Countryside Commission but the present membership will continue in office for the remainder of their term.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his policy on the de-rating of intensive livestock houses on farms.

I have no intention at present of proposing changes in the law relating to the rating of these premises.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what communications he has had with local authorities whose beaches were affected by pollution during the Whitsun holiday; and what financial help he has offered to them in meeting the additional cost of cleaning the beaches.

I visited the Suffolk coast on Whit Monday, 3rd June, and observed that the local authorities were tackling the oil with speed and efficiency. Ministry officials were in frequent contact with the local authorities from midday on 2nd June, and told them that claims for an Exchequer grant of 50 per cent. would be sympathetically considered.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what conditions he has imposed on the extraction of coal from under the City of Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

The National Coal Board applied in December, 1965, for planning permission to extract coal at Bradford Colliery from under the Collyhurst and adjoining districts of Manchester.Discussions have been proceeding between the Board and the City Corporation about the protection of drainage works. On 13th November my right hon. Friend gave permission, with the agreement of the City Corporation, for the mining of one seam in part of the application area. No conditions were imposed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to protect pension rights on salary awards not made payable owing to the salary and wages standstill.

The local government superannuation scheme contains no provision for calculating pensions other than by reference to remuneration actually received.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT all schemes for the clearance of industrial dereliction in the Yorkshire and Humberside region approved for Treasury grant during 1967–68, and all schemes currently under consideration for 1968–69.

The following table shows the number of schemes approved during 1967–68 for the clearance of derelict sites in the Yorkshire and Humberside region:it is proposed to treat a site of about 34 acres at an estimated cost of £11,250.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications for less than £2,000 he received from local authorities in the financial year 1967–68.

In 1967–68, the number of consents given to the borrowing of sums less than £2,000 for matters within the province of this Department was rather less than 6,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for a programmed advance towards equal pay for industrial civil servants.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friends the Members for Liverpool, Scotland (Mr. Alldritt) and for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill) on 14th May. —[Vol. 764, c. 1022–3.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he will next lay before the House a public investment White Paper giving details of a five-year forward look in public investment proposals;(2) when he will next lay before the House a public expenditure White Paper giving details of a five-year forward look in public spending.

I am not yet in a position to say when a further White Paper on public expenditure will be published.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present deficit per annum of the United Kingdom's balance of payments; and how much surplus per annum was required by the Bank for International Settlements as the condition for providing further help to solve the sterling balances problem.

The outturn and a commentary on the balance of payments in the first quarter of 1968 were published today and are available in the Library. The figures cannot sensibly be expressed in terms of a "deficit per annum".The inference in the second part of the Question is not correct. But I explained in my Budget speech the reasons why we need to achieve a balance of payments surplus of £500 million as soon as we can and to sustain it for as far ahead as we can see.—[Vol. 761, c. 253–8.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what specific mechanism the problem of sterling balances will be dealt with once the Bank of International Settlements has agreed to provide the necessary money.

It would not be useful for me to attempt to forecast the precise nature of any new arrangements which may be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what unexpected factors led to his decision to ask for an extension of the existing 12-month $1,000 million Basle group loan; and how much longer he estimates that it will take to make Great Britain independent of foreign loans.

I have no statement to make on the renewal of the Basle facility which was announced last March. On the second part of the Question, I have nothing to add to what I said in my Budget speech about our balance of payments objectives.—[Vol. 761, c. 253–8.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much he estimates the nation is still living beyond its means; and what new steps he proposes to take to stop this over-spending.

The outturn and a commentary on the balance of payments in the first quarter of this year have been published today and are available in the Library. I explained the Government's economic strategy in my Budget Speech. I have no new proposals to announce.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent talks in Basle between representatives of the International Monetary Fund which included the Governor of the Bank of England, and representatives of the Reserve Bank of South Africa concerning the future price of gold.

No. There were no such talks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the 30 per cent. Purchase Tax on polypropylene so as to encourage its use as an import substitute for paper.

Polypropylene is not chargeable with Purchase Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a White Paper on the recent discussions with international bankers in Basle.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his present estimate of the date on which it will be possible for the Special Drawing Rights Scheme to become operative.

The Governors of the International Monetary Fund have approved the necessary amendments to the Fund's Articles to give effect to the S.D.R. Scheme. There are further processes which require Parliamentary action in many countries and may take some months. The earliest time at which S.D.R.s could be created and distributed is probably the early months of 1969.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about recent acquisitions in lieu of Estate Duty.

Yes. Negotiations have recently been completed for the acceptance of three important items in lieu of Estate Duty.Agreement has been reached between Her Majesty's Government and the trustees of the estate of the late Baroness Seaton for the acceptance under Section 34 of the Finance Act, 1956, of Drake's Drum in part satisfaction of estate duty payable in connection with the death of Mr. Richard Meyrick. The advice of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries has been sought on the disposal of this relic and, in view of the West Country associations, it has been decided that the Drum should be offered on long loan to the City of Plymouth for display at Buckland Abbey.Great Mell Fell in Cumberland and part of the Cliveden Estate have also been offered by the trustees of the Greystoke Castle estate and of the estate of the late Viscount Astor respectively. Both these offers have been accepted and the properties have been transferred to the National Trust to hold for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.The total cost to the National Land Fund of these acquisitions, after making allowance for Estate Duty exemption where appropriate, is £59,250.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the decision to use outside cleaning contractors in Government offices in the Northern Region, if he will state the number of cleaners to be declared redundant, the estimated annual saving to Government and the estimated cost of redundancy payments to be paid to redundant cleaners.

About 350, though this number may be reduced by natural wastage. It is too early to give precise figures of savings and redundancy payments for the Northern Region, but I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answers given to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Dance) on 19th and 26th February.—[Vol. 759, c. 15–16;Vol. 759, c. 248.]

asked the Minister of Power if he will consider holding a poll of consumer preference in the choice of fuels in the light of the changes taking place in the price structure of fuels.

No. The results of various surveys, including some by the fuel industries, are already made available to the Ministry. The Ministry is constantly seeking ways of improving the information on which forecasts are based, but it is not possible to say at present what form further improvements would most usefully take.

asked the Minister of Power if he will publish the incidence of sickness, injury and death in uranium mining compared with coal mining in this country.

I regret that comparative figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Health in view of the fact that for surgical treatment the waiting list per 1,000 of the population is 68 months in Shrewsbury and only 3·3 months for England and Wales, whether he will now give priority to the finishing of the District General Hospital in Shrewsbury at present under construction.

It is the responsibility of the regional hospital board to assess priorities within its region and it has decided that it could not give priority to the finishing of this district general hospital without delaying the progress of other equally pressing schemes, but an additional theatre now being built at the old Copthorne Hospital should start to relieve surgical waiting lists next year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will institute an inquiry into the circumstances which caused the resignation of the matron of Guy's Hospital and members of her staff.

I have obtained a report from the hospital authority and I understand that the matron told the Board that she was resigning because she was not in agreement with their priorities and thought that more emphasis should be given to the provision of better amenities for nursing staff and patients. No other resignations or offers of resignation have been reported to the Board in connection with the matron's.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has now made to ensure that vaccination against measles is available to all children under the age of four years.

I had already asked local health authorities, after concentrating in May, June and July on children between their fourth and seventh birthdays—first and seventh birthdays for children at day nurseries, nursing schools and residential establishments—to extend this vaccination to other children below school age.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will give instructions to Ministers concerned to set up an early warning system to advise local authorities of the presence of oil slicks on their beaches so that the local authorities can make preliminary dispositions of men and material to deal with them.

Such a system already exists.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has had from Gibraltarian representatives about renewed discussions with Spain on the Resolution of the United Nations Assembly concerning Gibraltar; and what reply he has made.

No such representations have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish the terms of the extradition treaty negotiated with South Africa as related to Swaziland.

The Government of Swaziland are currently in direct negotiation with the Government of South Africa under authority entrusted to them for the purpose. If, on completion of these negotiations, further authority is delegated to the Government of Swaziland to enter into a treaty, and a treaty is signed before Swaziland becomes independent, I shall arrange for the text to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students in receipt of Government and local authority grants are allowed sabbatical terms for the purpose of student organisation while retaining their grants.

A number of student union officials were allowed sabbatical terms or years for purposes of student organisation by the university or other authorities. Funds for this are normally found from union or college sources, not from the grant system.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list the total registered unemployed, including those temporarily stopped, the percentage which this represents and the unfilled vacancies for the month of May for the last 10 years in the Coventry, Nuneaton and Tamworth employment exchange areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the current number of vacancies per hundred unemployed persons in the West Midlands, East Midlands and South-East regions and in Wales, respectively.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many former miners from Arley Colliery are still unemployed; and what further steps are: being taken by her Department to place them in employment.

On 7th June, 1968, 551 were still unemployed. My officers are continuing to do what they can to help them find work.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what special steps he has taken to protect the personal safety of the staff of the British Embassy in Saigon;(2) whether he is satisfied that the retention of female personnel at the British Embassy in Saigon is justified in view of the degree of protection available to them against the activities of the Vietcong; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Ambassador has taken what steps are open to him to ensure the safety of his staff, as of the rest of the British community. Since the Tet offensive, members of the Embassy staff—with the exception of a few advisers—and the medical team now live in the main residential area away from Cholon and the huburbs. Each group of houses or flats still occupied by Embassy personnel is under the charge of a senior member of the staff who is within a short distance of everyone under his charge, and can thus keep in regular touch. At times when there are ground attacks in the Saigon-Cholon area, staff are concentrated so that no one is alone in a house at night. Staff are not at present concentrated, since in a bombard- ment the safety of the largest number lies in dispersion. They have been given advice on safety precautions to take.The female personnel of the Diplomatic Service accept all the obligations of the Service, which quite often include an element of danger. They would not wish to plead that these hazards should be confined to their male colleagues. All the female members of staff posted to Saigon since the security situation deteriorated earlier this year agreed to go to Saigon in the full knowledge of the possible dangers and neither they nor other female members of the staff have asked to leave early.The married members of the staff have been given the opportunity to send their wives and families home, and a number of the wives concerned, particularly those with small children, took advantage of it.I would like to take this opportunity to compliment all the staff of the Embassy on their steadfastness in very trying and uncomfortable conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he allowed Mr. Cohn-Bendit to enter this country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13th June to the right hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes)—[Vol. 766, c. 438–444.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what treatment is available for alcoholics in Her Majesty's Prisons; and what arrangements are made for their medical care upon discharge.

Alcoholics received into prison in England and Wales are examined by medical officers. They may recommend hospital orders; transfer to hospital; transfer to special treatment units or to open prisons. Medical officers supervise alcoholics in custody and refer those who are suitable to appropriate clinics or hostels on release. The association of the prison welfare service with the probation and after-care services, and its liaison with Alcoholics Anonymous—who hold meetings in many prisons—and other voluntary organisations, ensures that alcoholics on leaving prison can be referred to agencies prepared to help them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what circumstances caused him to reverse the previously announced decision not to close the women's wing of Brockhill Remand Centre until full investigations were completed and alternative accommodation provided in the West Midlands.

The hon. Member is mistaken in thinking that any such decision was previously announced. The closure was postponed from the end of May to the end of June to enable the Brockhill Visiting Committee to raise the matter, as they had given notice to do, at the Annual Conference of Visiting Committees and Boards of Visitors on 12th June and to afford the Conference an opportunity of making any suggestions it might wish before the wing was closed. No suggestion was made at any stage that the wing could continue to operate after the end of June.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what is the average length of waiting time for applicants for telephones in Acton;(2) how many people in Acton are on the waiting list for telephones.

The exchanges serving Acton are Acorn, the greater part of Shepherds Bush and Hogarth, and a small part of Chiswick. Nobody is waiting on Chiswick, where service is provided on demand. A total of 339 Acton residents are on the waiting lists at the other three exchanges and they have been waiting, on average, two to three months. The difficulty is shortage of equipment. Relief schemes are planned for the three exchanges; the 145 people waiting in Hogarth and Shepherds Bush exchange areas will be given service this autumn, and 194 in Acorn exchange area, in the spring of next year.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works why the maps of England, Scotland and Wales in the Banqueting House Exhibition of Historic Monuments in Britain exclude Monmouthshire from Wales.

It is generally established by Statutes going back to 1535 that Monmouthshire is to be regarded as one of the counties of England. In practice, the county is treated as part of Wales for most administrative purposes, including the supervision of ancient monuments.

asked the Minister of Technology what reports he has received from the working party set up by his Department to look into the question of pollution on Tees-side; and what action he proposes to take arising from the recommendations of the workig party.

The Working Group was not appointed by the Ministry of Technology. It was set up by the Interdepartmental Committee on Air Pollution Research under the chairmanship of the Director of the Warren Spring Laboratory. Work for the Group is being undertaken by U.K.A.E.A., Harwell, under the terms of a requirement my right hon. Friend made in August, 1967, under Section 4 of the Science and Technology Act. Sixty per cent. of Harwell's effort on air pollution is devoted to Tees-side mist, the total cost of air pollution work from August, 1967, to 31st March, 1968, being £52,350. An increased effort is being made in the current year. The limited work so far carried out both at Tees-side and at Harwell indicates that concentration of ammonium sulphate particles at Harwell has been found to be as great as that normally occurring on Tees-side, so the usual level of pollution seems not to be greater than that in the Harwell area. However, ammonium sulphate occasionally occurs on Tees-side in much greater quantities than normal. When this occurs in combination with atmospheric conditions producing a sea fret, the effect may be to make mist more persistent. The problem is confined to some 12 days in the year, mainly in May or June but also in September to November. The incidence of the mist is uneven, affecting some parts of Tees-side more than others.The work planned for this summer at Tees-side and elsewhere may confirm and extend these ideas. As soon as a report is available, the Interdepartmental Committee will notify direct the Government Departments concerned regarding what action, if any, is required.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of legal aid received by individuals convicted of assault on other persons since the institution of the Legal Aid Scheme.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what increase in fuel charges has resulted for Scottish agriculture as a result of the Suez crisis and devaluation; and what proportion heating costs represent in relation to their total production costs giving separate figures for glass growers.

It is estimated that for a full year the increased fuel costs to Scottish agriculture and horticulture arising from the Suez crisis and devaluation will be about £400,000. Heating costs are estimated to represent less than 0·5 per cent. of total farming costs and about 25 per cent. of total glasshouse production costs. Heating costs in the glasshouse sector vary considerably, however, as between individual growers according to the crops grown, the type of fuel used and other factors.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will arrange for an independent review to be undertaken of the sight tests applied in connection with the issue of the Board's certificates of competency to seafarers, special consideration being given to the possible acceptance of artificially corrected vision.

Yes. I have decided to establish a special committee to review the Board's sight tests at present in force for persons serving or intending to serve in the Merchant Navy or in fishing vessels, and the way in which these tests are applied and to advise whether any and, if so, what alterations are desirable. I shall make a further announcement on the composition of the committee as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now give an assurance that construction of the Wythenshawe-Bowdon section of M56 will definitely start in 1968.

Land acquisition cannot be completed in time to permit a start of work in 1968 but certain advance works will be put in hand this month.

asked the Minister of Transport in what place will the heavy goods testing station be established nearest to Holmfirth, Slaithwaite and Skelmanthorpe; and what consultations his Department has held in the Huddersfield district on the location of this testing station.

The nearest goods vehicle testing stations to Holmfirth, Slaithwaite and Skelmanthorpe will be at Rothwell (Leeds), Heywood and Bredbury (Manchester). Consultations on the location of testing stations were with representatives of the operators' associations. My Department is considering, in consultation with these associations, whether testing facilities could be provided economically in Huddersfield to replace arrangements proposed earlier which were abortive.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he now has for a rapid rail connection between central London and London Airport.

British Railways are developing, in conjunction with the other interested bodies, plans for a rail link between Victoria and Heathrow. I should consider with sympathy proposals for a link of this kind.