asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement on the latest developments in hovercraft development, with particular reference to overseas markets.

With the support of the Department and N.R.D.C. the hovercraft industry is increasing the range of hovercraft in production. Firms are responsible for pushing their own sales with the support of the Department. This is evident in the demonstrations in Latin America of which my hon. Friend will be aware.

asked the Minister of Technology how many motor cars were produced, respectively, for home trade and export during the nine months ended 30th September, 1968; how the restrictions on home trade in respect of hire-purchase and higher Purchase Tax, introduced earlier this year, have affected home demand for motor cars; how export performance compares with corresponding periods of nine months in 1966 and 1967, respectively; and what the prospects are for motor car exports.

Approximately 740,000 and 590,000 respectively; home demand this year has been slightly higher than in the corresponding period of last year; production for export is up by a quarter on 1966 and almost 40 per cent. on 1967; a further increase is expected next year.

asked the Minister of Technology what help has been sought from his Department arising from the vibrations that have taken place in supertankers as a result of heavy seas.

The British Ship Research Association which receives a substantial grant from the Department is working on this problem. They have proposed a method of neutralising wave-induced vibration and have placed a design study contract with a firm of shipbuilders.

asked the Minister of Technology why he turned down the application for a grant towards the development of a spray steel making plant at Millom in Cumberland.

Adequate arrangements were in hand for the development of spray steel making in existing steel works. The Millom proposal would have required a large capital expenditure for the construction of a steel works at Millom at a time when there was already surplus steel making capacity in the country.The small scale of the plant, remote from other process development work and from markets and sources of some raw materials, would have placed the project at a disadvantage compared with large steel producers and development elsewhere. No proposals were received from any other steel manufacturer or any steel plant manufacturer in support of development at Millom.

asked the Minister of Technology why it took 18 months for a decision to be made on whether or not to pay a grant towards the development of spray steel making at Millom in Cumberland.

The full and sympathetic consideration that we gave to all aspects of this application, including the implications of employment at Millom, necessarily took some time.

asked the Minister of Technology, whether, in his negotiations with the Governments of France and West Germany on the possibility of building the A-300 airbus, he will take into account the representations made by the Chairman of British European Airways as to the suitability of such an aircraft for British European Airways operations.

Yes, of course. B.E.A. are collaborating in the drafting of the specification for the European Airbus.

asked the Minister of Technology, what discussions he has had with the European Nuclear Energy Agency on the disposal of nuclear waste.

The Department and the Atomic Energy Authority provide the United Kingdom representation on the Steering and the Health and Safety Committees respectively of the European Nuclear Energy Agency.Discussions in these bodies about scientific and technical co-operation between the Member States have covered the disposal of nuclear waste.

asked the Minister of Technology, what is the present total of the order book for British shipyards; and what proportion of this is for warships or other sophisticated ships with high labour content.

£570 million at 31st August of which 52 per cent. was for warships, including submarines, and sophisticated merchant vessels, but these figures exaggerate the importance of sophisticated work in the order book.

asked the Minister of Technology, what shipbuilding yards in the United Kingdom are building bulk carriers and tankers; and what is the state of their order books and the value of present shipbuilding in the United Kingdom.

The yards listed below had orders at 31st August for bulk carriers or tankers ranging from 100 gross tons upwards. These yards' total order book for merchant ships is estimated at £275 million out of a nestimated total for all United Kingdom yards of £310 million:

• Austin and Pickersgill.
• Cammell Laird.
• Clelands.
• Cochrane.
• Doxford (Laing).
• Doxford (Thompson).
• Drypool.
• Dunston (Hessle).
• Furness.
• Goole.
• Harker.
• Holmes.
• Smiths Dock.
• S.H. (Hebburn).
• S.H. (Readhead).
• S.H. (Wallsend).
• S.H. (Naval Yard Walker).
• Harland and Wolff (Belfast).
• Hall Russell.
• Lithgows.
• Robb.
• Scotts (Cartsburn).
• Scotts (Cartsdyke).
• Upper Clyde (Clydebank).
• Upper Clyde (Scotstoun).
• Upper Clyde (Govan).

asked the Minister of Technology (1) when he expects to report on the outcome of the negotiations with Mallory Batteries Limited regarding the recommendation of the National Board for Prices and Incomes given early in May that the 45 per cent. increase in the prices of their hearing aid batteries which has obtained since January, 1968 be abandoned;(2) why, during his discussions with Mallory Batteries Limited, the 45 per cent. price increase recommended against by the National Board for Prices and Incomes has continued to be charged;(3) to what extent the agreement with Mallory Batteries Limited will provide for the refund of sums overcharged since January, 1968.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement issued by the Government on 7th August. The company agreed to reduce its prices to the lowest level compatible with its export requirements and to abandon the practice of recommending retail prices in the United Kingdom. No question of making any refund to the purchasers of batteries has arisen.

asked the Minister of Technology in what respect the size of tanker which can be built at Furness shipbuilding yard is limited as described by him in his letter to the hon. Member for The Hartlepools; and how many yards in the United Kingdom can build tankers of a larger size.

The size of vessel which can be built in the Furness yard is limited by the size of the berths there.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) what offers have been made to him to build ships at the Furness shipbuilding yard since the announcement was made by the present owners to close the yard; and if he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received against the proposed inclusion of the Furness shipbuilding yard in a wider North-East shipbuilding group or any other grouping; and what reply he has sent.

We received no representations against the inclusion of this yard in a group. Shortly after the announcement that it was likely to close, there were a few inquiries about the possibility of ships being built at the yard but none of these were offers to take over the yard and build ships there. As regards the future of the yard I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave today to the right hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey).

asked the Minister of Technology what are the present functions of the Shipbuilding Industry Board; to what extent its rôle in the reorganisation of the shipbuilding industry has been modified on the policy of regrouping yards; and by what tests the Board allocates to the industry finances for whatever purpose.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Shipbuilding Industry Act, 1967, as amended by the Industrial Expansion Act, 1968, which lays down both the Board's functions and the purpose for which its powers are to be exercised.

asked the Minister of Technology what discussions he has had with the interests concerned on the shipbuilding capacity of the United Kingdom in the 1970s; and if he will make a statement.

The capacity of the shipbuilding industry in the 1970s will be determined by the reorganisation now taking place in the industry. I am in constant touch with the Shipbuilding Industry Board and with shipbuilders on matters arising out of this reorganisation.

asked the Minister of Technology what proposals he has received, and what discussions he has had, on a larger shipbuilding group in the North East; and if he will make a statement.

The bigger Tyne yards are now in a group in which the Furness yard on the Tees is now to be absorbed at the end of the year. The other Tees yard as well as some of the smaller yards in the North East are already associated with this group. The five Wear yards will for the present be operated by two companies.

asked the Minister of Technology what design studies are at present being undertaken to apply the vertical take-off or variable geometry principles to new types of civil aircraft.

The Department and the industry are making preparatory studies for the specification of an inter-city vertical take-off aircraft, and of a suitable engine. This will not involve variable geometry.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the latest progress in achieving European co-operation in technology.

Various collaborative projects on which we are working with other European countries are going forward and others are being explored. No comprehensive arrangement yet exists for technological co-operation embracing E.E.C. and the countries seeking member-ship.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) what is his present estimate of the annual dose equivalent to crew members of the Concorde from galactic radiation on North Atlantic routes; and if he will state the number of flying hours and the number of hours at cruising altitude to which this estimate relates;(2) what steps will be taken to monitor exposure of crews of the Concorde to galactic and solar radiation, respectively;(3) what research he is conducting to determine the radiation dose equivalent of occupants of the Concorde in polar latitudes per unit of time at cruising altitude, with particular reference to the biological effects of energetic heavy nuclei on cells and tissues, and the relative biological effectiveness of high energy radiations at low dose rates;(4) what research he is conducting to determine the radiation dose equivalent of occupants of the Concorde in polar latitudes per unit of time at cruising altitude, with particular reference to the development of practical methods to enable the early detection and avoidance of solar flare radiation, and the variations in quantity and quality of cosmic radiations, including primary heavy nuclei, with altitude, latitude, solar activity and shielding.

The estimated average annual exposure of a Concorde crew member on North Atlantic routes, based upon 700 flying hours a year, 560 of them at over 50,000 feet, is 0·65rems; this is equivalent to the dose from between 6 and 7 typical medical X-ray examinations. Concorde will carry an exposure montitoring device which will also give warning of the onset of exceptional solar flare radiation; this will then be avoided by the aircraft descending to a lower altitude.Research conducted into radiation levels at different latitudes has shown that, although radiation at Concorde cruising altitudes roughly doubles between the equator and the magnetic poles, there is little significant difference between levels on the North Atlantic and Polar routes. There is little variation in the proportion of heavy nuclei in galactic radiation, and whilst less is known about the composition of solar flare radiation the proportion of heavy nuclei is usually small. No research is being conducted by the Ministry of Technology specifically into the composition of solar flare radiation or the biological effects of heavy nuclei, but these factors have been allowed for in calculating the amount of radiation to which Concorde passengers and crew may be exposed and substantial safety margins included where appropriate. In view of the very low level of this radiation, no special shielding will be necessary.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will now publish the results of the sonic boom tests carried out in 1966–67.

I intend shortly to give this House an account of the public response to the sonic bang exercise over southern England in July, 1967.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will state the past and future cost to this country of the F111 aircraft; and, having regard to the fact that this aircraft is now grounded by the United States defence forces and unacceptable to the United States Navy, if he will also declare that there is no liability on Her Majesty's Government to pay compensation of the order of £50 million for the cancellation of the contract.

The contract for the purchase of F111's placed on our behalf by the U.S. Government included a standard clause about the payment of termination charges in the event of cancellation. These charges we are contractually bound to pay. Our negotiations with the U.S. authorities have not yet been completed but the dollar cost of cancelling the F111, including expenditure already incurred, is likely to be about £25 million. There will also be some additional cost in the United Kingdom as a result of cancelling contracts for equipment placed with British firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what estimate she has made of the loss of productivity resulting from industrial tea-breaks and of the increases in productivity resulting from mechanisation and substitution universally in workshops of automatic vending machinery for both beverages, hot and cold, and comestibles; and whether she will make a statement on this aspect of industrial productivity increases.

No such estimate has been made, but officers of my Department suggest the installation of vending machinery and the elimination of tea-breaks where this will lead to increased productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the case of a person being allowed a £9,149 expense allowance on a salary of £9,635, details of which have been supplied to her.

No. This is not a matter which is appropriate for reference to the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether, in view of the fact that the percentage of clerical staff in the British steel industry who are receiving full-time and part-time further education is low in comparison to other categories of employees, she will advise the Iron and Steel Industry Training Board on steps to be taken to increase this percentage.

The Iron and Steel Industry Training Board are looking into ways of increasing the provision of further education for clerical staff. The comparatively low level of day release of clerical staff is a matter of concern in most industries and the Central Training Council is currently investigating the general problem of day release provision. I will continue to keep in close touch with the progress of these enquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity under what arrangements the National Board for Prices and Incomes is given information that is given in confidence to other Departments.

I am not aware that any such arrangements exist.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why the staff employed in her Department increased from 21,418 at an annual salary charge of £20,724,000 in October, 1964, to 29,425 at an annual salary charge of £33,360,000 in May, 1968; and what action she has taken or plans to take to reduce the last two figures.

Part of the increase in staff numbers between October, 1964, and May, 1968, was occasioned by work arising from new legislation, including the Redundancy Payments Act, 1964, the Industrial Training Act, 1964, the Selective Employment Payments Act, 1966, and the National Insurance Act, 1966. In addition, local office staffs and Government Training Centres have been considerably expanded for essential work of economic and social importance.The higher salary cost in 1968 is a reflection partly of the increased number of staff employed and partly of increases in basic rates of pay.The staff and costs of my Department are kept under constant review in conformity with current policies including the urgent need to make the most economical use of staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if the recent promotion of two full-time members of the National Board for Prices and Incomes with a salary increase from £6,500 to £9,500 was a recommendation from the Board itself; on what grounds this action was taken; and whether she took into account the criteria of Her Majesty's Government's prices and incomes policy, including wage restraint and the need for increased productivity, before she consented to these promotions.

My right hon. Friend made these appointments under the provisions of Section 1(4) of the Prices and Incomes Act, 1966. The appointments are consistent with the productivity, prices and incomes policy; paragraph 40 of Command 3590 provides that salary increases resulting from promotion to work at a higher level are not subject to the ceiling or the criteria for pay increases.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many school-leavers were registered as unemployed in the Huddersfield area at the most recent count, treating young men and young women separately.

On 9th September, 1968, 13 boy and 5 girl school-leavers were registered as unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many school-leavers were registered as unemployed in the Saddleworth area at the most recent count, treating young men and young women separately.

Statistics for Saddle-worth are included in those compiled by the Upper Agbrigg Youth Employment Office. In the whole of this area, on 9th September, 1968, there were three girl and no boy school-leavers registered as unemployed.

INDUSTRIAL ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBER OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE ABERDEEN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AT 9TH SEPTEMBER, 1968
	Men 18 and over	Boys Under 18	Women 18 and over	Girls Under 18	Total
Agriculture and horticulture	51	—	2	—	53
Fishing	69	—	—	—	69
Bacon curing, meat and fish products	68	4	20	3	95
Shipbuilding and ship repairing	26	—	—	—	26
Spinning and doubling of cotton, flax and man-made fibres	12	—	3	—	15
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	32	1	1	—	34
Timber	14	3	—	—	17
Construction	235	3	2	—	240
Sea Transport	38	3	—	—	41
Distributive trades	193	4	45	6	248
Entertainment and sport	25	—	3	1	29
Catering, hotels, etc.	54	—	37	3	94
Private domestic service	3	—	6	—	9
Local government service	86	—	5	—	91
Other industries and services	632	15	113	12	772
All industries and services	1,538	33	237	25	1,833

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those industries in which unemployment exceeded 25,000 on the day of the count in September, 1968.

At 9th September, 1968, construction (Minimum List Heading 500 of the Standard Industrial Classification) and retail distribution (MLH 820).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, if she will give details of the present unemployment in the city of Aberdeen by trades, sexes and ages of those unemployed; and what steps she plans to reduce the numbers of unemployed persons in Aberdeen.

Apart from seasonal fluctuations, the overall unemployment level in the Aberdeen travel to work area has remained fairly stable over the last few years; the September percentage rate was 1·9 per cent. Male unemployment is still the main problem and my local officers will continue their efforts to help those unemployed to find suitable work and training opportunities.The answer to the first part of the question is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is now the rate of unemployment at Millom, Cumberland.

At 9th September, the date of the last monthly count, the rate was 6·6 per cent. The next count takes place today and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the results are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what progress has been made in the negotiations with the two sides of industry about guaranteed payments by employers to workers who are laid off or on short time.

Under existing legislation suspended workers will cease from 10th March, 1969 to be entitled to flat-rate unemployment benefit during the first six days of a period of suspension. My right hon. Friend has consulted the two sides of industry about proposals for legislation requiring that from that date employers should make guarantee payments to such workers. These consultations have made it clear that the proposals should be considered in the wider context of related developments, particularly the proposals on the Report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers Associations and the Government's proposals for a new social security scheme. Moreover, there are substantial problems requiring further study and consultations before an effective system of statutory guarantee payments can be introduced. Accordingly the Government propose to introduce a Bill to provide that payment of flat-rate unemployment benefit should continue for the time being. The Government remain of the view that it is right in principle that employers should bear the cost of making payments to workers suspended for short periods, and will be pressing forward their study of the problems and their consultations in time for decisions to be taken in conjunction with those in the related fields.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken to prevent persons in general from being allowed to claim £9,149 expenses on a salary of £9,635; and whether he will give details of the action which he now proposes.

Under the law as it stands expenses payments made to directors and higher paid employees rank, in general, as taxable emoluments of the office or employment; and the only expenses which an office holder or employee can deduct for tax purposes are those which he is obliged to incur "wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of" the office or employment. I do not think any further action is necessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in view of the Government's policy of reducing expenditure, the number of staff in his Department increased from 1,500 in October 1964 to 1,745 in June 1968; why the salaries rose from £2,040,000 per annum in October to £2,668,000 in June; and to what extent the annual increase in the salary bill of his department of £812,000 was accounted for by the 245 additional staff.

Making allowance for staff and sections of work, transferred together to the Treasury from elsewhere, the increase was only 177. The largest single increase was in the Management Services Divisions of the Treasury whose concern is to improve the efficiency of the public service. Approximately three-quarters of the extra cost is due to an increase in staff numbers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Government-franked envelopes will be treated as first or second class mail; and on what grounds Her Majesty's Government have based their instructions in this matter.

Departments will use the second-class service except where the urgency of the communication demands the use of the quicker first-class service. The aim is to make effective and economic use of the new two-rate system.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which grades of civil servants are not permitted to take an active part in party political activities; and what action he has taken on those breaching the rule.

Broadly speaking, all civil servants above the typing, clerical and analogous grades are debarred from national political activities. All civil servants may engage in local political activities, but for the majority of grades Departmental permission is required. A breach of the rules would be treated as a disciplinary matter within the responsibility of the Head of the Department.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give further details showing to what extent he estimates that the Government's policy of reducing the labour force in the South East, in Government offices, by 14,000 will be achieved in the current year; and why he has allowed a 12·8 per cent. increase in the employment of non-industrial staff in Government services in the South East between July, 1964, and January, 1968.

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that the Civil Service should be no larger than it needs to be in order to undertake its tasks and that any work which can be efficiently carried on away from London and the South East should be located accordingly. The 14,000 jobs referred to in my Answer of 25th July to the hon. Member as planned for removal but not yet moved will be moved over the next eight years, but it is not possible without disproportionate work to state how many will move in the current year. Recent decisions have in any event increased the total planned to move over this period to 17,000. Mainly as a result of dispersal policy the growth figure of 12·8 per cent. referred to in the hon. Member's Question is lower than the corresponding figure for the rest of the country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the criteria adopted by his Department of only permitting dividend increases above the norm when a binding commitment had been made prior to the 1968 Budget applied to all such dividend increases; and whether he will give a list of companies which were permitted to increase their dividends and those who were refused permission to do so.

Dividend increases have only been approved when companies satisfied the requirements of the present dividend restraint scheme. Accordingly, all those companies which had entered into binding dividend commitments before 19th March, 1968, have been allowed to meet them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, as a means of assisting towards the implementation of the Government's policy of equal pay, he will ensure that all advertisements and circulars for employment in Government services should only specify the type of work, conditions of employment, salaries, and other such details, without mentioning the sex of the applicant.

Except in a few instances when the nature of the work makes this appropriate, advertisements for posts in the Civil Service do not restrict applications to members of one sex. The principle of equal pay has long been implemented in the non-industrial Civil Service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a separate interview room will be available at the Basingstoke tax office to enable people to discuss their tax affairs in private.

A separate interview room will be provided at the Basingstoke tax office when the present accommodation problems can be eased. In the meantime if any taxpayer asks to be seen in private this will be arranged.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what gross income he now expects to derive from the vehicle licence in the current financial year; and what is the total cost to all public authorities of collecting this.

The estimated gross income from motor vehicle licences, in Great Britain for 1968–69 is £421 million. The cost of collection incurred by the Post Office and Local Authorities in 1968–69 is estimated at £9·9 million; figures for the Ministry of Transport's central administration costs are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue is derived from Purchase Tax on vehicle tyres.

Vehicle tyres are not chargeable with Purchase Tax. In the case of chargeable vehicles, the wholesale value on which the tax is charged of course includes an element in respect of the tyres; but it is not possible to give a separate figure for the tax indirectly derived in this way from tyres.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that professional firms should be able to pass on that proportion of Selective Employment Tax which they are unable to offset by higher productivity; and what steps he is taking to enable the legal profession to do so by appropriate modification of statutorily controlled charges.

The Government expect all employers who pay S.E.T. without refund, including professional firms, to absorb as much of the tax as possible. To the extent that this cannot be done, some increase in charges may be justified, in accordance with the criteria for price increases in the White Paper "Productivity, Prices and Incomes Policy in 1968 and 1969" (Cmnd. 3590).So far as solicitor's charges are concerned, the Government have accepted the proposal made by the National Board for Prices and Incomes in their Report on the Remuneration of Solicitors (Cmnd. 3529) that there should be a standing reference under section 3 of the Prices and Incomes Act 1966 and any relevant factor can be taken into account in such a review. In the meantime, my right hon. and Noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has begun discussions with the Law Society on detailed proposals for implementing the Board's recommendations for certain alterations in solicitors' charges.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated revenue from taxation of commercial vehicles, including fuel duty, in the financial year 1968–69; and what is the estimated revenue from all other road vehicles, excluding Purchase Tax, in the same period.

£510 million and £862 million respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether official envelopes, marked On Her Majesty's Service, are treated as first-class mail; and how other categories of official, unstamped letters are classified.

Arrangements have been made with the Post Office for distinguishing Official Paid correspondence to be sent first class from that to be sent at the cheaper rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Ministers' letters to Members of Parliament are treated as first-class mail.

My colleagues would in all cases have discretion to use the first or second class mail services according to the urgency of their communications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of Customs officers employed at sea and air ports to examine the baggage of persons arriving thereat, the cost of employing these officers, the average annual amount of duty levied as a result of their examinations, and the average annual amount of duty recovered from arrivals seeking to evade payment of Customs duty.

Over the year the average number of staff employed is 775, costing about £1,630,000. Revenue collected averages about £875,000, but this does not of course reflect the value of the control. There are no separate figures available of duty recovered from those seeking to evade payment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average income for Pay As You Earn taxpayers in York as compared to the average for the Yorkshire and Humberside area, and to the national average.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the male population of England and Wales between the ages of 21 and 60 years is at present liable for jury service; and what is the corresponding proportion of the female population.

I regret that this information is not available. In 1964 the Government Social Survey estimated that 7·15 million persons, of whom 11 per cent. were women, were marked as eligible for jury service on the 1964 electoral register and that this represented 22·5 per cent. of an estimated 31·77 million persons on the register.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cost to public funds of legal aid and defence certificates in a year to the last convenient date; and what was the average cost of state-aided defence in criminal proceedings in English courts represented by this figure.

The cost for England and Wales in 1967–68 was £3,246,343. The average cost of a legal aid certificate was £22 7s. 9d. and of a defence certificate £83 17s. 10d. The figures include the cost of cases where counsel only was assigned at the request of the judge, recorder or chairman to defendants appearing before a court of assize or quarter sessions who had not been granted a defence certificate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the change in number of the prison population since the implementation of the recent Criminal Justice Act.

The various provisions of the Criminal Justice Act, 1967 likely to affect the prison population came into operation on different dates, namely, 1st October, 1967, 1st January, 1968 and 1st April, 1968. The total population of prison service establishments in England and Wales at the end of each quarter since the beginning of 1967 was as follows:

31st March, 1967	35,164
30th June, 1967	35,570
30th September, 1967	34,611
31st December, 1967	33,460
31st March, 1968	32,507
30th June, 1968	32,652

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the numbers of recaptured and unrecaptured escapers from prison since the implementation of the Mountbatten Report compared with previous years.

Escapes from closed and open prisons in England and Wales in the three years ended on 31st December, 1966, were:

Year	Escapes from closed prisons	Escapes from open prisons
1964	93	313
1965	79	325
1966	85	291

The numbers since then:

Year	Escapes from closed prisons	Escapes from open prisons
1967	23	218
1968 to 30th September	11	153

At the end of 1966, 17 of the prisoners who had escaped from closed prisons were unlawfully at large, of whom 10 have now been recaptured. The equivalent figures for open prisons are 33 and 18. On 30th September, 1968, six prisoners who had escaped from closed prisons and 16 who had escaped from open prisons since 1st January, 1967, were still at large.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether lie will obtain from the British Broadcasting Corporation the film Equal Before Law, due to have been televised on Friday, 26th July, and arrange for this to be shown to Members of Parliament in the Westminster Hall, Grand Committee Room; and whether he will give the reason why Scotland Yard asked the British Broadcasting Corporation to cancel this broadcast.

This programme was shown on B.B.C. 1 on 9th August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he is unable to give figures showing for the period from October, 1964, to date, or any convenient period within those years, the total amount of free legal aid granted to persons charged with fraud or conspiracy to defraud, where such persons were found guilty, and the names of such persons together with the legal aid granted in each case; and whether he will publish as much information as he has available in connection with this type of legal aid.

I regret that I have no relevant information available since the information supplied by the courts for statistical purposes does not include either the names of persons to whom legal aid is granted or the offences with which they are charged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for West Ham, North, can expect to receive the letter promised to him on Friday, 26th July, 1968, regarding enforcement of the law on obstruction in the area of Leather Lane, E.C.1; and why, since this matter was first raised early in July, it has taken so long for this report to be received.

The letter was sent to my hon. Friend on 1st August and was acknowledged by him in a letter dated 7th August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in table form the latest available figures of immigrants for all local authorities having over 2 per cent. immigrant population.

I regret that this information is not available in the form requested. An assessment of the geographical distribution and numbers of the coloured population based on various official sources is given in Table 1 in Appendix VII of the report of the Race Relations Board for 1967–68.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the police have been requested to enforce the law regarding parking in the vicinity of Leather Lane, E.C.1; why complaints by the general public of illegal parking by owners of vehicles 642 TMV, MYK 881D, GCN 667, JCN 631 and 573 NPF made a long time ago have not been dealt with; and why the police and wardens permit trade vehicles to break the law, whilst enforcing it against private motorists.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that the number of oral complaints to constables and traffic wardens has not been recorded; that four written complaints have been recorded during the past two years; that appropriate action has been taken in regard to the vehicles named; and that the police do not discriminate in favour of trade vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to local authorities to ensure the enforcement of the provisions of the Dogs Act, 1906 relating to stray dogs; and if he will make a statement.

The Act places certain responsibilities on the police, but I have no reason to think that chief officers of police need advice on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce regulations regarding the safe custody of firearms which will prescribe suitable accommodation and security as a condition of granting a licence.

The Firearms Rules 1937 already do this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to set up a study group, on which both the public and the police should be represented, to determine the best system of independent inquiries into serious allegations against police officers.

I do not think the time has come for a full review of procedures which were examined by the Royal Commission on the Police and considered by Parliament in the Bill which became the Police Act 1964. But my right hon. Friend is keeping a careful watch on the working of those procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to introduce a provision in England and Wales, similar to that in Scotland, whereby an arrested man is released if his trial does not take place within a specified time.

I am anxious to see a reduction in delays in bringing accused persons to trial, but I do not think that this is the answer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he has not yet found an opportunity to remove the uncertainty about service charges resulting from the Leasehold Reform Act 1967; and if he will now do so.

This uncertainty, unless removed by a decision of the courts, can only be removed by legislation and my right hon. Friend proposes at the earliest possible opportunity to submit to Parliament proposals aimed at establishing that charges payable in respect of services provided by a landlord are not reckonable as rent for the purpose of determining whether a tenancy is a tenancy at a low rent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of those local authorities who are spending the most, and least, respectively, of the statutory rate amount allowable on the arts.

I have written to my hon. Friend explaining why this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to amend the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1963, to enable local authorities to compensate persons whose houses have been polluted by sewage discharge or damaged by flooding.

A number of local authorities have already made use of their powers under Section 6 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1963 to give financial help to flood victims. But if my hon. Friend is aware of any difficulties no doubt he will let me know.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he intends to set up a public inquiry to prepare a report on the recent serious floods in South-East England.

I have already put in hand an enquiry into the lessons that can be learned from the recent floods. This will be pursued in consultation with all my right hon. Friends who are concerned, and with the help of local authorities affected. I do not think a public inquiry would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action the Government have taken on Resolution (68)4 adopted on 8th March, 1968 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and relating to the declaration of principles on air pollution control.

Copies of the Declaration, with an explanatory note, were sent to nearly 450 journals and individual journalists specialising in local government and clean air matters. The declaration has been discussed by the Clean Air Council. I am glad to say that in this country our legislation already complies to a great extent with the principles in the Declaration.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action the Government has taken on Resolution (68)9 adopted on 3rd May, 1968 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and relating to the preservation of areas for outdoor leisure.

In the Government's view the necessary powers to safeguard land for outdoor leisure are contained in the existing legislation, as recently extended by the Countryside Act, and in the proposals in the Town and Country Planning Bill.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will make an order bringing Part II of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 into force.

This will be done at the very earliest that conditions allow. In the meantime loan sanction applications now for the provision of permanent or temporary sites for gipsies will be sympathetically considered.

asked the Minister of Transport what is his estimate of the damage to roads, bridges and other communications caused by recent weather conditions; and what additional financial assistance will be given to local highway authorities to enable repairs and urgent maintenance to be carried out as fast as physical conditions permit.

It is too early for accurate assessment, but on present information we expect the cost of reconstructing or repairing roads, bridges, nationalised inland waterways and railways, damaged by the floods in mid-September, to be of the order of £1,800,000.The cost of work on trunk roads will be borne by the Department, and we will also consider for grant any necessary work on principal roads arising out of the floods which falls within the accepted definition of improvement.

asked the Minister of Transport why the alternative site for a vehicle testing station offered by the Huddersfield local authority was rejected; and what estimate was made of the cost to public funds of building such a testing station.

The estimated cost of building on the site was a little over £100,000. In view of the capacity already provided for the testing of goods vehicles in the West Riding, this expenditure could not be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for the construction of a flyover at the Stonebridge roundabout on the A45 trunk road.

None at present. The roundabout deals satisfactorily with current high traffic volumes, and these will be considerably reduced when the M6-M1 link is completed.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total estimated expenditure on construction, maintenance and servicing of roads in the financial year 1968–69.

In England, about £450 million. Roads in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the respective Secretaries of State.

asked the Minister of Transport when improvements to the Taunton-Fraddon trunk road, A39, at Helebridge, Marhamchurch, Bude, will be carried out.

I expect to publish draft orders under Sections 7, 9 and 20 of the Highways Act, 1959, later this year. Subject to the completion of the statutory processes and the acquisition of land, we hope to start work before the end of 1970.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will provide details of the electronic warning systems that have been erected on motorways during the past six months, and also provide the future electronic warnings programme which is planned on all motorways.

The first of the remotely controlled signal systems for motorways was brought into use on a three mile section of the M4 (on the Severn Bridge) last June. The second on the Metropolitan section of the M4 between Chiswick and Langley is now being installed and should be in service early next year.The contract for the system for the West Riding motorways is about to be let and I shall shortly invite tenders for the system for the M6 in Lancashire.Design of the systems for the southern end of M1 and the Midland Link motorways is in hand and I hope to complete the programme of 1,000 miles of warning systems by the mid 1970s.The signals shown to drivers by these systems are generally as described in the announcement made on 16th November, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in regard to the future of fee-paying and grant-aided schools in Scotland.

I am consulting the Scottish local authority associations about the possibility of withdrawing the statutory authority under which education authorities may in certain circumstances charge fees in some of their schools. The future rôle of grant-aided schools is presently being considered by the Public Schools Commission and its Scottish Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase the toll charges on Scottish bridges.

I have asked the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board to consider an increase in tolls to meet their statutory obligation; otherwise I have no plans.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many part-time consultants are engaged in general surgery and orthopaedics, respectively, in each hospital of the West Fife and East Fife Boards of Management areas.

There are no part-time consultants in general surgery serving either area. The consultant staff in orthopaedic surgery includes two part-time consultants, based on the Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital and on the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the policy of the Scottish Special Housing Association not to allow caravans in the gardens of Scottish Special Housing Association-owned houses in those areas where the local elected council allow caravans in gardens of council houses.

This is a matter of detailed management, and it is best left to the Association's Council of Management which, I understand, is at present reviewing its policy on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers were employed in Scottish primary and secondary schools, respectively, at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what was the estimated shortage of teachers in the primary and secondary schools, respectively, on the same date.

The information required is given in the table below (all figures relate to December 1967):—

	Primary Schools or Departments	Secondary Schools or Departments
Number of teachers employed full-time in public and grant-aided schools in Scotland*:
Certificated	20,845	18,838
Uncertificated	1,052	1,527
All teachers	21,897	20,365
Estimated shortagef†	1,474	2,394
* Teachers serving in more than one school or department, and teachers in special schools, have been apportioned to primary and secondary respectively in the ratio 60:40.
† i.e. estimates by education authorities and other school managers of numbers of teachers required to fill vacancies, replace uncertificated teachers and re-employed retired teachers over 70 and eliminate oversize classes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the appeal procedure available to teachers who may be dismissed from positions of responsibility in primary or secondary schools or refused employment on the grounds that they are not registered with the General Teaching Council.

It would be open to a certificated teacher to appeal to the Secretary of State against dismissal under section 85 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962. Other teachers would have no such right nor would any teacher, certificated or otherwise, have a right of appeal against a decision by an education authority to refuse employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice has been given to local authorities on the question of the eligibility for promotion of qualified teachers who have not registered with the General Teaching Council.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the result of his inquiries into the rating burden of commercial premises in certain Scottish cities; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Glasgow, Gorbals (Mrs. Cullen) on 18th July—[Vol. 768, c. 279.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) to what extent slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom conform to standards in European countries, details of which are available to him through international sources;(2) how many slaughterhouses exist in the United Kingdom; and what were the dates of their construction and the dates of subsequent modernisation to their buildings;(3) how many slaughterhouses have separate provision for the urgent slaughter of farm-arrived casualties.