asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will refuse to make grants towards the cost of bulldozing the topsoil and clearing undergrowth on any part of Ditchling Common until he has been satisfied that this work is entirely consistent with the rights of commoners.

Schemes for clearing 1½ acres of rabbit infested scrubland and to plough up 50 acres on Ditchling Common and re-seed them to grass were approved by my Department in March of this year. These schemes were submitted by a limited company claiming to have bought the rights regarding the soil from the Lord of the Manor. If the work is satisfactorily completed I can see no reason for witholding grant on either of these schemes. Any question of possible infringement of commoners' rights would be a matter for the courts to decide.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated amount of vaccines required annually to implement a policy of vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease; and what is the estimated current United Kingdom output of such vaccines.

The amount and type of vaccine which would be needed depends entirely on the sort of vaccination scheme adopted. It might be as much as 20 million cattle doses of trivalent vaccine a year if a national mass vaccination programme were adopted in Great Britain. But it would be considerably less for other sorts of schemes.United Kingdom production is related entirely to the fluctuations of overseas' demand. Existing facilities are capable of producing 28 million cattle doses of monovalent or nearly 10 million of trivalent vaccine a year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the findings of the Northumberland Commission on the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give a progress report on the work of the Northumberland Committee; and when he now expects the Committee to make its report.

The Northumberland Committee will report in two stages, giving priority to the policy questions which it has been asked to consider. The Committee, which has made good progress, has visited a number of European countries and is now in South America. It is my hope that the first part of the report will be available to me in three or four months time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experiments have been carried out on the effectiveness of sheep dip in the absence of Aldrin and Dieldrin.

Firms producing sheep dips carry out efficacy tests before putting them on the market.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the fact that the British Agricultral Export Council is now aided by Government grants, if he will seek to ensure that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland be each represented on its Finance and General Purposes Committee.

The Council is an independent body and the elections to the Finance and General Purposes Committee are a matter for the members of the Council within the terms of its constitution. Persons from all parts of the United Kingdom may be nominated for membership of the Finance and General Purposes Committee by full members of the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he has made for relatives of British soldiers who died in Aden to visit the graves of the men who died; and if lie will make a statement.

No arrangements have yet been made for the next-of-kin of soldiers who died in Aden to resume visits to the graves there, but I am keeping this matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why it is not in the public interest to publish the average monthly total of flying hours of Royal Air Force pilots during each of the past three years.

Taken together with other information which is available it would enable a hostile intelligence service to arrive at a significantly closer assessment of the operational capabilities of the Royal Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of British Service personnel seconded or resident in Nigeria on 1st July, 1966, 1st July, 1967, and 1st July, 1968.

No British Service personnel were seconded to the Nigerian Federal Government on any of the dates mentioned. The number of British Ser- vice personnel who were resident in Nigeria on 1st July, 1966, 1st July, 1967 and 1st July, 1968, was one, three and three respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many military families hostels are now in use; what total accommodation these provide; and how this compares with the position one and two years ago, respectively.

There are now two military families hostels in use which can together accommodate between 175 and 192 families, the total at any one time depending upon the size of families requiring this accommodation. A year ago the position was the same; two years ago 152 was the maximum number of families which could be accommodated.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how long on average a soldier's family housed in a military families hostel now has to wait before moving into permanent married accommodation; and how this compares with the position one and two years ago, respectively.

Eighty-five per cent. of the families who stay in military families hostels spend less than 3 months there. The average length of stay for these families is 6 weeks. The average length of stay of the remainder who move into Army married accommodation is between 4 and 5 months. These averages have remained the same for the last two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what information she has regarding the average hourly earnings of steelworkers and finishing tradesmen, respectively, in the Upper Clyde shipyards at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in the same month of 1967 and 1966, respectively.

Information is not available about earnings in local areas, but some information is available for payment-by-result workers in Scotland as a

ADULT MALE MANUAL WORKERS EMPLOYED IN THE SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP-REPAIRING INDUSTRY IN SCOTLAND
Average hourly earnings including overtime premium
Occupation		June, 1966	June, 1967	June, 1968
		d.	d.	d.
Platers	…	128·9	134·7	139·8
Welders	…	146·6	152·6	155·7
Other Boilermakers (riveters, caulkers, burners, etc.)	…	127·5	132·8	138·5
Shipwrights	…	122·8	128·8	131·0
Joiners	…	110·7	114·3	134·7
Plumbers	…	114·3	117·3	136·9
Electricians	…	113·8	115·7	135·4
Fitters	…	111·2	112·2	130·9
Turners	…	108·8	—*	132·1
* not available.
Note: Platers, Welders and Other Boilermakers are regarded as steelworkers. Shipwrights can be either steelworkers or finishing tradesmen. The remaining classes of worker listed are regarded as finishing tradesmen. Information about other classes of steel worker or finishing tradesman is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether the new presentation of employment statistics for Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys will be reported to the Hunt Committee.

Details of the revised travel to work areas have been given to the Hunt Committee. I am sure that the Committee fully appreciate the unemployment situation in Fleetwood as well as the position in the wider travel to work area of which it now forms a part.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what consultations she had with the local authorities concerned before the presentatation of unemployment figures for Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys was announced.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will publish a table showing the present numbers of people unemployed in Fleetwood specifying them by sex and age.

At 9th September, 1968, 554 persons (470 men, 18 boys, 55 women and 11 girls) were registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Fleetwood Employment Exchange.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will make a statement on the change in the presentation of unemployment statistics for Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd) on 3rd July, in which details were given of my Department's review of travel to work areas and its general effect on the presentation of unemployment statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is her estimate of the number of workers who live in Fleetwood and work outside the town.

My Department does not make estimates of the numbers of persons who travel to work outside their place of residence. According to the 1966 Census of Population, however, 2,690 of the 7,900 male residents and 720 of the 4,070 female residents of the municipal borough of Fleetwood who were in employment worked outside the town.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the number of the employable population in Fleetwood, specifying them by age and sex.

On the basis of samples of National Insurance Cards exchanged, the estimated number of employees (employed and unemployed) at June, 1967, was about 13,000 (approximately 9,000 males and 4,000 females). These estimates comprise the numbers employed in the Fleetwood Employment Exchange area, regardless of where they live, together with the numbers registered as unemployed at Fleetwood Employment Exchange, regardless of where they last worked. Estimates of the numbers employed by area of residence are not avail- able in this Department. Employee estimates analysed by age are not made for local areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what consultations she has had with the retail trade concerning the implementation of equal pay; and what plans she has for further consultations in the near future.

My officials are already in contact with the Retail Alliance and the Retail Consortium about enquiries we are making, in collaboration with the C.B.I, and the T.U.C., into the cost of equal pay in different parts of industry. We shall be having further consultations after studying the results of these enquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to ensure that private employers of beach life-guards receive full rebate of Selective Employment Tax

No. I can see no reason to distinguish this community service from other services which bear Selective Employment Tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on how many occasions increases in prices or charges of less than 10 per cent. have been referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

Of the references made to the Board to examine increases proposed or already made in prices and charges, 22 involved increases of less than 10 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many British students were in receipt of grants from public funds during the session 1967–68 to enable them to study medicine in medical schools in Eire.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students who are nationals of Eire were reading for a first degree in medicine in British medical schools in the session 1967–68.

I am informed that the number is seven, of whom two were studying part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number of recognised independent day primary schools in England and Wales.

319.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what long-term plan he has for the current—as opposed to constant-—prices, is as follows:housing of top security prisoners at Her Majesty's Prison, Dartmoor; and if he will make a statement.

None, since I do not envisage that such prisoners will be detained at Dartmoor when the security of other prisons has been strengthened in accordance with the policy that my right hon. Friend announced in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, North (Mr. Moyle) on 25th July.—[Vol. 769, c. 170.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he plans to take to advise and assist local authorities to provide sewage systems inland, as distinct from discharge into the sea.

Because the growth of population and the increasing use of water will create problems in the treatment and disposal of sewage, I have decided in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Wales to set up a working party to review this matter. The working party will consider the public health, amenity and economic aspects of the various methods of sewage disposal. I hope to announce the membership shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) what salary was paid to Mr. C. Beards-more in his capacity as Controller of the Southern Region of the Land Commission based on Reading for the year ended 31 st March, 1968; and what sum he drew in expenses for that year;(2) what salary was paid to Sir Henry Wells for his services as Chairman of the Land Commission for the year ended 31st March, 1968; and what sum he drew for that year in expenses;(3) what salary was paid to Lord Mais in his capacity as a part-time member of the Land Commission for the year ended 31st March 1968; what sum he drew in expenses for that year; and how many hours per week on average he gave to the work of the Commission.

The Chairman's emoluments amount to £8,300 per annum. The salary to which ordinary members of the Land Commission, all part-time, are entitled is £1,000 a year. Regional Controllers are paid on the salary scale of £3,259 to £3,839 per annum. Members and staff of the Land Commission are entitled to travelling expenses and subsistence allowances at the appropriate Civil Service rates.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement about the staff of the Land Commission.

The Land Commission and their staff are carrying out the tasks assigned to them by Parliament. The Government greatly deplore the minatory and unjustifiable abuse which has in certain quarters been levelled at these public servants in the execution of their duty.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) under what terms the official loan was granted to Ethiopia;(2) how much is the official loan to Ethiopia; for what purpose it was granted; and how much has so far been utilised.

The loan to Ethiopia announced in principle by the previous Government in April, 1964, is for £2 million. It is for use on development projects to be agreed between the two Governments. Its terms are interest free and it will be tied to British goods and services. None of the loan has so far been utilised, but discussions are proceeding.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what plans he has to mechanise the alarm call service with a view to reducing costs to the subscriber;(2) how many man hours were spent on the alarm call service in the last accounting year;(3) what reduction he expects annually in the number of alarm calls as a result of the recent increase in charges from. 6d. to 2s.;(4) how many extra operators are required to maintain the alarm call service.

I am looking into ways of mechanising the alarm call service. Last year about 600,000 man-hours were spent directly on booking and connecting alarm calls. The number of operators required depends on the incidence of duties and calls but it is estimated that if the service were not provided the total operating force could be reduced by at least 400. I expect the number of alarm calls, which recently has been increasing by 7 per cent. per annum, to fall by about 25 per cent. as a result of the recent increase in charges.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has to ensure that an ultra high frequency station is set up at Newtown, Montgomeryshire, with the development of the new town.

The responsibility for extending their services falls on the broadcasting authorities. Their plans include a high power ultra high frequency station in Shropshire which is intended to provide coverage for Newtown. It was hoped that transmissions of B.B.C. 2 programmes from this station would start around 1970 and of the other programmes some two or so years later; but the site proposed is the subject of a public planning inquiry and until its outcome is known, no firm opening date can be given.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has to ensure that booster stations in rural Wales relay both independent television and British Broadcasting Corporation programmes.

The B.B.C. and I.T.A. are responsible for siting their stations. For historical reasons they do not use the same main stations for transmitting their V.H.F. programmes and so in general their booster V.H.F. transmissions need to be from different places. With U.H.F. transmissions, however, it has been planned for the stations to use common sites so that apart from a handful of V.H.F. stations currently under construction future booster stations in Wales will transmit both B.B.C. and I.T.V. programmes.

asked the Postmaster-General what inquiries have been made into the use of low-frequency relay stations for taking television programmes to difficult reception areas in rural Wales.

The special study which was announced by my right hon. Friend on 25th January, 1968, in reply to the hon. and learned Gentleman could not get under way for some little time because foot and mouth disease restrictions prevented field surveys from taking place. I have, however, just received a report on reception in Wales and when I have studied it, I shall write to the hon. and learned Gentleman.—[Vol. 757, c. 152.]

asked the Minister of Power if he is aware of the proposed closure of Pegswood Colliery in South-East Northumberland; and, in view of this colliery being the only means of employment in the township, if he will urgently consider the postponement of the closure pending the development of alternative employment.

I understand that the National Coal Board informed the unions last June that the results at Pegs-wood Colliery were such as to place its future in jeopardy. If the Board decided on closure it would be for the North East Planning Council in the first instance to consider all the relevant implications.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications for shotgun certificates have been made in Scotland since the introduction of the Firearms Act and the Shot Gun Rules of 1968; and how many such applications have been accepted and refused, respectively.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 16th October.—[Vol. 770, c. 142.]

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will introduce legislation to enable copies of National Insurance medical certificates to be provided for the purposes of certification of illness under private insurance policies.

No. I would not be justified in taking powers to use National Insurance staff, and fund money, for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Technology whether it is his practice to hold discussions with firms carrying out Government aviation projects before taking a decision on cancellation.

The views of the firms on all current aviation projects are always known by my Department.

asked the Minister of Technology why figure 2 on page 2 of the illustrated summary of the Atomic Energy Authority's Annual Report for 1967–68 omits any reference to Hunterston "A" nuclear station; and whether he will give the estimated and actual capital costs per kilowatt.

The Authority inform me that the chart was reproduced with the Central Electricity Generating Board's permission, from an article dealing with nuclear stations published in May 1968 by a member of the C.E.G.B. staff. Final capital costs for Hunterston "A" were not then available.I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office, to his Question on the estimated and actual capital costs of Hunterston "A" on 3rd July, 1968.—[Vol. 147, c.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost to his Department of collecting and disseminating information giving a detailed breakdown of chemicals imported during the six months April to September 1967; what was the purpose of this project: and what use has been made of this information by the companies to whom it was supplied.

The cost to the Board of Trade and Her Majesty's Customs was about £400. The purpose of this exercise was to help manufacturers to identify commercial opportunities whose exploitation might reduce imports. It is understood that a number of companies are considering the manufacture of some chemicals shown to have been imported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what effect the new presentation of employment statistics for Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys will have on his present policy for the grant of industrial development certificates in the area.

We will continue to operate the i.d.c. policy sympathetically in Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to be able to reply to the letter dated 4th October from the chairman of the Broadland Extension Joint Committee regarding waterways.

This letter makes a number of proposals which concern other authorities as well as this Department. These are being examined and a reply will be sent as soon as practicable; we will let my right hon. Friend have a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport what investment the Transport Holding Company has made in inclusive tour air travel; and on what authority.

Through the interests it inherited in various companies, particularly bus companies and travel agencies, the Transport Holding Company has always had a considerable stake in inclusive tour travel, including air tours. Development of these activities is undertaken in accordance with the objects of the Company laid down in the Transport Act, 1962, which require it to act as if it were a company engaged in a commercial enterprise.

asked the Minister of Transport what evidence he has of the number of commuters travelling to work from Fleetwood to Blackpool, Preston and East Lancashire; and what arrangements he is making for the improvement of travel facilities.

The 1966 Census indicates that each weekday from Fleetwood about 800 people travel to work to Blackpool and 140 to Preston. Figures for East Lancashire are not available. The improvement of travel facilities is a matter in the first place for the transport operators in the area but I have no evidence of any shortcomings in the present arrangements.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will allow the action, against the British Waterways Board in respect of the Board's failure to comply with their statutory duties to maintain Ashton and Lower Peak Forest Canal, to proceed.

We are not a party to these proceedings and it is not for us to allow or disallow the action.

asked the Minister of Transport what net profit was made by British Railways during 1967 from private steam train operations.

The British Railways Board tell me that the net results of these operations cannot be identified in their accounting records.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to the Railways Board that they should not discriminate between first and second class passengers in the issue of cheap day returns and weekend railway fares.

No. It is for the Railways Board to decide when to offer special reduced fares of this sort.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to the Railways Board that public announcements should be made in event of changes of policy, such as the abolition of first class cheap day railway fares and weekend railway fares.

No. This is a matter of management for the Railways Board.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now give immediate sanction to the creation of a pedestrian crossing at Henver Road as requested by the Newquay Urban District Council.

A formal application for this crossing was received from New-quay Urban District Council within the past few days and has now been approved by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT showing the annual number of deaths resulting from criminal abortion in England and Wales from 1960 and 1967 and the number known to have occurred since the Abortion Act 1967, came into effect.

Following are the figures:

Deaths notified as due to operations induced for other than medical or legal indications (ICD Seventh Revision 650·2 651·2 652·2) England and Wales.
1961	23
1962	29
1963	21
1964	24
1965	21
1966	30
1967	17
1968
January to April	6
May to August	10

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that the screening of immigrants at ports of entry in the United Kingdom is satisfactory on matters relating to health, particularly tuberculosis; if he will take steps to make it obligatory for all immigrants entering this country to undergo the health checks available; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that immigrants coming here from the Commonwealth to settle are normally examined either in their country of origin or at our ports of entry. In the majority of cases this includes an X-ray examination for tuberculosis.In an exceptional instance in September, an unexpectedly large number of immigrants arrived together at London Airport, and in order to facilitate the movement of passengers, some immigrants from the Commonwealth were not examined. Most of them were in any case not subject to refusal of entry; and their destination addresses were passed to the appropriate local Medical Officers of Health for suitable follow-up action where they settled.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the comparative costs of antipyretics and analgesics commonly prescribed on form E.C. 10 at the prices prevailing on 1st July, 1968; what study his Department have made on the comparative therapeutic value of these drugs; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

Preparation	Total National Health Service cost of 50
	s.	d.
Soluble Aspirin Tablets	3	4
Paracetamol Tablets, B.P.	3	8
Compound Codeine Tablets, B.P.	3	9
Solprin Tablets	3	9
Panadol Tablets.	4	10
Codis Tablets	5	1
Panasorb Tablets	6	9
Distalgesic Tablets	7	8
Panadeine Co Tablets	9	7
Ponstan Kapseals	9	8
Paracodol Tablets	10	3
Zactirin Tablets	10	3
D.F.118 Tablets	11	5
Equagesic Tablets	13	3

As not all these drugs have the same pharmacological action only the doctor concerned can decide which is most appropriate for the treatment of a particular patient. I have sent all general practitioners in the National Health Service a copy of these prices so that they can take account of comparative costs when deciding on the most suitable treatment.

asked the Minister of Health what reductions have been made in the establishment of the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.

None.

asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the total cost of the expenses and other remuneration paid to those serving on regional hospital boards, hospital management committees, board of governors, local executive councils and their constituent committees and members of the local health authorities.

No remuneration is paid to members of these bodies. Payments of travelling and subsistence expenses, and for loss of earnings, amounted to £152,000 in 1967–68 in England and Wales, excluding payments to members of local health authorities, for whom no information is available centrally.