asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement to clarify the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the de-nationalisation of railway lines closed by his consent and their future operation by private enterprise.

Once they have received statutory consent to the withdrawal of passenger services the Railways Board are free to dispose of a railway line, though they would normally offer the formation first to the local authority, and would not dispose of it without consulting my right hon. Friend. We would always give sympathetic consideration to applications for the necessary statutory orders if any body wished to purchase the line and run services on it.

asked the Minister of Transport what requests he has received for capital expenditure designed to improve the standard of lighting on British Railways passenger services.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the inconvenience and expense arising in planning and other ways from the delay in announcing his decision on the proposal to withdraw the Ashford-Ore railway, when his decision may now be expected.

I expect to announce a decision on this proposal before the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to enable him to direct British Railways to reopen passenger lines, to speed up rail services, and to set up inquiries into the rail services in specified regions of the country, where the lack of services is hindering the development of trade and social intercourse.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the increase in charges being imposed by British Railways amounting to as much as 26 per cent. on the transport of certain containers between Edinburgh and London.

No. The National Board for Prices and Incomes have already recommended that the Railways Board should renegotiate freight contracts such as these.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will provide a list of those railway lines where consent has been refused to proposals to close passenger services;(2) if he will provide a list of those railway lines where information was published under Section 54 of the Transport Act 1962, or proceedings initiated under Section 56, but in neither case completed before the publication of the Network Plan in March, 1967.

This information is not immediately available but I will circulate the lists in the OFFICIAL REPORT within the next few days.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, before reaching a decision on the proposed closure of the mid-Hampshire railway, he will authorise a further census of passenger traffic to be carried out jointly by British Railways and the Winchester Rural District Council.

I am at present considering with the Railways Board whether I have sufficient information on the use of this line, derived from the six passenger counts already taken since March, 1967, to make a decision on this closure proposal. I hope to write to the hon. and gallant Member about this within the next few weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to the Railways Board to restore cheap day excursions to all areas.

No. It is for the Railways Board to decide when it is worth while to offer special concessions of this sort.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the saving to the Railways Board from higher productivity resulting from the railway pay settlement of 29th August, 1968, in view of its implications for the Government's prices and incomes policy.

The British Railways Board inform my right hon. Friend that they are already benefiting from the pay and efficiency settlements reached last summer of which the agreement reached with the footplatemen on 29th August was one, and that savings are expected to exceed costs during 1970.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to set up an independent board to take over the functions of British Railways hovercraft subsidiary.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give a general direction to British Railways that they should employ outside business efficiency consultants to make a survey and report on each section of railway line that is the subject of a proposal for closure before such closure is allowed to take place.

No. The established procedures ensure that, before reaching a decision on any closure proposals, my right hon. Friend has adequate advice on the economics of the proposal and of possible alternatives.

asked the Minister of Transport when it is now proposed to build a flyover at the Blue Board junction on the A45 near Dunchurch.

An examination of the relative priority of this and four other proposed flyovers on the A45 is now being carried out. The one which is judged to be the most urgently required will be programmed for 1969–70; the others, I am afraid, will have to wait longer.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated annual cost of putting kerb stones along country lanes; and whether he will revise his guidance to local highway authorities on this matter.

Kerbing is usually an item of road maintenance and no separate figures of cost are available. A new manual on the layout of country roads, to be published shortly, will give revised guidance on the edging of carriageways. I will send the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport upon what date in 1969 he expects the public inquiry to be held into the proposals for the M4 link roads so far as they affect the county borough of Reading and parishes of Earley and Woodley.

A decision regarding a public inquiry will be taken in the light of objections to revised proposals which will be published next year.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the success of the peak-hour extended clearway system for traffic flowing into the centre of London which operated during the railway work-to-rule, he will investigate the feasibility of making such a peak-hour clearway system permanent.

No. This is primarily a matter for the Greater London Council as the traffic authority. I understand the Council consider the present urban clearway arrangements are adequate under normal conditions.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the continuing difficulties being caused to motorists, pedestrians, local residents and those using public transport by the closing of the intersection on the North Circular Road between the Cock Tavern and the Cambridge Hotel and that traffic jams are exceptional at peak rush hour periods; and whether he will take steps to install a system of traffic signals in place of closing the intersections completely.

On 4th November, the gap at Callard Avenue was re-opened and additional movements were permitted through the gap opposite Ashley Gardens. We do not consider traffic signals to be the right solution but will keep the position under review in conjunction with the local authorities and the police.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration is now being given to erecting safety barriers down the central reservation on the A1 in the North Riding; and if he will make a statement.

Our policy on crash barriers is set out in the observations on Recommendation (6) of the Estimates Committee (Sixth Special Report—1967–68—Road Research). We do not intend installing them on this section of the A1.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have occurred in the years 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967 by vehicles crossing the central reservation and hitting oncoming traffic on the A1 in the North Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not immediately available, but an investigation into accidents on this stretch of road is being carried out by the Road Safety Unit. I will write to the hon. Member when the report of this investigation is received.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will announce the date of the start of work on the Needham Market by-pass on A45.

This will depend on the time needed to complete statutory procedures and land acquisition.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the cost of road construction in the Hartlepool and Tees- side area for the years 1963–64 and 1967–68.

The information is not readily available in the form requested. I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport how much was spent on the provision of new roads in the years 1962, 1963, 1966 and 1967, respectively; and how many miles of motorway were constructed in each of those years, respectively.

The expenditure from central funds on major improvements and new construction in England and Wales in the years concerned was:

asked the Minister of Transport when he intends to announce a decision on the proposal, submitted to him seven months ago, to impose a speed limit through Broadwas on the A44 Worcester to Bromyard Road; and what is the average period taken in such cases between the submission of proposals and the announcement of his decision.

My formal consent will be conveyed to the Worcestershire County Council within the next few days. The time taken to investigate and decide on speed limit proposals is usually about four or five months, depending on the comprehensiveness of the information supplied and the complexity of the case. Under the Transport Act, 1968 local authorities will shortly require my consent only to proposals on principal roads.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has yet decided how the extra lanes will be provided for the widening of the Slough and Maidenhead by-passes.

Yes, in principle. Detailed design and survey work is proceeding, but in general it is expected that

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the town by-pass

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the town by-pass schemes on which work on site will start in the next 12 months; and, in respect of the towns involved, if he will publish the figures of traffic counts or traffic flows indicating the scale of movement involved.

The following is the list.The traffic information could only be made available at a disproportionate expenditure of time and money. Traffic flow is only one of the factors taken into account in the selection of schemes for the road programme.The following is the information:schemes which have found a place in published road programmes.

Following is the latest information available:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the section of the M6 passing through Westmorland will have vistas of the Lake District mountains and the Pennines, which will make it among the most beautiful highways in the world; and whether he will give it a special name, like similar roads in the United States of America, Italy, Australia, South Africa and Belgium, the names of which have been supplied to him in 26 examples.

There is advantage in continuing to identify major cross country motorways in the public mind by reference to their route number, and we would not want to do anything to detract from this simple well-understood system. If, however, a proposal were to emerge locally for giving this section of M6 a special name, we should be prepared to consider whether it could be adopted officially.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will provide details of the estimated costs of providing remotely controlled emergency warning systems on all motorways as proposed by the mid-1970s.

The estimated cost at present prices of providing remotely-controlled signalling systems on 1,000 miles of motorway is between £4 million and £5 million.

asked the Minister of Transport when the new bridge and improvements will be started in the village of Bow, near Crediton.

B3215, the main road through Bow, is a principal road for which Devon County Council are the highway authority. When they submit detailed proposals for the improvement scheme at Bow, we shall consider what place we can give it in our road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the severe and increasing congestion in road traffic in and around Winchester both in winter and in summer; and what steps he is taking to relieve the situation.

We are aware of the traffic situation in and around Winchester. The Kingsworthy Link, on which work has begun, is expected to be open by the end of 1969 and will reduce the volume of north-south through traffic in the City.Within the City the local highway authorities are developing a scheme for an improved route between Romsey Road, Andover Road and North Walls which would incorporate traffic management measures and relieve conditions in the City centre. It comprises three schemes in the preparation list of urban principal road schemes for which consideration will be given to the issue of grant in due course.

asked the Minister of Transport when the dualling of the A30 will be completed.

We know of no plan to provide dual carriageways throughout A30. A motorway is planned to supersede the present trunk road between London and Basingstoke before the mid-70's. The A30 westwards, until it reaches Devon, is a principal road and the highway authorities responsible have, I believe, no firm plans for comprehensive improvement to dual carriageway standards. We plan to improve the remaining trunk road lengths in Devon and Cornwall as priorities and funds allow.

asked the Minister of Transport how many miles of road he anticipates will be built in 1969 in the region of the South-West Economic Planning Council; where these will be situated; and when they will be open to the public.

It is estimated that some 73 miles of road will be under construction

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will refer the recent changes in the charges imposed upon regular users of the Mersey Tunnel to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now await the findings of the Merseyside Land Use and Transportation study next April before agreeing to any further major schemes for cross-river transport facilities on Merseyside.

We are at present considering a proposal that duplication of the Liverpool-Wallasey Tunnel should be put in hand as soon as possible; I cannot anticipate our decision on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he will announce the names and salaries of the members of the National Freight Corporation;

I hope to make a statement in the very near future.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now make a statement on the future of Thomas Cook and Sons Limited.

The responsibility for Thomas Cooks is now vested in the Transport Holding Company, and I am at present considering whether any change, within the public sector, of this arrangement is desirable.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will introduce legislation to make compulsory insurance against passenger liability for all motor vehicles.

Some of the comments of the many organisations to whom a report on this subject was circulated earlier in the year have only just been received, and we have not yet had time to complete our study of them. My right hon. Friend cannot, therefore, make any announcement about possible legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport why the price of the new edition of the Highway Code will be 150 per cent. more than the price of the existing one; and what arrangements will be made for distribution of free copies.

The new Highway Code is a combination of the present one and the Traffic Signs Booklet. Both cost sixpence. The price also reflects the present cost of production and distribution.Free copies will be sent to police forces, magistrates courts, first provisional licence holders, children enrolling in the Cycling Proficiency Scheme and to overseas visitors with cars.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the decision by the Court of Appeal in Clarke v. Winchurch, whether he will now seek to amend the rule in the revised Highway Code in accordance with the two accepted practices of headlamp flashing.

No. I can find nothing in the decision by the Court of Appeal to which the hon. Member has drawn attention which would lead me to alter the proposed rule in the revised Highway Code that

"The flashing of headlamps has the same meaning as sounding the horn—to let another road user know you are there".

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the facilities for travel between Exeter and Okehampton; and if he will make a statement.

We have no evidence than in general facilities for travel between Exeter and Okehampton are unsatisfactory.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he is satisfied with the accuracy of official forecasts of traffic growth in the London area, used to support proposals for an expenditure of £1,000 million on motorways from 1971 to 1983; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether, in view of the inaccuracies of the Greater London Council forecasts of growth of goods traffic and private cars on roads in the London area as shown in the period 1962 to 1966, he will have forecasts of future growth made by his Department.

All long-term traffic forecasts need periodic checking and revision. Phase III of the London Transportation Study has already produced revised versions of the forecasts produced by Phase II. The G.L.C. have begun a programme of traffic measurements throughout their area and we are discussing with them further steps to monitor growth of travel in London generally. This information is being taken into account in decisions about road building in London as it becomes available.

asked the Minister of Transport how many vehicles have so far been fitted with tachographs, or tachometers; and by what date he now estimates sufficient vehicles will have been fitted to warrant publication of suitable regulations.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of nationalising the ports.

Estimates of cost are so closely related to questions of compensation, which are under consideration, that it would be inappropriate to make any statement at this stage.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish details of shipping movements to and from Selby, Yorkshire, during 1966, 1967, and the first half of 1968.

I am informed by the Board of Customs and Excise that records of shipping movements to and from Selby are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the take-over bid being made by a South African organisation for Solomon Limited, the principal trading firm operating on St. Helena;(2) what action he intends to take to prevent economic activity on Saint Helena from falling under the domination of trading organisations which are based in South Africa and practise apartheid.

A company registered in the United Kingdom, but with South African directors, is purchasing from another United Kingdom company a majority shareholding in Solomon and Company Limited. This has given rise to considerable anxiety in the Island. We have been in close consultation with the

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to public funds of the Royal visit to South America; and if he will give the main items of expenditure.

I am not in a position to give details of the costs of the Royal Visit to South America while the visit is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of those visitors to Great Britain from the Republic of South Africa in each of the past three years who were invited as official guests of the Government.

Individuals from South Africa who have visited this country as guests sponsored by Her Majesty's Government, during the years 1966, 1967 and 1968, are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will state the numbers of persons unemployed in Aberdeen during each of the last five years by sexes and industries to the latest convenient date.

The table of figures below is for October, 1968. Corresponding figures from 1963 to 1967 were given to my hon. Friend in answer to similar Questions on 6th November 1967 [Vol. 753, c. 630–1] and 24th October 1966 [Vol. 734, c. 94–96.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in view of the fact that evidence has been submitted to her Department

I have nothing to add to the Answers which I gave to my hon. Friend on 24th October and 22nd July.—[Vol. 770, c. 375–6; Vol. 769, c. 7–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will give a list of professions where women get equal pay for equal work.

Comprehensive information of the kind requested is not available in my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will give a list of trades and factory jobs where women get equal pay for equal work.

The statistical information available about the work performed by men and women in particular trades and jobs, and about their respective earnings, is insufficient to enable a list to be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what proportion of the female working population is now working without any equal pay agreement; and what percentage of the total working population this represents.

Approximately 70 per cent. of the female working population are employed in industries where the principle of equal pay is not generally applied. This represents about one-quarter of the total working population.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings arising from the current pay claim by independent television technicians; what productivity proposals are included in the claim; what is the percentage increase in output per man of television technicians compared with that of employees in the building industry over the most recent available 12-month period; and if he will make a statement.

This pay claim, which would have increased rates by about 20 per cent. and labour costs by an estimated 30 per cent. and included no productivity proposals, was not accepted by the independent television companies. As negotiations are in progress, it would not be appropriate for me to say more now.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what proportion of people registered under the Disabled Persons Act is at present unemployed.

On 9th September, 1968, 9·9 per cent. of registered disabled persons were unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) what are the latest figures for the number of people registered under the Disabled Persons Act who are unlikely to obtain employment except in sheltered occupations;(2) what proportion of people who are only able to work in sheltered occupations is at present unemployed.

This information is not available since no distinction is made in the Disabled Persons Register. The suitability of registered disabled persons for open or sheltered employment is considered when they are seeking work, and it is not until that stage that separate records are kept. But on 9th September 1968, out of a total of 64,535 registered disabled persons unemployed, 9,020 were regarded as capable only of work under sheltered conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many employers have made special application for employing a reduced quota of disabled persons; and how many of these applications have been granted.

Precise information about the number of employers who have made special application for employing a reduced quota of disabled persons is not available. However, only one of the applications received since 1957 has been granted. This operated for a period of six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many employers have applied for permits to engage people not registered as disabled when they are below their disabled persons quota; and how many applications have been granted.

Permits to engage, for particular vacancies, persons not registered as disabled were issued to 21,021 firms between 1st June 1967 and 31st May 1968. Information about the number of applications for permits is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many prosecutions have been undertaken against employers in each of the last five years for failing to comply with the provisions of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.

One such prosecution in the last five years. This took place in December 1964 and was successful.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will undertake a pilot study in South-East Lancashire to assess the number of people now signing the unemployment register who have minor physical and health limitations, with a view to appropriate training and light employment being provided.

Statistics are available of the numbers of unemployed people registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts, but not of those suffering from minor physical and health limitations who are not so registered. We have no knowledge of a special problem of this kind in South-East Lancashire, and we have no plans for a pilot study on the lines suggested.A wide range of vocational training courses is available to persons whether disabled or not who do not possess a usable skill, and an even wider range to suitable disabled people who come within the definition of "substantially handicapped" in Section 1 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. My local offices make every effort to find siutable light employment where this is necessary because of minor physical or health limitations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many qualified teachers were unemployed at the latest convenient date.

Information is available only for those teachers who are registered at my Department's Professional and Executive Register Offices. On 7th November there were 1,309 unemployed registrants at these offices who were accepted or recognised by the Department of Education and Science or by the Scottish Education Department as qualified teachers and who were seeking employment in their profession.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will inquire into the circumstances under which details of a change of function of the Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital were given by the Welsh Hospital Board to the Press and reported on Friday, 1st November, when such information had been refused to interested organisations in the hospital's catchment area.

I have made inquiries. The Welsh Hospital Board are considering, with the hospital authorities concerned and the Welsh National School of Medicine, the reorganisation of the hospital services in the Cardiff area when the University Hospital of Wales opens in 1971 in Cardiff. A general statement about the Caerphilly Hospital was issued by the Welsh Hospital Board because of inquiries arising from a report in the Press but did not give any details. Formal consultations with other organisations cannot take place until the Hospital Board have prepared proposals as a basis for consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the Salter Unit, Cane Hill Hospital, which is the only unit in Surrey equipped to deal with male drug addicts, has been closed; and when he expects it to reopen.

The Unit has been temporarily closed owing to a shortage of nursing staff. Five of the patients are continuing their treatment as out-patients and the sixth has been transferred to another part of the hospital. I cannot say when the Unit will re-open.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will issue advice to hospital authorities on the aspects of their work which could appropriately make use of the Giro service.

Hospital authorities have already been made aware through Giro publicity of the facilities offered and can use them when appropriate. I am considering whether there is any need for me to issue further advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board to complete its review of capital projects during the 1970s.

The capital building programmes of regional boards are necessarily kept continually under review but the Department has recently asked all Boards to submit proposals for forward capital programmes covering the next decade.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost of operating the new Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, in a full year.

The Regional Hospital Board's estimate of annual revenue expenditure on the maternity unit and the main acute ward block, with supporting departments, is £2,056,000.