asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now introduce regulations to restrict the use of D.D.T.

My right hon. Friend has as yet no powers to do so. Proposals for legislation which would provide such powers have been circulated to the interested organisations, who have been invited to comment by 31st December.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what he has done in the last year to further the development of the marine sciences in Great Britain.

The Ministry's marine laboratories have continued their research into fisheries of actual, or potential, importance to our industry. During the year this has included special surveys in the North-West and South Atlantic, and further work has been done in connection with marine pollution, methods of fish detection and the development of fish cultivation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he expects to receive the report of the Swann Committee on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry.

We do not expect the Committee to report before next summer at the earliest, as we want them to make a full study of all the evidence available and to be able to seek any fresh evidence it may think necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what compensation will be awarded to Forestry Commission supervisory staff rendered redundant by the implementation of the decision to reduce their normal retirement age.

The foresters to whom the hon. Member refers are not eligible for compensation as they are being retired at or above the age of 60 and will receive the appropriate pension and lump sum.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will instruct the Forestry Commission Research Centre at Alice Holt to undertake a study of the problems connected with the transplanting of semi-mature trees.

Although the Forestry Commission is keeping in touch with developments in this field, it is primarily concerned with the commercial production of timber and it would therefore be wrong to direct its research resources to other ends.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to assist farmers and landowners to retain on their lands at least a proportion of the hedgerows and trees which formerly existed, in view of the tendency to denude large areas of land in some parts of the country in the interests of modern farming methods.

We are ready to give advice, but it is for individual farmers to decide whether hedgerows and trees are an advantage or disadvantage to them in the conduct of their farming businesses. I am aware of the amenity value of trees and hedgerows, but I am not aware that large areas of land are being denuded.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is being done to ascertain the extent to which the removal of hedges and ditches contributes to soil erosion.

We already have a substantial amount of information on this subject, and farmers in areas liable to wind erosion or "blowing" would do well to consult the Agricultural Land Service before deciding to remove a hedge. Various aspects of soil wastage on fen peats are being studied at the Arthur Rickwood Experimental Husbandry Farm; the effects of shelter are already under consideration and further experimental work will be done if necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of arizona paracolon in turkeys have occurred in the past 12 months; how this disease was introduced into this country; by whom the turkeys were imported; and what steps he is taking to eradicate the disease and to prevent a recurrence of this danger to the turkey flock.

The infection has been identified at six premises. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it was probably introduced into this country in day-old turkey poults of the "Williams" strain imported from the U.S.A. to quarantine premises in Wales. An eradication campaign is not feasible, but we have advised producers not to breed from turkeys of this strain or from birds that have been exposed to the risk of infection from such stock. We are reviewing the import arrangements to see whether any further safeguards should be introduced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he is making for crops of wheat and rye which could not be harvested owing to weather conditions to be eligible for cereal deficiency payments.

Weather is one of the risks the farming industry normally has to carry and I am afraid we could not alter the arrangement whereby deficiency payments on wheat and rye are made only on millable grain sold off the farm.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now in a position to announce what help will be given to those farmers who have lost all or almost all of their crops this season through floods or saturation by rain water.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Westmorland (Mr. Jopling) on 16th October.—[Vol. 770, c. 356.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what has been the decrease in the sheep population of the West Midlands in the last six years; and to what he attributes this decrease.

The total sheep population of the West Midland Region at June, 1968 was some 140,000 or 6½ per cent. lower than June, 1962. I believe the main reasons to be the increase in the cereals acreage which rose by 30 per cent. between 1963 and 1967 and has inevitably meant a reduction in the land available for lowland sheep production. Foot and mouth losses also amounted to over 70,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he has so far taken following the report of the Wise Committee on Small holdings; and what further steps he pro poses to take.

My right hon. Friend's proposals for the smallholdings administered by the Land Settlement Association on his behalf are being implemented. Legislation to give effect to the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend's predecessor on 7th March for local authority smallholdings in England and Wales will be introduced at the first suitable opportunity.—[Vol. 760, c. 156–8.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in the co-ordination of studies between his Department, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Meteorological Office on the subject of floods in this country; and when a report may be expected.

The Natural Environment Research Council is proposing to carry out, in consultation with the Meteorological Office and other interested Departments including my own, research into hydrological factors relevant to the estimation of flood intensities and frequencies in the United Kingdom and to the design of flood protection works. This is a five year programme but I understand that interim results will be published as they become available.More immediately, my own Department in consultation with river authorities, the Meteorological Office and the police are studying methods of improving the flood warning arrangements. We hope to announce the conclusions from these studies before the end of this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total value of imported pigmeat in all its forms into this country during the last complete 12 months.

£174,878,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent he estimates farm rents have risen during the last 10 years.

According to a survey in October, 1967, average farm rents in England and Wales were a little over double the figure of 10 years earlier.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to compile a register of landowners owning land in excess of 500 acres.

My right hon. Friend has power to make regulations for the collection of such statistics, in relation to agricultural land, should it ever be necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider increasing the sugar beet acreage by 10,000 acres to enable British factories to work at full capacity.

The beet sugar factories are already working at full capacity to process the produce of the existing acreage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research work is being carried out, through public or private organisations under his sponsorship, into the availability and uses of algae at home and in the North Atlantic area.

My Department's marine laboratory is investigating the cultivation of algae for use in feeding artificially reared fish and shellfish. It is also studying the availability of algae around our coasts and in the North Atlantic.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to reduce the large number of calves being exported.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of calves exported since 1st September, 1968 or the nearest convenient date; and how this compares with the same period last year.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Hastings) and others this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware of the extent to which cheesemakers are being adversely affected by increased imports of foreign cheese; what proportion of cheese imports he estimates to be subsidised; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Westmorland (Mr. Jopling) and others this afternoon. The amount of imported cheddar and related varieties sold at lower prices in the United Kingdom than in the country of origin is about 40 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement of the progress of his talks with the foreign producers of Cheddar-type cheese, currently being imported into this country and sold at prices below the cost of home production.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Westmorland (Mr. Jopling) and others this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has now considered the case of those farmers who, by reason of the quality of their land, have not been able to take advantage of the ploughing subsidy offered to those farmers who were the victims of the recent foot-and-mouth epidemic; and whether he will make a statement.

These farmers did benefit from the special ploughing grant, although indirectly. They were also able to benefit from the other measures introduced early this year. The main purpose of them all was to keep replacement prices down, which they did. I am satisfied that these farmers were as equitably treated as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he received the report from the Committee of Investigation into the representations of the South Eastern Region Registered Milk Producers on transport costs; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend has not yet received this report, but when he does he will announce the conclusions to the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the Government's acceptance in broad terms of the Economic Development Committee's assessment of the agricultural industry's potential import savings, he now proposes to control imports of foodstuffs from abroad.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Torrington (Mr. Peter Mills) this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the expected dates of the trial flights of Concorde 001 and Concorde 002; what additional costs are estimated to have arisen from recent delays; and whether the total development costs will now exceed the previous estimate.

For the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the right hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter) on 14th October.As regards cost, the estimate of £500 million announced in 1966 at price levels then prevailing has since that date been affected by various factors including delay resulting from development difficulties. I should make it clear, first, that in a programme of this complexity and magnitude the total estimate is an aggregate of a vast number of items which are subject to continuous fluctuation; and second, that the delay in the flights of the prototypes will not necessarily result in equivalent delays throughout the programme. Costs are kept under continuous reviews between the two Governments.—[Vol. 770, c. 8–10.]

asked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the timing of the change over to the metric system by retailers.

The date for changeover to the metric system by retailers will be the subject of future consultation undertaken by the Metrication Board and it is unlikely that there will be one single date for this changeover.

asked the Minister of Technology how much public money is still being devoted to the development of magneto hydrodynamic power production; and which establishment is responsible for co-ordinating the work.

None. The C.E.G.B. and the U.K.A.E.A. have decided that the economic benefit to be derived from M.H.D. would not justify the cost of further development. Work has, therefore, virtually ceased, but we are keeping developments abroad under review.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the estimated current annual expenditure of the Government and private industry, respectively, on re search and development in all forms of rocket propulsion; and how this com pares, from information available to him from international sources, with the financial contribution of France and West Germany in the same field.

About £15 million per annum, of which approximately £10 million is the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Launcher Development Organisation. The contributions of France and Germany to E.L.D.O. are each about the same as ours; but I cannot give any information about the expenditure of those countries in other areas of rocket propulsion. Private venture work by United Kingdom industry is not significant.

asked the Minister of Technology when he intends to appoint a Metrication Board to advise industry and local authorities on the transfer to the metric system.

Consultation is proceeding on the chairmanship and membership of the Metrication Board, and I will make a statement as soon as the chairmanship is decided.

asked the Minister of Technology whether the decimal comma will be adopted in Great Britain in the metric system, as in other countries, rather than the decimal point.

As there is no majority preference for the comma in this country, no uniformity in decimal sign usage in metric countries, and no international agreement on numerical notation, it is not proposed to change existing conventions at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many police officers were recruited to Scottish forces during the last three months for which figures are available; and how many were lost to these forces during the same period.

During the three months August, September and October, 160 officers were recruited to and 228 officers left the service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Scottish farmers about increasing the average weekly wage of £14 18s. 6d. in Scotland, for male agricultural workers, 20 years and over, by 7s. 7d. to bring them up to £15 6s. 1d. paid in England; and if tie will list the farmers in Midlothian who made representations.

I have received no representations on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many certificated teachers in service in Scottish schools have not yet registered with the General Teaching Council.

I do not have this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the hardship caused under the classification scheme by which prisoners are imprisoned in Her Majesty's Prisons distant from their homes thereby pre venting family visits; and if he will alter that scheme so as to permit appropriate family visits.

I recognise that the classification scheme inevitably means that some men with sentences of 12 months or over will serve in a prison distant from their homes. One must hold the balance between the need for classification and the advantages of visits. I would not feel justified in altering the scheme which is designed for the rehabilitation of prisoners, but if such prisoners are in a prison more than 50 miles from their homes they may be returned to their local prison to receive accumulated visits.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the danger from certain electric towel rails, details of which have been sent to him; and what action he proposes to take in the interests of safety.

I have not received any representations, but I understand that manufacture of the towel rail to which my hon. Friend refers ceased early this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hill farms or parts of hill farms in Dumfriesshire have been purchased for forestry planting in each of the last 10 years.

The following is the information:1.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the net gain or loss of jobs in Dumfriesshire during the period 1965 to 1970 by the movement from hill fanning to forestry.

It is estimated that there will be a net gain of work for about 23 men as a result of planting by the Forestry Commission.I regret that I have no similar information about private forestry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many acres in Dumfriesshire were under trees in 1947, 1957 and 1967, respectively.

26,100, 43,400 and 62,000 acres respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many acres of hill land in Dumfriesshire have been planted with trees for the first time in each of the last 10 years;(2) what estimate he has made of the number of acres of hill land in Dumfriesshire which will be planted with trees in 1968 and 1969, respectively.

The following is the information for planting on hill land and land of comparable type:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many housing authorities did not build a house in 1967; and if he will publish a list of such authorities.

Although 74 local authorities completed no houses during 1967, there were only four local authority areas—the small burghs of Inverary, Kilrenny and Anstruther, Lauder and Leslie—in which no housebuilding took place. In the remaining 70 areas the local authorities had houses under construction on their own account, or houses were being built for private owners. Full details are given in the Housing Return for Scotland, 31st December, 1967, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what the turnover of staff has been in Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital in each of the years 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967, and up to date in 1968; and if he will give comparable figures for other hospitals in Scotland of similar size and function.

The available information is set out in the table below.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which local authorities have not exercised their powers to appoint administrative assistants, laboratory technicians, and house masters; what advice he intends to give them in view of the teacher shortage; and if he will make a statement;(2) if, in view of the teacher shortage, he will now introduce legislation making it mandatory for local authorities to appoint administrative assistants, laboratory technicians, and house masters in all secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

At January, 1968 the following authorities had in their employment neither school administrative assistants nor school laboratory technicians or assistants:Angus, Banffshire, Berwickshire, East Lothian, Kincardine, Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire, Peebleshire and Roxburghshire.In addition, the following authorities had in their employment no school administrative assistants:Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Ayrshire, Bute, Caithness, Clackmannanshire, Dumfriesshire, Invernsss-shire, Midlothian, Moray and Nairn, Orkney, Ross and Cromarty, Stirlingshire, Wigtownshire and Zetland.No similar information is available about the appointment of house masters or house mistresses who are normally teachers.It is very desirable that authorities should employ adequate ancillary staff in schools, and authorities have already received advice to this effect. There has been a considerable expansion in the numbers of such staff and, subject to the availability of resources, I shall encourage it; but I do not think that a statutory requirement of the kind suggested would be practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state the number of teachers in each subject category employed in Scotland at the most recent convenient date; and what are the numerical and percentage shortages in each category.

The figures are as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now exercise his discretion in giving the building grant for which a late application was made by Border Laminates Limited of Jedburgh, in view of the fact that the firm in all other respects qualifies for the grant.

I regret that I cannot comment on individual applications for assistance under the Local Employment Acts as these are confidential.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how he now proposes to obtain further information about the practices of auction rings.

By using the Board's own Investigations Branch.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is now taking on the proposal to set up an independent inquiry under a Queen's Counsel to look into all the relevant circumstances of the sale of the Duccio painting and evidence concerning a ring at an art auction.

After consulting my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General, my right hon. Friend has concluded that it would be undesirable to pursue inquiries into the case in that manner.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what rules he has laid down for the administration of investment grants in circumstances where the firm which undertook the capital expenditure has been absorbed in a merger before an application for grant in respect of a qualifying process has been dealt with by his Department.

Investment grants can be paid only to a firm which has incurred capital expenditure in providing a new asset. If such a firm is absorbed in a merger it is usually possible for the Board to make grants to it while it remains in existence as a legal person, provided the new owner of the asset is willing to undertake to use it as required by the provisions under which grant is made. However, once the firm that originally incurred the expenditure has ceased to exist, there is no other person to whom under the Industrial Development Act a grant can be made. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind I shall be happy to look into it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now publish the report of the inter-Departmental committee investigating auction law which concluded two years ago that no change therein was required.

This report was prepared by an inter-Departmental group of officials for consideration within the Government, and not with a view to publication. As my right hon. Friend said on 6th November in reply to the right hon. Member, the report concluded that the basic trouble was not the law but the difficulty of discovering evidence. It did, however, recommend some improvements to the Act when time could be found.—[Vol. 772, c. 889–95.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce legislation to assist the hotel and tourist industry.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's reply on 13th November to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon).—[Vol. 773, c. 607–16.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to publicise, in popular and comprehensive form, the terms and implications of the Trade Descriptions Act.

I am distributing three-quarters of a million copies of a popular leaflet, and a rather more technical article has been published and made available to the periodical trade Press and trade associations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for publicising in simple layman's language the rights of the consumer under the terms of the Trade Descriptions Act, and the obligations of the food retailer under the same Act.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer today to his previous Question. The Trade Descriptions Act is part of the criminal law, and designed to protect the consumer from false descriptions. It confers no right of personal redress, which is a matter for the civil law. However, the leaflet about the Act which has been issued by the Board of Trade includes advice on shoppers' complaints and describes the requirements which retailers, including food retailers, have to observe.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the present methods of seasonally adjusting imports and exports on a trade account basis are the same as those described in the Board of Trade Journal of 6th November, 1959; and whether he will publish the new methods.

The methods are basically the same but some minor changes have been made. The most important is to the length of month adjustment for exports, which now reflects the present widespread practice of the five-day working week. In addition, the estimation of the moving seasonal factors has been modified to give rather greater weight to the data of recent years. An article describing the latest procedures will be published in due course.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on how many days during each of the past three years Yeadon Airport has been closed owing to fog, causing the diversion of aircraft to other airports.

The Leeds/Bradford Airport Authority inform us that the airport was closed owing to fog for two days in 1965 and one day in 1966 and 1967. In addition, there were six occasions during the three years when fog closed the airport for part of the day and three when fog and snow combined caused closure.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to enable him to compel the British Airports Authority to install public address equipment at all British airports in their control of a type and quality which enables passengers and others to hear announcements clearly.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce a fourth column into Table 1B of the monthly United Kingdom Trade Article, as published in the Board of Trade Journal, to show the monthly recorded figures of United States military aircraft.

I would prefer not to introduce an extra column into the table as suggested. However, the precise figures are available on application and I am sending them in a letter to the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has reached a decision on the option held by the British Overseas Airways Corporation for an additional Boeing 747 aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Approval has now been given to B.O.A.C. to convert this option, to which I referred in answer to a Question on 16th November last year, into a firm order. The aircraft is due for delivery during 1972 and, including spares and related ground equipment, is expected to cost about £12 million. As in the case of the Boeing 747s already ordered by B.O.A.C., the dollar expenditure involved will be wholly financed through overseas borrowings.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is yet able to announce the names of the members of the committee he has appointed to review the Board of Trade's sight tests for persons serving or intending to serve in the Merchant Navy or in fishing vessels.

Yes. I am glad to be able to announce that the Chairman of the Committee will be Mr. John Naisby, M.C., Q.C., T.D., who has had long experience of legal work connected with shipping and, in particular, of formal investigations into shipping casualties.The other members of the Committee will be:—Mr. A. G. Cross, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.S., an ophthalmic surgeon in private practice and consultant to several London hospitals.Surgeon Commander G.A.R. Giri, M.A., L.M.S.S.A., D.P.M., R.N., adviser on sight tests to the Royal Navy.Dr. J. D. Moreland, Ph.D, D.I.C., B.Sc., Vision Research Unit, Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical Research Council.Mr. L. Oliver. O.B.E., a Fishing Boat Skipper, and, until recently Secretary of the Hull Trawler Officers' Guild.Group Captain T.J.D. Price, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.O.M.S., consultant adviser in ophthalmology to the Royal Air Force.Captain A.J.R. Tyrrell, a Merchant Navy Master presently serving in the Marine Department of Cayzer Irvine & Co. Ltd. The Secretary of the Committee will be Mr. J. Clarke of the Marine Division of the Board of Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the Government's policy of reducing defence expenditure is being met; how total defence expenditures in each of the years from 1963 to date compare; and by how much he estimates there will be a further reduction in the forthcoming year.

The Government's plans for reducing defence expenditure which have been set out in successive Defence White Papers are being fully met.On the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer

I gave him on 5th July, 1968. The planned target for next year was quoted in the Supplementary Statement on Defence Policy, 1968 (Cmnd. 3701), Chapter I, para. 3.—[Vol. 767, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what linkage will exist between Orfordness and the Linesman system.

None. The purpose of the Orfordness station was explained by my hon. Friend the present Undersecretary of State for the Home Department, as Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force, in reply to the hon. Member for Eye (Sir H. Harrison) on 12th March, 1968; that of Linesman was given in Command 3540 (Chapter VI, paragraph 8).—[Vol. 760, c. 273.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what linkage will exist between Fylingdales and the Linesman system.

There will be no direct linkage. The B.M.E.W.S. and Linesman systems are complementary in the defence of the U.K. from air attack.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in his consultations concerning the removal of any distinction between officers and other ranks in their eligibility for decorations and honours.

I am afraid that I am not yet ready to send a final reply to my hon. Friend's representations on a complicated matter which is not exclusively my responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the giant tankers now entering British waters, he is satisfied with the accuracy of Admiralty charts; and if he will make a statement.

The very rapid increase in the size and draught of tankers has necessitated new and more detailed surveys, particularly of shallow waters in the Straits of Dover and the North Sea.

asked the Minister of Power if he will make a statement on the latest progress made in the technology of the fluidised combustion of coal.

Work on the combustion of coal in a fluidised bed is a major effort at the National Coal Board's Coal Research Establishment, and in the laboratories of the British Coal Utilisation Research Association. The feasibility of such combustion has been satisfactorily demonstrated on a small scale, and work is now in hand to evaluate the project on a larger scale. The N.C.B. are currently constructing a test rig which will provide the engineering data for the design of a power station boiler, and B.C.U.R.A. are collaborating with a boilermaker on the construction of a prototype industrial hot water boiler. B.C.U.R.A. are also studying the fluidised combusion of coal under pressure to evaluate its application to a combined gas turbine-steam turbine power generation cycle.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what date building will commence on a new infant school to cater for children in the West Melton area of the Dearne Valley constituency.

A proposal for a new primary school for West Melton is among those submitted by the West Riding authority for a future school building programme. I cannot yet say when I shall be able to include it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research he is doing into the chemical and physical investigation and synthesis of insect pheromones, with a view to developing selective insecticides.

The Tropical Products Institute is undertaking some work on insect pheromones under the Ministry of Overseas Development, but there is no evidence that work in this field can be made relevant to the control of insect pests in this country. The Research Committee on Toxic Chemicals of the Agricultural Research Council keeps the situation under review.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what increase or decrease there has been since October, 1964 in the total establishment of United Kingdom-based non-industrial civil servants.

Estimates approved by this House provided for an increase of 58,828 between 1st April, 1964 and 1st April, 1968. I regret that comparable figures for October, 1964 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he proposes to publish the report by Baroness Wootton's Committee on the subject of cannabis.

Next month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many town clerks have been asked to give their views on the Government's proposals to extend the polling hours from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.;(2) how much he estimates the percentage poll to increase in the country as a whole as a result of his proposals to increase polling hours from the current 14 hours to 15 hours;(3) how many more constituencies he estimates will have to hold their count the following day as a result of his proposals not to close the polling stations until 10 p.m.

My Department consulted the representative returning officers on the Electoral Advisory Conference, of whom five are clerks of county councils, five are town clerks and one is the clerk of an urban district council. There were also discussions at the Home Office with representatives of the societies of officers representing all returning officers. No estimate is possible of the percentage increase in the poll, or of the number of constituencies in which the count will take place on the day following the poll.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will commission a study by the Social Survey to establish how many Commonwealth immigrants would elect to return to their native countries on reaching the age of retirement in circumstances in which a scheme of voluntary repatriation was in operation.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why applications for compensation from victims of crime are reaching him at the rate of 548 per month this year as compared with 275 last year; when he expects a reduction in the crime rate reflected in these figures; and what new steps he is taking to achieve this;(2) why the annual rate of compensation to victims of crimes of violence has averaged over the last four years £800,000, as compared with Her Majesty's Government's original estimate of £200,000 per annum.

The increase in applications is to be attributed less to an increase in the rate of crimes of violence than to greater public awareness of the scheme.The increase in expenditure on compensation awards is a result mainly of the increased number of applications. The estimate of £200,000 was an early estimate made in 1956 of the annual cost of a possible compensation scheme based on the Industrial Injuries Scheme; this was not the basis adopted when the present scheme was inaugurated in 1964.My right hon. Friend cannot forecast the future rate of crime; but he has made it clear that the police can expect his full support in their endeavour to reduce it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why his scheme for compensation to victims of crimes of violence provides for all cases being considered and decided in privacy by lawyers; how much was paid out last year in lawyers' fees; and if he will allow this work to be done in public.

Public hearings would be inconsistent with the character of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which provides an informal and confidential procedure for dealing with claims and settling them on an ex gratia basis. Legal qualification is desirable in members of the board, since the basis of compensation is common law damages. These and other provisions of the scheme will be subject to reconsideration when its operation is reviewed.Fees paid to members of the Board in 1967–68 amounted to £16,828.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) why he has refused to make amendments to the scheme for compensation to victims of crime until he has received the report of the committee investigating reparation by criminals;(2) why he refuses to publish the report of the committee investigating reparation by criminals.

My right hon. Friend has already made one amendment to this experimental scheme: others are under consideration. Proposals to alter the fundamental structure of the scheme must, however, await the full evaluation of the experiment; and this in my view should be carried out in the light of the conclusions of the Advisory Council on the Penal System regarding the possibility of obtaining reparation from the offender. My right hon. Friend expects to receive next year the Advisory Council's report which will then be published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decision has now been reached with regard to an anti-racial discrimination clause in the Police Code of Conduct.

I have received representations from the Police Advisory Board on this matter and am in consultation with them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those Commissions appointed since 1945 which have been established by Royal Warrant.

The following is the information:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates would be taken back in taxation if the principle, at present applied to the recent increases in family allowances, were applied to the whole allowance.

About £107 million for 1968–69.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the qualifications of the members of the Distributive Trades Training Board.

The following list gives details of the persons appointed as Chairman, Deputy Chairman and members of the Board:—

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity which members of the Distributive Trades Training Board are responsible for representing the viewpoint of smaller firms.

Three employer members of the Distributive Industry Training Board, Miss G. V. Lewis, Mr. R. G. James and Mr. J. V. Milton, have knowledge and experience of the running of smaller firms and are able to reflect their views.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will specify the respective responsibilities of each of the Ministers in his Department.

The Ministers in my Department are involved in the work of the Department as a whole, while paying particular attention to groups of subjects. In addition to his special responsibilities in relation to the Northern Region, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is concerned primarily with industrial matters. The primary responsibilties of my hon. Friends the Minister of State and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State are in regional and economic subjects respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions were given to his Department's Press Office concerning the availability of berths for journalists aboard the ship conveying the Minister of State on his visit to the Falkland Islands; and how many journalists were refused berths on the instructions of the Minister of State.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office News Department asked the Ministry of Defence how many berths could be made available for journalists in H.M.S. "Endurance". After consulting the captain of the vessel the Ministry of Defence replied that a maximum of three could be accepted. As soon as it was confirmed that more than three newspapers wished to send correspondents in H.M.S. "Endurance", the Ministry of Defence were asked whether more places could be provided, and a further two were made available. No journalists were refused berths on the instructions of the Minister of State.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will list, by region, the number of new Government office blocks proposed to be built in the years 1969–70, 1970–71 and 1971–72 programmes, showing the Department for whom they are intended, the number of square feet of office space required in each case, the precise site position where known, and the dates by which they are intended for use.

My Ministry at present proposes to start building the following new Government offices in England and Wales during the next three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of hospitals now allow unrestricted parental visits to child patients; and what percentage allow parents to stay overnight in the hospital when accommodation is available.

The latest comprehensive information about unrestricted visiting relates to 1966 when 85 per cent. of all hospitals admitting children allowed either unrestricted visiting or visiting during eight or more hours a day. I regret that the information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will seek to provide facilities for organisations or individuals to pursue matters concerning the viability of rail services, allegations of mismanagement by the railway authorities, suggestions for different methods of operating the services affected, and the fare charge for such services.

No. I am not satisfied that any additional facilities are necessary. Individual users or organisations acting on their behalf are already free to pursue such matters direct with the Railways Board. They may also make representations with respect to any matter affecting the services and facilities provided by the Board, other than charges or proposed reductions of services, to the appropriate Area Transport Users Consultative Committee. Under the provisions of the Transport Act, 1968, any question of whether the Railways Board can reasonably be expected to provide particular passenger services without grant aid is my responsibility.

asked the Minister of Transport out of how many hearings conducted by the Yorkshire area transport users consultative committees, have the committee recommended to him that hardship would be caused by the closure of a particular line or railway station; in how many cases has the Minister accepted the closure of the line; and how many of the lines remaining open are to be in receipt of a passenger aided grant.

The total number of railway passenger closure proposals considered by the Yorkshire Transport Users Consultative Committee under the Transport Act, 1962, is 42. In connection with 36 of these proposals they held public hearings. In 26 cases the Committee reported that, in their view, some degree of hardship would be caused if consent were given to the whole or part of the proposal. Complete consent was given in 29 cases and partial consent in 6 cases; a decision was deferred in 1 case; and in 4 cases consent was refused completely. Two proposals on which the T.U.C.C. have reported are still under consideration. I expect that 30 services in the area covered by the Yorkshire T.U.C.C. will be grant-aided; 5 more services will be given a transitional grant pending a decision on current closure proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport what request he has received from British Railways for social grants, under the Transport Act 1968, to maintain passenger services on the Ipswich to Lowestoft and the Marks Tey to Sudbury lines.

As I announced in my reply to the hon. Member on 15thSud-bury November, I have decided to pay grant in respect of the Ipswich to Lowestoft service but have tentatively concluded that the Colchester to Sudbury service should not be grant-aided. I understand that the British Railways Board will shortly be publishing a closure proposal in respect of the section of route between Marks Tey and Sudbury, including the three stations Chappel and Wakes Colne, Bures and Sudbury, but the service will continue to run in its present form until I have reached a final decision after completion of the normal statutory closure procedures.—[Vol. 773, c. 172–180.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give an assurance that Felixstowe Dock will be excluded from the Government's nationalisation proposals; and whether he will make a statement on this matter generally.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the White Paper on the reorganisation of the ports which will be published as soon as possible.