asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the National Economic Development Council to complete its review of the proposals to introduce a value-added tax.

At its last meeting the Council discussed the paper by the Committee which it had set up to look into the implications of a V.A.T. in the United Kingdom. The Council agreed that this threw useful light on the subject and invited the N.E.D.O. to prepare a fuller report on the basis of this paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies are currently being undertaken by his Department into the problems of introducing a continental-style value-added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he is giving to the report on a value-added tax which was recently presented to the National Economic Development Council: what progress has been made with Her Majesty's Government's parallel inquiry into this form of taxation; and if he will make a statement.

The problems affecting a value-added tax are kept under continuous review. The recent interim report from the Committee appointed by the National Economic Development Council to examine this question led to a useful discussion at a recent meeting of the Council, but further consideration must await a fuller report being prepared by the National Economic Development Office. I have nothing further to add to what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said on this subject in his last Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will have discussions with the Bank of England as to whether it is possible to establish a market in sterling area currencies in London so that traders in commodities bought and sold in such currencies can protect themselves against unforeseen currency movements.

I agree that the development of such a market would be useful to the commercial interests concerned. But this must be a matter for them and for the central banks responsible for each currency, with a number of whom the Bank of England have discussed the matter. The situation has improved in some respects in recent months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will grant exemption from Selective Employment Tax to people engaged in activities for the under-fives and registered under the Nursery and Child Minders Regulations Act, 1948.

No. There are refunds of two-thirds of the tax for part-time adult workers, which will help some of these activities. In addition, the tax does not apply to anyone who is self employed, and bodies registered as charities can get the tax refunded.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to increase or decrease employment this winter and what steps he is taking to implement this policy.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my Written Answer to him on 15th October last.—[Vol. 770, c. 71.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study he has made of the scheme worked out by the Birmingham Post, details of which have been sent to him, for remission of Purchase Tax on motor cars bought by disabled drivers, as an alternative to a state-provided three-wheeled vehicle; and whether he will introduce some such change in order to meet the preferences of the disabled while making a net saving to the Exchequer.

I have studied this suggestion with sympathy but, apart from other considerations, no scheme so far devised would result in a net saving to the Exchequer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now consider taking steps to transfer scales used for weighing fish by anglers from Group 20 to Group 12(a) of of the Purchase Tax Schedule.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he is unable to give details of the amounts of Income Tax owing to the Inland Revenue by persons who declared themselves bankrupt since 1959; and whether, without causing, too much work to those involved, he will give details for any stated convenient period of time.

The only figures readily available are of tax finally written off as irrecoverable and are totals for all types of insolvencies (which would include not only bankruptcies but also insolvent company liquidations and certain other cases). They could not be amplified without an elaborate and time-consuming exercise in Inland Revenue offices.Following are the figures:The amounts of Income Tax (including Surtax) written off as irrecoverable in insolvency cases in recent years are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of investment grants for industary during the year 1967–68; and what was the total cost to the Exchequer of investment allowances to industry during the last full year for which investment allowances were in operation.

The answer to the first part of the Question is£315 millon, and, to the second part,£323 million in respect of investment incurred in 196465. These figures are not comparable because the present tax allowances are restricted to the cost of the assets after deduction of the investment grants, whereas investment allowances were given in addition to depreciation allowances over the life of the asset on the full cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the net aggregate overseas debt contracted by the United Kingdom in the four years to the end of October, 1968; and what estimate he has made of the surplus on overseas trade required in each of the next four years 1969 to 1972 to repay such overseas debt.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) earlier today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to review the application of Selective Employment Tax to distributive trades and services in the development areas, in view of the relatively slow development of them in these areas.

Service trades in the development areas have followed roughly the same trend as they have in Great Britain as a whole, and no special review therefore seems to be necessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, following the recent International Monetary Fund meeting, the scheme for Special Drawing Rights is now well enough accepted to allow him to propose the linking of the creation of liquidity with development aid as suggested by Her Majesty's Government to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

The Government believe there is some merit in the idea of a link between liquidity creation and aid, but consider that the first priority is still to get the S.D.R. scheme working: this would only be impeded by trying to insist on linking it with development aid at this time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to create a new form of savings certificates whereby a proportion of the moneys a re invested in unit trusts and the balance as at present made available to the Government.

I have taken note of the hon. Gentleman's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he plans to take to improve the liaison between the Boards of the nationalised industries and the Government;(2) what changes he plans to make in the machinery of consultation to ensure that recommendations to Ministers from the Boards of the nationalised industries on matters affecting their commercial performance are considered and decided upon more speedily in future.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the Government's reply to the recent report of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further economic measures he has under consideration following the hire-purchase and school meal economies; and how soon he expects to announce these measures.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer last Friday, 22nd November, 1968.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of selective employment tax on the redeployment of labour and of its effect on the revenue in future years, respectively.

Over the six or seven years before this tax, the tendency had been for employment in manufacturing to move only slightly upwards, whereas employment in the tax bearing industries increased steadily at a much faster rate. This tax seems likely to have had a powerful effect in reversing the previous trend. I cannot give any precise forecast of the effect of changes in the pattern of employment on the revenue of the tax in future years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take to ease the burden of Income Tax on people with low incomes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to modify Income Tax conditions on incomes below the national average.

I have noted the views which underlie my hon. Friends' Questions, but I cannot make any statement on this matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the reasons for the growth in the money supply during the second quarter of 1968, in view of paragraph 11 of his predecessor's letter of intent that a substantial recovery of reserves would not be allowed to lead to a large rise in the money supply, and in view of the fact that such a recovery has not taken place.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) earlier today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with the Federal German Economics Minister regarding the continuing German payment surpluses.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) earlier today

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what further steps he is taking to reduce public expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

The targets for 1968–69 and 1969–70 are laid down in Cmnd. 3515. Total public expenditure for the year continues to run very close to the figures there given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will public a new public expenditure White Paper so as to place in context the further public expenditure cuts arranged in July, August and November of this year.

No. I told the House on 15th October, total public expenditure this year is running very close to the figures given in the January White Paper (Cmnd. 3515).—[Vol. 770, c. 70.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate of the amount in percentage terms by which prices will rise during 1968; and what forward estimates he has made in this respect for 1969.

It is not customary to publish forecasts of prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why permission was given to transfer£150,000 to foreign funds in connection with the recent National Gallery purchase, in view of the fact that the picture concerned was bought from a vendor in this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the permission given to the National Gallery in September to transfer£150,000 out of this country was to a resident or nonresident alien.

The payment was to a New York firm which is, of course, not resident in the United Kingdom for exchange control purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to ease the tax burden on persons receiving retirement pension but who are in receipt of income from a part-time occupation where that income is within the age exemption limits.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion but I do not think it would be right to give special relief to taxpayers because they are drawing the retirement pension.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many paid appointments come within his official patronage; and what are the maximum and minimum salaries involved.

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to the number of statutory salaried appointments that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is entitled to make. This is 14. The maximum salary is£3,500 per annum, the minimum is£750 per annum, but this may, on occasion, be abated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many paid appointments lie within his official patronage; what are the maximum and minimum salaries involved; and how the figures compare with those of 1958.

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to the number of statutory salaried appointments my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is entitled to make. This is 14; there were none in 1958. The maximum salary is£3,500 per annum, the minimum is£750 per annum, but this may, on occasion, be abated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the difficulties caused to a widow and children of a deceased man by the levying on small estates of Estate Duty on their matrimonial home; and if he will take steps to raise the exemption limit to£10,000 or to exempt the matrimonial home from Estate Duty.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the general rules operated by the Inland Revenue regarding claims for, and colection of, arrears of Income Tax; and why in the cases of two widows in the constituency of West Ham, North, who owed nominal sums of£15 and£20 in arrears of tax for a short period of time, legal action for enforcement was threatened.

The Revenue refrain from collecting tax on grounds of poverty if payment would cause serious hardship. In the first case mentioned by my hon. Friend, the Collector threatened enforcement action because he had not received all the information which he had asked for in order to consider the question of accepting payment by instalments.My hon. Friend informed me recently that the second case has now been resolved.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications he has had with Messrs. Risdon, Beazley of Southampton, Marine Salvage contractors, regarding a tender submitted to his Department in respect of the s.s. "Colonian", which foundered in 1917 off the Pembrokeshire coast.

I have had no direct communication with Risdon Beazley Limited, but on 15th January, 1968, a firm of solicitors acting on their behalf wrote to the Treasury Solicitor with an offer to enter into a salvage contract for the recovery of the Government-owned cargo contained in the wreck of the s.s. "Colonian". This contract was signed on 15th March, 1968.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he now has to encourage a greater volume of savings.

I am looking at the possibility of setting up some form of contractual savings scheme, but I have not yet come to any conclusion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the£500 million consumer expenditure which has occurred in excess of his policy he estimates was paid for by increased wages and salaries and from liquidating savings, respectively.

These two factors have certainly contributed to the excess of consumers' expenditure over forecast, but the main explanation is that prices have risen more slowly than estimated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigation officers, and at what cost to public funds, are engaged in watching the movements of Rhodesians in Great Britain.

None. Recent Press reports suggesting that this was being done were incorrect.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now take steps to remove or increase the£50 limit on British tourists going abroad.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the purchasing power of the£sterling on 18th November, 1968, on 17th November, 1967 and on 1st October, 1964.

Taking the internal purchasing power of the£sterling as 20s. in October, 1964, its values in November, 1967 and October, 1968, the latest date for which information is available, are estimated at 18s. 1d. and 17s. 2d. respectively.These estimates are based on changes in the consumer price index between the calendar year 1964 and 1967 adjusted by movements in the retail price index for the months at the beginning and end of the periods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has completed his investigations into the problems of small companies; and whether he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the close company tax legislation. As foreshadowed in my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary's reply of 15th October to the hon. Member for Acton (Mr. Kenneth Baker), this legislation is under discussion between the Inland Revenue and representatives of commerce and industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek to exempt from the£75 licence on fruit machines all clubs which have outdoor sporting facilities to maintain, such as cricket fields.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman's Question on 19th November, 1968.—[Vol. 773, c. 240.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied that the safeguards against speculation in foreign currencies by United Kingdom residents are adequate; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, powers are already available under the Exchange Control Act, 1947 to control transactions by United Kingdom residents in foreign currencies and to render speculation illegal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the volume of sterling transferred out of the United Kingdom by non-resident holders of sterling in the period 11th November to 19th November, inclusive.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the anticipated effects on production of the recent restrictions on purchasing power.

I expect the effect of the hire-purchase restrictions on production to be slight because increased export deliveries should partly compensate for the reduction in home demand.As to the more recent measures, I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made on Friday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest assurances he has given to the International Monetary Fund; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no assurances other than those in my right hon. Friend's Letter of Intent a year ago.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will specify the outstanding overseas debts for which no firm repayment dates have been fixed.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him earlier today about loans to H.M. Government, for all of which there are firm repayment dates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will appoint management consultants to increase the productivity of Customs and Excise staff.

Customs and Excise have their procedures and practices constantly under review with the aim of increasing efficiency. I see no case at present for appointing management consultants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the pay increases which Customs and Excise staff are due to receive next January are related to increased productivity.

The pay increases are due under a national agreement applying to the Civil Service as a whole and are the balance of increases which were staged in accordance with the Government's prices and incomes policy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt from capital gains tax transactions in the gilt-edged market, in order to reduce the National Debt interest and strengthen sterling.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he has collected from Capital Gains Tax during each of the last 10 years; what is the estimated number of investors involved; and if he will now encourage investors by seeking to abolish or reduce that tax.

As the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate these in the OFFICIAL REPORT. As regards the last part of the hon. Member's Question, I regard the Capital Gains Tax as an essential feature of our taxation arrangements.Following are the figures:The yield of tax on capital gains, including tax on short-term gains under Schedule D Case VII and corporation tax on gains of companies, is estimated to be as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what has been the yield to the reserves since April, 1965, of the requirement that 25 per cent. of the proceeds of a sale of dollar securities must be surrendered to the authorities;

The 25 per cent. scheme contributed the equivalent of about$750 million in foreign currencies to the official reserves between its introduction in April, 1965, and the end of August this year, implying an annual average yield of rather more than$200 million. I do not propose to publish quarterly figures of the yield of this scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount received by owner-occupiers in income tax relief on their mortgages in the last 12 months to a convenient date.

About£180 million for 1967–68.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he is aware that for purposes of Selective Employment Tax the processing of waste paper is classified as a service when undertaken by a firm specialising in this kind of activity but as manufacturing when undertaken by a paper or board mill or a subsidiary of a paper or board mill; and whether he will take steps to change this classification;(2) why private sector waste paper processors are required to pay the Selective Employment Tax while local authorities processing waste paper are not so required.

Waste paper processing is dealt with for Selective Employment Tax purposes in accordance with the primary activity of the employer concerned. Subsidiary companies are separate employers for the purpose of the tax. Local authorities handle waste paper as part of their task of collecting and disposing of refuse and they receive repayment in respect of the tax they pay for their employees engaged on this work, as for most of their activities. I have no proposals to change these arrangements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the difficulties caused to women who become widows having to meet arrears of income tax on their first year's widow's pension; and whether he will make an arrangement for tax to be deducted weekly by arrangement with the taxpayer concerned when tax is due.

If the widow tells the tax office the amount of her pension as soon as she starts to draw it it is usually possible to avoid a tax arrear. Special arrangements for tax to be deducted from the pension itself are not practicable; but where the widow has a job the liability can often be covered by increased P.A.Y.E. deductions from her earnings. Where it is necessary to ask for payment of tax direct to the Revenue, it is normally payable to the Collector of Taxes in four equal instalments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the size of the dollar portfolio, and what is the average rate of interest it earns; and what is the average rate of interest paid on sterling balances which carry a dollar convertible guarantee held in securities in London.

The Treasury dollar portfolio has been liquified and was finally amalgamated with the official reserves of gold and convertible currencies in November, 1967. No separate estimate is available of the average rate of interest paid on sterling balances which carry a dollar guarantee, and I have therefore nothing to add to the Answer about interest on sterling balances which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave the hon. Member on 15th October.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that consumer expenditure is now running at the rate of£500 million per annum above his policy target, when he proposes to impose further restraints on consumer expenditure.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's statement last Friday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the data on which he decided not to impose widespread consumer restraint immediately after devaluation.

No. It is not customary to publish the confidential advice tendered to Ministers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will initiate an official inquiry into the effect of personal taxation upon incentives.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 15th October, 1968, I am carefully considering the main studies which have been carried out in this field in recent years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to arrange for a portion of the equity capital of nationalised industries to be offered to the public.

No, that would be incompatible with nationalisation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will propose an international conference to discuss ways of obtaining orderly variations in exchange rates.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer does not consider that this would be appropriate or helpful at the moment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to give exchange control sanction for the purchase by British Petroleum of the Atlantic marketing network in the event of payment being made in dollars.

The purchase is being made and financed entirely by British Petroleum's United States subsidiary, B.P. Exploration U.S.A. Incorporated. It will involve no call on the United Kingdom reserves now or in the future and no exchange control consent is required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he will not take steps to prevent banks and other financial institutions from sending appeals to the general public urging them to take out unrestricted credit, in view of the loss to the revenue involved and the inflationary effects of this practice.

Advertising for new lending business is an integral element in competition among banks and financial institutions, and there is no need for me to seek to prevent it. The purposes of credit control are met by the restrictions placed upon the amount of lending and the guidance given on priorities in the direction of lending, which the institutions concerned continue to observe, as they have observed in the past.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the Inland Revenue's actions in the cases of persons who have evaded tax on large incomes, to get tax assessments settled and paid as soon as possible, he will give detailed figures to show to what extent these efforts have been successful.

if my hon. Friend has in mind evasion as usually understood—that is by the rendering of incorrect returns or accounts—I would refer him to paragraphs 114 and 115 of the 110th Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount that is paid back in Income Tax on family allowances; and in respect of what number of children.

The tax on family allowances themselves is estimated at about£65 million for 1968–69, in respect of about six and a half million children.

asked the Chencellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to increase the productivity of the Department of Customs and Excise.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on a similar subject earlier today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of retirement pensioners who are paying Income Tax.

About 1½million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will issue a White Paper explaining the causes of the latest international monetary crisis.

No, the principal causes were outside the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, whether the special surcharge of 2s. per ton on cement has now fully reimbursed the cement companies for their extra costs arising from the 1967 Middle East crisis; and if he will now take steps to abolish this impost.

Yes. However, since the oil surcharge was imposed in July, 1967, the cost of making cement has increased by an amount which offsets the oil surcharge element now removed. I met the cement makers on 13th November, and they have agreed to hold the present price until the end of 1969.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of official residences occupied by Ministers of the Crown prior to October, 1964, and now, and the cost to public funds in each case.

Yes. Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what local authorities have now decided to abandon direct labour schemes in favour of competitive tender; and what reasons have been given to him for this change.

To my knowledge two authorities—Coventry and Wolverhampton—have recently discontinued the use of direct labour on new construction. Others are currently reviewing the work of their direct labour departments, whether on new construction or on maintenance. This is a question for local decision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will give a decision on Meldon Dam, near Okehampton; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend announced on 20th November his decision to bring the order into operation on 2nd December. I have sent the hon. Member a copy of the letter conveying the decision and setting out the reasons for it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of tenants of municipally-owned houses in receipt of rate rebates; and what are the total number of tenants.

The England and Wales estimate for 1967–68 is about 115,000 out of rather more than 4,000,000; the indications for 1968–69 are of a slight increase. A further 850,000 local authority tenants have been getting supplementary benefit, which usually covers rates in full.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that some builders are charging more than 1s. for the National House-Builders Registration Council certificate; and if he will take steps to make the scheme statutory in order to prevent these practices.

The National House-Builders Registration Council's form of agreement entitles the builder to collect from the purchaser a sum of 1s. for the Council's certificate. No purchaser should pay more than this. Any attempt on the part of the builder to charge more is contrary the Council's Rules and the Council take appropriate action in cases brought to its attention.My right hon. Friend does not therefore think legislation necessary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) which local authorities have reduced their housing programmes since May, 1967;(2) if he will name local authorities which, in the last year, have reduced the number of contracts for building new houses and flats where there is still a housing shortage.

I have seen reports from time to time of local authorities proposing to reduce their future housebuilding programmes or the number of contracts they will let. Annual totals of contracts let by individual authorities fluctuate according to the progress of particular schemes, and quite apart from any planned changes in the programme. There is however no comprehensive list of authorities who have made reductions.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the number of housing starts for the 10 months to the end of October 1968, compared with the same period last year and the previous year, in total and also separately, in the private and public sectors.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many temporary bungalows remain to be cleared.

Of the 124,455 temporary bungalows provided under the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act, 1944, in England and Wales, only 49,585 are still in use. Of these nearly 16,000 are owned by the local authorities who have converted some to permanent use.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the total amount received by council tenants in subsidy in the last 12 months to a convenient date, from the national Exchequer and the local authorities.

Local authorities and development corporations in England and Wales received£94·132 million housing subsidies—excluding improvement grants—in 1967–68. No figures are yet available for rate fund contributions to Housing Revenue Accounts in that year, but the net rate fund contributions in 1966–67 totalled£36·915 million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the London Borough of Newham has decided to evacuate residents from all tower blocks built on the Ronan Point system and to strengthen these buildings; whether he will advise all local councils with similar tower blocks to do likewise; and whether he will give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will meet the costs involved, or discuss these financial matters with the councils concerned.

I have issued a circular of advice to local authorities on the appraisal and strengthening of such blocks. Whether any particular building needs to be evacuated is a matter for local decision after these appraisals. As regards the second part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given today in reply to a Question by him on the same subject.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that due to the Ronan Point disaster and difficulties resulting thereafter the local council rates in the London Borough of Newham are likely to rise by an amount between 1s. 2d. to 2s. 2d. in the£; and whether he will, as a matter of urgency, have discussions with the borough representatives on this and related problems.

I have already indicated my willingness to discuss financial problems with the local authority associations when we know the results of the structural appraisals and are able to consider proposals for remedial measures.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what discussions he had with representatives of the London Borough of Newham immediately prior to issuing the Report on the Ronan Point disaster; what arrangements he made to notify them of the Press conference he held on this Report; and what action he took to ensure that the council and its members were supplied with copies of this Report on or before the day of public issue.

Copies of the Report were sent to all local authorities in England on the day of publication. It was not practicable to supply advance

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much development aid will be given during the current financial year to the island of Anguilla.

Up to£50,000.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current year to each of the Caribbean Associated States; and how this compares with the aid given in the previous financial year.

The total available for all the States is over£2·8 million, which corresponds with the total for 1967–68.The following are the details:

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current financial year to Mauritius.

Financial aid amounting to£2½million is available to Mauritius this British financial year. In additionI hope that much of the£½million Kennedy Round Food Aid offered for the current Mauritius financial year will be provided before 31st March 1969. Technical assistance to Mauritius this year is likely to cost another£200,000.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current financial year to Malta.

Disbursements of capital aid and technical and educational assistance to Malta in 1968–69 will amount to about£6½million.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current financial year to Malawi.

Our aid is negotiated on the basis of calendar years to correspond with Malawi's financial years.In the year ending 31st December, 1968, total disbursements of British Government aid to Malawi are expected to amount to just over£8 million. This includes a budgetary grant of£3·3 million, loans for development projects, loans to assist the Malawi Government to meet compensation and commuted pension payments to expatriate staff, and substantial technical assistance in various forms.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current financial year to British Honduras.

The total available in grants and loans, including provision for the new capital, is£2·55 million, but delays in work on the capital may reduce the level of actual disbursements. Additionally, technical assistance may amount to some£100,000.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid will be given during the current financial year to Zambia.

Aid to Zambia for development purposes in the financial year 1968–69 is expected to amount to about£4¼ million. More than three quarters of this sum is to help meet the costs of employing British people in Zambia. Contingency support to offset the effect of sanctions against Rhodesia, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, will amount to approximately£3·15 million.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will state the names and numbers of States within the Commonwealth which have applied to him for aid, giving the dates and amounts of their applications and of how each such application has been dealt with.

We have provided varying amounts of development aid bilaterally to all the developing countries of the Commonwealth. Thirty independent countries—including the associated States—and 19 dependencies are involved. Information about each application for aid would require excessive research, but British aid statistics are available in the Library.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the dollar earning capacity of exports to date since devaluation, compared to the previous similar period before devaluation.

Compared with a year earlier, the rise was 1½per cent. for the period December, 1967 to October, 1968. However, exports have risen strongly this year, and for the last three months the rate in terms of dollars was 8 per cent. higher than for the second and third quarters last year, before devaluation and the dock strikes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when and by how much, he estimates that the rate of manufacturing investment will increase.

Forecasts recently provided by businessmen indicated that the volume of manufacturing industry's investment will rise in 1969 to a level 10 to 15 per cent. higher than in 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the value of timber and processed timber, including pulp and paper, imported in 1968.

I prefer not to venture an estimate for 1968 as a whole, but statistics available for the first nine months show imports of these products to have been about£475 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will specify which are the two applications he has received for the imposition of a provisional charge under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Amendment Act, 1968.

Rape seed imported mainly from East Germany and Poland and low-density polyethylene imported from France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States of America.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total cost of investment grants per annum; and if he will give an estimate of how much of this is allowed by the Government for purchase of plant and machinery from abroad.

As my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said today in reply to the hon. Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. Waddington), some£315 million was paid on investment grants in the financial year 1967–68. The current estimate for 1968–69 is£380 million (H.C. 126 of 21/2/68).The information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what expansion of trade and industrial benefits he estimates will arise from recent developments in British relations with South America.

Our exports to South America increased by 35 per cent. in the first nine months of this year compared with the equivalent period of 1967, and I look to a continuation of the favourable trend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Free Trade Association meeting in Vienna.

The E.F.T.A. Council and the Joint Council of Finland and E.F.T.A. met in Vienna at Ministerial level on 21st and 22nd November. The outcome of the meeting is recorded in the communiqué which I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will give estimates of the change in United Kingdom production potential in convenient periods between 1964 and 1968, and forecasts for similar periods in 1969 and 1970.

The growth of productive potential can be estimated only with considerable uncertainty. Our best estimate is that it rose on average by nearly 3½per cent. a year during 1960–66. Estimates of the growth of productive potential since then depend on the interpretation of movements in output, employment, etc., whose significance cannot yet be fully assessed and on which different observers may legitimately come to different conclusions.The experience of this more recent period and its implications for the future rate of potential growth are among the matters to he discussed with N.E.D.C. in connection with the proposed paper on medium term economic prospects. I would not wish to give any forecast in anticipation of these discussions

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why many Science Research Council financed computers are manufactured by foreign firms; if he will encourage the wider use of British computers for science research; and if he will make a statement.

Science Research Council grants are not given for the purchase of foreign computers except when there is no suitable British-made machine. The Ministry of Technology is always consulted. Encouragement is given to British firms to produce computers for research needs as part of the Government's policy of increasing the use of computers and strengthening the competitiveness of the British industry.Until recently few British computers were available to meet the highly specialised requirements of researchers but the situation has now improved.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what steps have been taken by his Department to consult with all the voluntary bodies involved in the Youth Service;

The Government have issued a general invitation to all interested bodies to send in comments on the Seebohm Committee's report. None has been received so far from youth organisations. The recommendation for a general inquiry into all services for young people will fall to be considered by the Government as part of their consideration of the Report as a whole. The Committee did not report on the Youth Service itself. But in so far as its recommendations may affect the situation in which the Youth Service operates, these are being taken into account by the Youth Service Development Council in its present re-examination of the Youth Service. When the Council's advice is received, the voluntary youth organisations would be among those to be consulted.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to reach a decision on the application for a 50 mile per hour speed limit in Woodham Lane, A245, Woking, which was submitted by the Woking Urban District Council in January, 1968.

The Council did not supply the necessary information on accidents and traffic speeds until several months later. Having studied these, I do not consider that a 50 m.p.h. speed limit would be justified on this length of road. We shall be writing to the Council shortly to inform them of our views in more detail.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has now confirmed as permanent the 60 miles per hour speed limit on the A45 between Thurlaston roundabout and the Birmingham boundary.

I shall review this limit in the light of my policy for speed limits generally, on non-motorways, which I hope to announce early in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of West Germany's high trade surplus, he will seek to renegotiate the offset agreement on the British Army of the Rhine on terms more equitable to the United Kingdom.

No. The present Anglo-German Offset Agreement which runs until the end of March, 1969, contains no provision for re-negotiation. But as I told the House on 1st April, we expect the present agreement and associated arrangements to cover 90 per cent. of the estimated foreign exchange requirements of our forces in Germany.—[Vol. 762, c. 31–36.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been finally concluded concerning the future payment for and operation and control of the Red Sea lights.

As the hon. Gentleman was informed on 27th April, 1967, and 22nd November, 1967, those lights in the Red Sea, which are the subject of the International Agreement published as Cmnd. No. 3191 of 1967, are managed by Her Majesty's Government with certain other Governments contributing to the cost.Following the constitutional developments in Aden, Her Majesty's Government transferred the local administration of the lights in Aden to Massawa, having made an arrangement with an Ethiopian commercial company in accordance with Article 2 of the Agreement. Her Majesty's Government intend to conclude a formal contract with that Company.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests his Department has received, since the independence of Aden and South-West Arabia, from British subjects formerly employed as Government servants in that area, of all categories and nationalities, for assistance in obtaining regular payment of their pensions or of payment of terminal grants and lump sums due to them.

Specific requests have been received from or on behalf of about 100 persons who were British subjects or British Protected Persons immediately before Independence. Others have expressed their concern informally or to British diplomatic missions abroad, but I cannot state the number of these. A proportion of these petitioners has now acquired Southern Yemen nationality and no longer has British status.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what new intiative he plans to take to get the Suez Canal opened to international shipping.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) and my hon. Friend the Member for Brighouse and Spenborough (Mr. Colin Jackson) on 18th November.—[Vol. 773, c. 869–70.]