asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement about the new arrangements for approving disinfectants under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1950.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have had discussions with the interested bodies and have consulted manufacturers' representatives about detailed arrangements for submitting products to the necessary tests.Disinfectants will be approved in one or more of the following groups:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much he estimates the net income before tax of the 50, 100, 150, 250, 500, and 1,000 acre farmer who engages in cereal, dairying, beef, sheep, hill, or general mixed farming, respectively, has risen during 1968–69.

Such detailed estimates would need to be based on farm account data which will not be available until accounts for the 1968–69 farm year have been closed and analysed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the Government research establishments including laboratories and other research units for which his Department is responsible showing the location, date of foundation, numbers of qualified engineers and scientists and other staff, respectively, employed on 1st January, 1960, 1965 and 1969, and the cost of each establishment to public funds in the years 1959–60, 1964–65, and the estimate for 1968–69.

I am collecting the information and will write to the hon. Member shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate number of miles of coastland in his Department's possession; what was the equivalent number at the end of the last war; and how many miles have since been offered to the National Trust.

The Ministry of Defence now possesses about 145 miles of coastland in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. No comprehensive records are available of our coastal holdings at the end of the last war. The National Trust was given details of our coastland properties in 1964 at the start of Enterprise Neptune and is informed when any become surplus to Government requirements. None has been sold to the National Trust direct.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will institute a public inquiry into the development of the Tate Gallery.

My right hon. Friends and I will be considering this in the light of views expressed so far and of public reaction to the current exhibition.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how much he is allocating in his Budget for the financial year 1969–70 for the modernisation of airmen's married quarters in Vincent Square, Biggin Hill; and if he will give an estimate of when this work will be started.

£10,000 has been allocated for 1969–70 for the programme of modernising the older quarters at Biggin Hill. Work is already under way on quarters in the South Camp area and it is expected that a start will be made on a few of the older quarters in Vincent Square during 1969–70. Precise dates depend on the arrangements which can be made for the vacation of quarters.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the average delay over the past three years between the first application by a British industry for anti-dumping protection and a decision by his Department whether or not such protection can be given; when he received an application from the British Milk Producing Industry for anti-dumping measures in relation to imported cheese of the cheaper variety; and when he expects a decision will be reached.

During the past three years, the average time between the receipt of an anti-dumping application with adequate supporting evidence and the Board of Trade's decision on it has been about five months. One-third of the applications took less than three months; one-third between three and six months; and the remaining third more than six months. An application by the Milk Marketing Boards and the National Farmers' Unions for the imposition of anti-dumping or countervailing duties on imports of certain types of cheese was received on the 16th December, 1968, and a supplementary application by the National Association of Creamery Proprietors and Wholesale Dairymen and the Scottish Association of Milk Product Manufacturers was received on the 20th December, 1968. The applications are being considered, and a decision will be taken as soon as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that office development in the East Anglian planning region is no longer subject to Government control, he will assist the Location of Offices Bureau in promoting the development of offices in the expanding towns of West Suffolk, notably Haverhill.

It is not the function of the Location of Offices Bureau to promote office development in particular places. The Bureau brings to the attention of firms contemplating movement from London all sites which might meet their needs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for re-locating the Location of Offices Bureau outwith London; and if he has investigated the possibility of a site in Scotland.

The first function of the Location of Offices Bureau is to encourage the de-centralisation and diversion of office employment from Central London to suitable centres elsewhere. The Bureau could not carry out this function unless it were easily accessible to office employers in London. I have no plans to re-locate the Bureau.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what grants are available for plant designed to combat air and water pollution in existing industrial enterprises.

Investment grants may be paid under the Industrial Development Act on plant used by industrial enterprises for these purposes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total amount of export credit allowed by the Board in each of the last five years in respect of switchgear.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind exports covered by the Export Credits Guarantee Department. I regret that the figures for switchgear cannot be separately identified. The full range of E.C.G.D. guarantees has been and is available for exports including switchgear.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total value of exports of switchgear during each of the last five years.

Switchgear is not separately distinguished in the overseas trade statistics. Figures of exports for a broader category of switchgear and other equipment will be found in the following publications:—

1964—Annual Statement of Trade, pps. 355–6

1965—Annual Statement of Trade pps. 366–7

1966—Annual Statement of Trade pps. 420–1

1967–1968—Overseas Trade Accounts December, 1968 p. 232

Changes in the trade headings have been made over the period so that the figures available are not directly comparable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a list of the advance factories provided for the Blyth constituency since October, 1964, to the latest available date, the number of new jobs provided and the future supply of jobs expected from these advance factories; and how many are waiting tenants.

Since October, 1964, three advance factories have been built at Cramlington. There have been extensions to these facories and they now occupy in total an area of approximately 150,000 sq. ft. One advance factory of 20,000 sq. ft. has been built at Blyth. All these are occupied. Two more factories, totalling 40,000 sq. ft. are to built at Cramlington. We do not publish the number of people employed by individual firms but the six factories are expected, eventually, to provide about 1,300 jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will negotiate the purchase of the ground at present occupied by the Royal Army Medical Corps next to the Tate Gallery for an extension of the Gallery.

I discussed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in 1967 the possibility of using one of the adjoining sites for extensions to the Tate Gallery, but he did not then expect that ground would become available in the sufficiently near future to make this a practical proposition.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what progress is being made in implementing the Plowden recommendations concerned with fostering closer relations between parents and schools.

My Department's survey of parent-teacher relations in primary schools was published in November. The Department has held two national conferences of teachers and parents on this subject, and another will be held this year. From these conferences are emerging local conferences and study groups. The subject also features in current research and development work.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will list the Government research establishments for which his Department is responsible, showing the location, date of foundation, numbers of qualified engineers and scientists, and other staff, respectively employed on 1st January 1960, 1965 and 1969 and the cost of each establishment to public funds in the years 1959–60, 1964–65 and the estimate for 1968–69.

Following is the information:

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement concerning the circumstances in which a telegram sent by the late Miss Diane Wood of Tregunter Road, S.W.10, on 17th January, 1969, was delivered in Bayswater on 21st January, 1969.

The message was received as a Greetings Telegram on 17th January, with instructions by the sender to deliver it on 21st January. Deferred delivery is a regular service for Greetings Telegrams, and there was no indication from the message, or the circumstances

asked the Postmaster-General how many letters have been sent out by head post offices asking people to reduce their use of the post to the absolute minimum; to what extent his Department has reduced its use of the post; and what has been the cost to public funds of this exercise.

Local managers had a clear duty to tell large users of the post more about the postal restrictions than could be conveyed by general publicity during the recent dispute. Neither the extent and cost of these local letters nor the extent of restrictions on less important post office letters was controlled centrally; and I cannot give this information without detailed inquiry at some hundreds of offices which would involve considerable expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the drop in the number of men at work in Wales between 1964 and 1969.

Between June, 1964, and March, 1968, the latest date for which information is available, it is provisionally estimated that the number of male employees in employment in Wales decreased by 46,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what studies she is making of improved means for securing full- or part-time employment for persons between 65 and 69 years of age, in view of the declining proportion of persons of this age now in regular work, and the trend towards more rigid insistence on retirement at 65 years of age as a substitute for redundancy.

It is the Government's policy, which is endorsed by the National Joint Advisory Council, to encourage employers to employ workers for as long as they are fit and willing to work. Employers are urged by the Department's Local Offices, where appropriate, to remove unnecessary restrictions on the engagement of older workpeople and to make the test of suitability for employment capacity not age. Current arrangements provide for frequent review of older workers' problems. The number of men aged 65 and over registered as unemployed at 8th July, 1968, the latest date for which figures are available, was 1,914, compared with 2,100 twelve months earlier. The corresponding figures for women aged 60 and over were 648 and 802.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many people were registered on the professional and executive register at the latest convenient date; and if she will give a separate total for the number over 45 years of age.

On 4th December, 1968, there were 30,755 people registered on the Professional and Executive Register. I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the average length of time taken by the professional and executive register to place in employment persons over 45 years of age.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity to what extent guarantees were sought and given to her department concerning the continuation of production and employment at the General Electric Company-Associated Electrical Industries switch-gear factory at Willesden at the time the merger was approved; and what were the numbers employed at that time.

No guarantees about the future of the Willesden factory were sought or given to my Department at the time of the merger between G.E.C. and A.E.I. The factory employed 1,479 workers at that time but the present figure is nearer 1,100.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what study is being made by her department of the employment consequences of ceasing to manufacture switchgear in Willesden.

The effect of a substantial redundancy in an area of relatively low unemployment such as North London depends to a large extent on the timing and phasing of the dismissals. Until this has been decided no more than a preliminary assessment of the consequences of the proposed cessation of switchgear manufacture at Willesden is possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to ensure that when one trade union calls an official strike, members of other unions and non-union members do not lose their right to unemployment benefit.

I have been asked to reply.I would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 101 and 102 of the White Paper on Industrial Relations (Cmnd. 3888).

asked the Minister of Transport on which categories of vehicle disc-shaped licences the actual amount of the licence fee is shown.

Where duty is paid, the amount is entered on all vehicle excise licence discs, at the time the licence is issued except where the amount is over printed. Rates are over printed at the request of some local taxation officers on four and twelve monthly licences for vehicles dutiable as "Private" and on twelve monthly licences for agricultural machines such as tractors. No instructions to change the amount shown on overprinted licences are given to printers until after any relevant Budget statement.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will provide a list of passenger road transport users consultative committees and the names and addresses of the respective secretaries.

The Transport Users Consultative Committee for the London Area deals with matters affecting the bus and coach services operated by the London Transport Board. The Secretary is Mr. H. L. Trickett, 3–4 Great Marlborough Street, London W.1. The arrangements outside London differ and we will write to my hon. Friend to explain them.

asked the Minister of Transport, in calculating the social costs of building new urban motorways, what account he takes of the additional journeys to work resulting from the dispersal of old-established communities settled close to areas of industrial and commercial activity; and what study he makes of the added costs arising from increased pressure on existing roads as a result of this dispersal.

New urban motorways do not necessarily involve additional journeys or increased pressure on existing roads. What we do try to assess is the general changes in journey patterns. The extent of each study depends on local circumstances.

asked the Minister of Transport when the contract will be let for the Queslett Road—College Road section of the M6 Motorway in Birmingham.

Probably next month.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what is the extent of under-road heating in England and Wales;(2) what estimate he has made of the present capital costs for under-road heating in England and Wales.

Road heating in Wales is a matter for the Secretary of State. In England there are at present some 50 individual schemes ranging in area between 135 square yards and 70,000 square yards. These are mostly in major towns and cities throughout the country. The capital cost of these schemes ranged between 20 shillings and 154 shillings per square yard, dependent on the type of heating system used and on the physical characteristics of the road.

asked the Minister of Transport how many juveniles, and how many adults during each of the past three years, have been convicted of damage to the railways, particularly for offences involving interference or obstruction of track and consequent danger to railway personnel and passengers; and whether he will make a statement.

I understand from the British Transport Police (who are responsible for police matters on British Railways) that convictions on prosecutions brought by British Transport Police were as follows:

			Total number of convictions relating to railways
			Juveniles	Adults
1965	…	…	872	271
1966	…	…	596	250
1967	…	…	706	250

			Offences involving endangering the safety of people on the railway and/or interference with tracks
			Juveniles	Adults
1965	…	…	153	22
1966	…	…	109	25
1967	…	…	112	36

Comparable figures for 1968 are not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why expenditure on military defence other than expenditure on the defence budget is not included in the defence budget.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which he has been given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, on a further Question of his yesterday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nights from London Airport, Heathrow, were delayed on departure during the past three months because of action by Her Majesty's Customs.

Eight. On seven of these occasions passengers had committed offences involving drugs or currency.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent instructions have been given to Her Majesty's Customs at London Airport, Heathrow, on the searching of departing passengers.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the net cost of cancelling all child allowances for Income and Surtax purposes, and increasing family allowances and making them exempt from tax in such a way as to leave all Income Tax payers with no less net income than at present, assuming that corresponding reductions were made in social security benefits.

If the hon. Member will send me further details of his suggestion, including in particular whether he envisages extending family allowance to all children at present ranking for child allowance—including the first child in the family—and whether he envisages that people left subject to Surtax should be worse off, I will see whether I can provide a figure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the publication of a simple guide to explain the various forms of and liabilities to stamp duties.

Information regarding the stamp duties with which company officers are most usually concerned is published by the Board of Inland Revenue on Form 11, now under revision. Most of the other duties are of particular concern to professional practitioners for whom commercial publications are available. Details of Stamp Duties are given in Table 187 on page 307 of the 110th Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Cmnd. 3508). There has not been any demand for any further official guide.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give an undertaking to withhold approval for such reorganisation of the British Steel Corporation as removes control over the Scottish area from Scotland.

As I told my hon. Friend the member for Bothwell (Mr. James Hamilton) on 22nd January [Vol. 776, c. 136] the Government's decision on any proposals made by the Corporation will be taken and announced only when any proposed new arrangements have been worked out in fuller detail; but special attention is being given, in the further studies now in progress, to Scottish, Welsh and Regional interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British journalists and radio and television reporters have now been expelled from Czechoslovakia; what reasons were given; in how many cases Her Majesty's Government were notified that expulsions were at the request of the Soviet authorities in Czechoslovakia; what representations have been made, and with what result; and what retaliatory measures have been taken, and are proposed.

As far as we are aware, in the last two months Mr. Alan Tilliers, Mr. Leslie Appleton and Mr. Ian Mather. The Czechoslovak authorities have also mentioned a Mr. Alan Freimann as being among a number of Western journalists expelled at the same time as Mr. Mather, but we have no further information about him. We understand that Mr. Tilliers was told that he had used unacceptable methods of collecting information: that Mr. Appleton was told he had provided film for a television company without Czechoslovak permission, having entered the country on a tourist visa: and that Mr. Mather was warned shortly before his expulsion to "moderate" his reporting. In no case have we been notified that these expulsions were made as a result of a Soviet request. Her Majesty's Embassy in Prague expressed concern to the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the action taken against Mr. Tilliers. Representations were also made to the Ministry about the treatment given to Mr. Appleton and a reply has been promised. No retaliatory measures have been taken nor do we consider they would be useful.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he has given to the British Broadcasting Corporation's external services about the broadcasting of personal messages from people in Great Britain to their relatives in Rhodesia.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the visit by the Minister of State to Egypt and Tunisia.

I visited the United Arab Republic, Sudan and Morocco between 24th January and 5th February, having visited Tunisia and Libya in October 1968. My purpose was to gain first-hand experience of countries for which I have particular responsibility. I was given a most friendly reception everywhere and was able to have fruitful discussions. The visits to the United Arab Republic and Sudan demonstrated the very substantial improvement in our relations with these countries since the resumption of diplomatic relations a year ago. Our relations with Tunisia, Morocco and Libya have long been very friendly and continue to be so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects have been compensated under the Anglo-German agreement of 1964 as victims of Nazi persecution as a result of their imprisonment in Fresnes Prison.

Eighteen.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements the British Government intend to make to commemorate the bicentenary of Captain Cook's discovery of New Zealand and of Australia.

The Bicentenary of Captain Cook's discovery is being celebrated in New Zealand on 9th October 1969 and in Australia on 29th April, 1970. The British Government will present a scale model of Captain Cook's ship "Endeavour" to both New Zealand and Australia. The models, which will be partly cut-away, fully rigged and about 8 feet long, are being made at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will remit to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the increased rents that the National Coal Board is proposing to charge for its houses let to miners in South Ayrshire.

No. I understand that the increases are subject in most instances to the fair rent provisions of the Rent Act, 1965, which ensure that the tenants are consulted by the rent officer and have a subsequent right of appeal to a rent assessment committee, and also to Section 9 of the Prices and Incomes Act, 1968, which limits the amount of the increase in any year.

asked the Secretary of State for title he has received from egg producers in Scotland as a result of the proposed amendments to the Egg Subsidy Scheme.

I have received no such representations since my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced the Government's proposals for egg marketing arrangements to the House on 22nd January.—[Vol. 776, c. 453–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many known egg producers there were in Scotland in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968; and what was the estimated production.

The information is set out in the table below:

				Number of producers
December, 1963	…	…	…	31,502
December, 1964	…	…	…	34,959
December, 1965	…	…	…	32,822
December, 1966	…	…	…	30,747
December, 1967	…	…	…	28,676
June, 1968	…	…	…	27,237

				Estimated production June-May years (million eggs)
1963–64	…	…	…	875
1964–65	…	…	…	945
1965–66	…	…	…	868
1966–67	…	…	…	871
1967–68	…	…	…	863

The number of producers, which is derived from the Department of Agriculture's censuses, refers to producers of hen eggs for human consumption who occupy agricultural holdings over one acre in extent. The figure for December, 1968, is not yet available. The estimated production figures are net (excluding wastage, "seconds", etc.).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why egg producers in North-East Scotland will not be eligible for the same subsidies as producers in certain other areas of the United Kingdom.

The Reorganisation Commission for Eggs recommended that producers in Orkney and Northern Ireland should receive a transport subsidy from the Exchequer to enable efficient units to compete in the United Kingdom market on the same terms as producers on the mainland. The Government, recognising the special difficulty presented by sea passage, have accepted this recommendation in principle. To extend a transport subvention to producers on the mainland would be inconsistent with the Government's objective, based on the Commission's central recommendation that the egg industry should move towards a basically free market.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the present members of the Scottish Council for Research in Education: what reports were published by it in 1966, 1967 and 1968; and what was the expenditure by the Council in each of these years.

The Council is an independent body and I have, therefore asked them to write to my hon. Friend about the information for which he has asked.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for phasing out new town development corporations and for the transference of their functions to the appropriate local government authorities.

None at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline his procedure for removing from office paid members of new town development corporations.

I have never had occasion to do this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to place the same restrictions on the political activities of members of new town development corporations, excepting those members nominated by local authorities, as apply to civil servants.

No. All Corporation members are subject to the rules about political activities which apply generally to members of public boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fatal accidents have occurred on the M80 Glasgow—Stirling road in each of the last three years.

On A80 between Glasgow and Stirling there were in 1966, 1967 and 1968 respectively 7, 7 and 6 fatal accidents in which 8, 9 and 8 people were killed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the extent of under-road heating in Scotland.

Because of its high cost under-road heating is employed only at a few specially selected locations where icy conditions would cause exceptional hazards.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the present capital costs for under-road heating in Scotland.

Where electric power supplies are at hand the cost of installing road heating is estimated to average about £3 10s. per square yard of carriageway.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the appointment of Mr. A. J. Houston as Deputy Chairman of Cumbernauld Development Corporation; and what reply he has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors who had emigrated to Canada and the United States of America have now returned to the United Kingdom as a result of the visit by officials of the former Ministry of Health to persuade them to do so; and how many of those who returned have now gone back to Canada or the United States of America.

27 doctors who had emigrated to Canada or the United States have returned to the United Kingdom under arrangements made following the visit of the recruiting team in October, 1967. None is known to have subsequently gone back to Canada or the United States of America. I have no figures for the number of doctors who have made their own arrangements to return.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what average allowance his Department is now making towards the cost of rent in calculating the total amount of special supplements payable for a retired man and his wife in London, in England outside London, in Wales and in Scotland; what are the highest and the lowest actual allowances made for rent; and in what areas they are paid.

In November, 1968, for retirement pensioner householders with a supplementary pension, the amounts were 42s. 10d. in the Greater London Council area; 29s. 7d. in the rest of England; 25s. 5d. in Wales; and 22s. 10d. in Scotland. As these average allowances for rent have been calculated from a sample, it is not possible to state the actual highest and lowest amounts in payment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement as soon as his inquiries are completed into the faulty dispatch of the 200 doses of A2 vaccine to Mr. Cousland.

No. I have written to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to consult the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology about the report on Hospital Scientific and Technical Services, and at what stage.

The views of professional bodies like the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology will be sought. The method and timetable of consultation will be considered in the light of the general comment on the report which my hon. Friend has sought from hospital authorities and from bodies broadly representative of professional and staff interests. The latter include the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine and the Staff Sides of the Whitley Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what is the total sum of money provided by Her Majesty's Government for the assistance of industry in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region, or its equivalent, since October, 1964; and if he will make a statement.

Direct assistance to industry including investment grants—up to March, 1968—and the selective employment premium totalled approximately £35 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs when he expects the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Economic Planning Council to publish its study of the Colne Valley-Huddersfield district.

I expect to receive this report before the end of this month and that publication should follow in due course.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will take steps to assist Government Departments to locate future offices in the expanding towns of West Suffolk, notably Haverhill.

Under our dispersal policy, new or transferred Government offices are located in development areas—and certainly away from South-East England—whenever possible. Expanding towns nearer London could on occasion come under consideration as locations for offices which could not be moved further away.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are the numbers of dwellings which have gone out of rent control in the years 1958 to 1968, respectively.

It is estimated that in the period from July, 1957, to December, 1967, the number of controlled tenancies in England and Wales fell by about 2,400,000. This is due to redevelopment and slum clearance as well as decontrol. It is not possible to make separate estimates for individual years.The number of controlled tenancies in December, 1967, has been estimated at 1,550,000 but this figure includes a provisional estimate of 350,000 for the Greater London area, which may be adjusted after further analysis.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what were the estimated numbers of privately rented tenancies and controlled tenancies in Greater London and England and Wales, respectively, on the latest convenient date.

In England and Wales, excluding Greater London, it is estimated that in December, 1967, there were 2,150,000 unfurnished privately rented tenancies of which 1,200,000 were controlled tenancies. There were also some 300,000 furnished privately rented tenancies.

			Average number of recipients		Average rebate
			1966–67	1967–68	1966–67			1967–68
					£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Gravesend B	…	…	1,073	948	15	2	0	15	19	0
Northfleet U.D.	…	…	527	431	14	7	0	14	19	0
Strood R.D	…	…	406	352	11	19	0	12	5	0

Apart from a very few occupiers of mixed properties only domestic ratepayers receive rebates.The only relief granted in the four years 1964–65 to 1967–68 under Section 2 of the Rating (Interim Relief) Act, 1964, to householders suffering hardship because of rate increases in 1962–63 was (1) £4 9s. 6d. in 1964–65 and £4 9s. 4d. in 1965–66 in Gravesend, an average of £1 9s. 10d. per recipient and (2) £8 4s. 8d. in 1964–65 in Strood rural district, an average of £2 14s. 10d. per recipient.No estimates were made in the Department of the number or value of rebates in individual rating areas.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) what is the number and value of rebates granted to individual ratepayers in Gravesend, Northfleet and Strood rural district in each of the last two years under the Rating Act, 1966; how this compares with rate relief granted under the Rating Interim Relief) Act, 1964; how the number and value of rebates granted in Gravesend, Northfleet and Strood rural district compares with the figures originally estimated by his Department;(2) how many domestic ratepayers in Gravesend, Northfleet and Strood rural district received rate rebates in each of the last two years.

The average numbers of recipients of rate rebates under the Rating Act, 1966, and the average rebates for the years 1966–67 and 1967–68 are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the average benefit per head to ratepayers in Salford in each of the last four years under the provisions of the Rating (Interim Relief) Act, 1964.

Grant paid by the Government to the Salford County Borough Council under Section 1 of the Act (which provides for grants to rating authorities of areas with a relatively high proportion of old people) amounted to £10,325 in 1964–65, £13,070 in 1965–66 and £15,510 in 1966–67. This benefited all ratepayers by reducing the rate poundage below what it would otherwise have been by about ½d., ⅔d. and ¾d., respectively. The average relief to each ratepayer was 3s. 6d., 4s. 6d. and 5s. 6d. No grant was payable in 1967–68.Relief granted by the authority under section 2 of the Act to individual householders suffering hardship because of rate increases since 1962–63 totalled £716 in 1964–65, £670 in 1965–66, £552 in 1966–67 and £460 in 1967–68, the average relief in each year being about £4 14s. 10d., £4 4s. 4d., £4 1s. 6d. and £4 3s. 6d. respectively.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many individual rate rebates have been paid to ratepayers in Salford by the Government under the Rating Act, 1965, in each of the last three years; and what was the average benefit.

The average number of recipients of rate rebates under the Rating Act, 1966, in Salford, and the average rebate, for the years 1966–67 and 1967–68, are as follows:

			Average number of recipients	Average rebate
				£	s.	d.
1966–67	…	…	2,531	15	2	0
1967–68	…	…	2,326	15	12	0

Figures for 1968–69 are not yet available.