asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the strength of the Women's Royal Naval Service, the Women's Royal Army Corps and the Women's Royal Air Force for January, 1969, 1959 and 1945, respectively; and if he will give the strength of the women's Reserves for those dates.

The following are the strengths of the women's Services and the women's Reserves as at 1st January, 1969, 1959 and 1945:

		1.1.69	1.1.59	1.1.45
W.R.N.S.
Active forces	…	3,037	3,335	73,384
Reserve forces	…	922	1,020	—
W.R.A.C.
Active forces	…	3,955	4,308	200,497
Reserve forces	…	1,387	5,010	—
W.R.A.F.
Active forces	…	4,515	4,415	166,165
Reserve forces	…	78	586	—

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the strengths of the Volunteer and Regular Army Reserves on 1st December 1968; and what will be the strength of the long-term Reserve and the Regular Army Reserve, respectively, in 1970, 1973 and 1975.

The strength of the T & AVR, excluding T & AVR III which is being disbanded, was 40,717 on 1st December, 1968. The strength of the Regular Army Reserve was 45,337 on the same date. On the most recent forecasts, the strengths for the long-term and Regular Army Reserves are as follows:

			Long-term Reserve	Regular Army Reserve
1970	…	…	3,000	46,000
1973	…	…	4,000	48,000
1975	…	…	5,000	47,000

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the cost for 1968 of the Army Reserves, Royal Navy Reserves and the Royal Air Force Reserves, respectively.

The estimated cost in 1968–69 of the Reserves, excluding the cost of regular Service personnel, is as follows:

			£ million
Royal Navy	…	…	1·4
Army	…	…	18·0
Royal Air Force	…	…	0·7

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of his predecessor's undertaking that the inhabitants of Tyneham, Dorset, would be allowed to return at the end of the last war, he will announce a date when his Department will relinquish its occupation.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how the rank of flight sergeant, Royal Air Force, compares with that of warrant officer, class 2, in the Army.

Queen's Regulations for each of the Services provide that for purposes of rank, command and discipline the rank of flight sergeant, Royal Air Force, is rated below that of warrant officer, Class 2, in the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many chief technicians were serving in the Royal Air Force on 1st January, 1969.

Six thousand, one hundred and twenty-five.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will show in money value and as a percentage of the total the sources of finance for research and development in respect of the Government, universities, public corporations, private industry and other organisations, for 1964–65 and each subsequent year together with his estimates for 1968–69.

Information for 1964–65 and 1966–67 has been published in Table 4 of the first two volumes of "Statistics of Science and Technology"; information was not collected from industry for 1965–66. My department is in the process of analysing corresponding figures for 1967–68 and revising figures for 1966–67. Corresponding information for 1968–69 is not yet available.

MAINTAINED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AVERAGE SIZE OF CLASSES AT JANUARY
						1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
Primary schools Classes as registered	…	…	…	…	…	32·6	32·6	32·6	32·7	32·8
Secondary schools Modern Classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	25·4	24·9	24·9	24·6	24·3
Technical Classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	22·9	22·1	21·7	22·6	22·5
Grammar Classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	21·7	21·2	21·3	22·3	22·1

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list separately the amounts spent from public funds on education in the county of Wiltshire for primary and secondary school education, showing the amounts of current and capital expenditure in each year, for the year 1962–63 and the last convenient year to date.

The figures are as follows:—

Wiltshire L.E.A.			1962–63	1967–68
			£000	£000
PRIMARY
Current*	…	…	2,321	3,656
Capital†	…	…	293	1,059
SECONDARY
Current*	…	…	2,412	3,874
Capital†	…	…	804	801
* Teachers' salaries and other costs.
† Financed by revenue and loan.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will review the fire safety regulations regarding barred windows at workplaces, following the recent inquest's findings in Glasgow.

The First Secretary, together with her right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Home Department

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average size of classes in state primary, secondary modern, technical, and grammar schools for the years 1964 to 1968, respectively.

:ment and the Secretary of State for Scotland, is giving urgent consideration to the recommendations of the jury in the fatal accident inquiry into the fire which occurred at the premises of A. J. & S. Stern at 17–25 James Watt Street, Glasgow, on 18th November, 1968.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether there will be a repesentative of Her Majesty's Government present at the talks on promoting private foreign investment in developing countries to be held under the auspices of the United Nations at Amsterdam from 16th to 20th February; and what will be his status.

Her Majesty's Government will not be represented at the forthcoming Panel at Amsterdam on the promotion of investment in developing countries. No representatives of the Governments of developed countries (other than the host country) will attend. Membership of the Panel is limited to representatives of the developing countries and of foreign investors, all members being appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and serving in their personal capacities. A distinguished representative of British industry, Sir Duncan Oppenheim, will be a member.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will set out the conditions under which arrangements are made for particular places to have special postmarks, including details about the charges and by whom the cost is borne.

Postmark slogans which publicise local amenities for tourist or prestige purposes are allowed if sponsored by the local authority and if the design is acceptable. The sponsor pays a a charge of £50 a year plus £3 for each slogan die and a time charge of £1 per die per week.

asked the Postmaster-General how many local authorities in the United Kingdom have, with his permission, used in each of the past five years, or are using, special postmarks with slogans aimed at attracting people to those areas.

Two hundred and forty local authorities have used this publicity medium since we made it available for advertising local amenities in April, 1963. Some of these slogan campaigns go on from year to year and it is not possible to define from records held centrally how many occurred in each of the last five years.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will list the holiday resorts and other places in the counties of Essex, Kent, and Sussex which, with his permission, have used and are using special postmarks; if he will give the respective slogans being used and if he will state the periods during which those slogans have been and are being used.

One hundred and thirteen postmark slogan campaigns have been approved for Essex, Kent and Sussex, and I am sending a full list to my hon. Friend.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the names of the subsidiary and associate companies of the General Post Office; and what is the percentage of the issued share capital of each owned by the General Post Office.

There is at present no subsidiary or associate company in which the Post Office has a financial interest.

asked the Minister of Power what are the names of the subsidiary and associate companies of the Gas Council and the Central Electricity Generating Board, respectively; and what is the percentage of the issued share capital of each subsidiary owned by the Council and Board, respectively.

The subsidiary companies of the C.E.G.B. are listed at Statement 15 of the Board's Report and Accounts for 1967–68; they are all wholly owned. There are no associated companies.The subsidiary and associated companies of the Gas Council are listed at Appendix II: Schedule 3 of the Gas Council's Report and Accounts for 1967–68. The percentages of the issued share capital of each company held by the Gas Council are given below:

	Per cent.
Gas Council (Exploration) Ltd.	100
British Methane Ltd.	50
Methane Services Ltd.	50
Benzole Producers Ltd.	1·75
British Coke Export Sales Corporation Ltd.	12·5

The Electricity Council and the Area Gas Boards also have subsidiary and associated companies, details of which are given in their Reports and Accounts.

asked the Minister of Power when he expects to receive a report on the investigations into the possibility of natural gas finds under the Irish Sea.

Investigations have not yet reached a stage when a prediction can be made about the chances of finding natural gas or oil under the Irish Sea. Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Limited in association with the National Coal Board holds a production licence covering five blocks between Lancashire and the Isle of Man and has announced that it plans to drill a well or wells this year. The results will be available to me as will the seismic data obtained by holders of non-exclusive exploration licences operating in the open designated areas of the Irish Sea.The Institute of Geological Sciences has carried out a geophysical survey in the Cardigan Bay area and is drilling on land at Mochras.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the lack of emergency dental services, particularly in Glasgow, at weekends; and if he will consult the appropriate authorities within the National Health Service with a view to providing such emergency services through a rota system by dentists or, where they exist, using dental facilities in hospitals.

I understand that most dentists will provide emergency treatment at any rate for their own patients. I am not at present satisfied that the demand is sufficient to warrant my taking steps to establish special arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of the exhibition held in R.M.S. "Clansman" in London in January, 1969; and what was the total number of visitors to this exhibition.

The Highlands and Islands Development Board expects the final cost to be very close to the budget of £45,000, and estimates that about 40,000 people visited the exhibition.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total value of grants given for research and development to existing firms in the United Kingdom during the year 1967 to 1968.

Expenditure on research and development contracts placed by the Ministry of Technology with firms in the United Kingdom totalled £187 million during 1967–68.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will discuss with the Association of British Travel Agents the application of its code of conduct to member firms in relation to the holiday protection insurance scheme, details of which are in his possession, in the light of recent developments in the travel trade.

No. It is for the Association and its members to determine their attitude towards a private commercial insurance scheme of the kind referred to.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange further discussions with the Association of British Travel Agents about the workings of Operation Stabilizer; and to what extent the Association's scheme for giving help to holidaymakers covers repayment of moneys lost through liquidations in the travel trade.

The Association is continuing to keep me informed about the workings of Operation Stabilizer, and I doubt whether further discussions are necessary at this stage. The purpose of the Association's Common Fund is to ensure that members of the public who have booked with a member of the Association get their holiday, or are offered a suitable alternative, in the event of the member going into liquidation; it is not designed to cover the repayment of money.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in pursuance of the undertakings given to report on such matters, he will make a statement on the action taken in accordance with Operation Stabilizer, following the voluntary liquidation of Wright's Holidays Limited of Birmingham.

Following the announcement of the intended voluntary liquidation of Wright's Holidays Limited of Birmingham, the Association of British Travel Agents immediately acted on the provisions of its Common Fund and assumed responsibility for all holidays booked with the firm on which a deposit had been paid. As a result, the Association has been able to announce that no member of the public has been left stranded, and all clients who have booked with Wright's Holidays will be offered alternative holidays under arrangements being made by A.B.T.A.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity and value of grapes imported from the United States of America in the years 1968, 1967 and 1966.

Following is the information:

IMPORTS OF GRAPES FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
			Cwt.	£000, c.i.f.
1966	…	…	79,894	616
1967	…	…	49,208	389
1968	…	…	4,018	45

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as an aid to tourism in Great Britain, he will investigate the feasibility of a computer facilitating hotel bookings.

The Hotel and Catering Economic Development Committee, in association with the National Computer Centre, has already commissioned a study of the feasibility of establishing a nationwide computerised hotel reservation system. A summary is available from the National Economic Development Office. The E.D.C. is now studying the possibilities of implementing such a system. The Board of Trade is represented on this E.D.C. and is in close touch with these studies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the increase in the total value of manufactured and semi-manufactured goods imported into the United Kingdom between 1958 and 1968.

Imports of goods classified under sections 5–8 of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revised), excluding arrivals of United States military aircraft, increased by £2,650 million between 1958 and 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory for airlines operating commercial passenger services to and from British airports to indicate in their promotional literature, timetables and other matter, the minimum seating intervals which they will maintain for tourist, economy and inclusive tour services.

No. I think that seating density is a matter best left to the airlines within the limits of prescribed safety regulations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will instruct Her Majesty's Government's representatives to seek to place the drafting of a convention on minimum seating intervals for economy tours and inclusive tour airline operations on the agenda of the next meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what information his Department obtains on a routine basis about the seating density currently being maintained by British European Airways, the British Overseas Airways Corporation and other airlines offering regular or scheduled services to and from British airports.

None on a routine basis but this information is available either from published sources or on request when there is a need for it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the conditions of the loan agreements with the Cunard Company for the building of the "Queen Elizabeth 2".

Information about the terms on which the Government have agreed to lend Cunard up to £24 million towards the cost of the "Queen Elizabeth 2" was given in Press notices issued by the company and by the Board of Trade on 19th September, 1967. The loan is in two parts. Up to £14 million can be drawn by Cunard Line Ltd., the company which is to own and operate the Cunard passenger ships. This part of the loan is repayable over 12 years and is secured on the assets of Cunard Line Ltd. The initial rate of interest is 4½ per cent. per annum, but it will be re-negotiated after three years from the date of delivery of the "Queen Elizabeth 2". The second part of the loan, up to £10 million, can be drawn by Cunard Steam-Ship Co. Ltd. This is repayable within five years and will carry interest at 4½ per cent. throughout.

asked the Minister of Transport which local authorities are at present participating in discussions with his Department about the possible grants and subsidies to be given to them to keep stations open on the Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham railway lines.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of incidents during each of the past three years involving interference or obstruction on railway tracks and consequent danger to railway personnel and passengers.

The number of incidents reported to me by the Railways Board involving malicious interference or obstruction on railway tracks and consequent danger to railway personnel and passengers was 95 in 1966, 100 in 1967 and 90 (provisional) in 1968. All these incidents involved moving trains and were classified as train accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to British Railways to provide better security arrangements so as to reduce the number of offences by juveniles and adults involving interference or obstruction on railway tracks and consequent danger to railway personnel and passengers.

No. The statutory responsibility for safety of operation rests with the Railways Board.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration his Department has given to a system of heavy goods vehicle excise licences based upon the gross or plated weight instead of unladen weight of vehicles.

The arguments for and against a change of this sort have been considered and are pretty evenly balanced. Plated weights would certainly be an acceptable basis for taxation but plating does not apply to some special types of goods vehicle or to any of the lighter ones. Using unladen weight works reasonably well and there seems no clear advantage in making a change at present.

asked the Minister of Transport by what authority he will establish the 81 new regional offices planned for the 1970s for vehicle registration and vehicle and driver licensing.

My general powers to discharge my responsibilities as I think best will enable me to operate local offices as necessary after I assume statutory responsibility for the vehicle and driving licensing system under the Bill now before Parliament. The Bill will involve no increase in the number of offices.

asked the Minister of Transport what research his Department is currently undertaking into the relationship between drugs and driving; and whether he will make a statement.

The Road Research Laboratory is examining the circumstances of accidents in which a driver was known to be taking drugs, to see to what extent, if at all, the accident can be attributed to the drugs. The present indications are that the number of such accidents is very small.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now give permission for two X-way crossings to be installed in the Epsom Road, Guildford.

Epsom Road is a principal road. The question of pedestrian crossings is, therefore, a matter in the first instance for Guildford Borough Council. If it considers there is a need for signal controlled crossings here it will no doubt submit an application to the divisional road engineer. No such application has yet been received.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the experiment in the use of X-way crossings in Guildford has now been completed; what information has been acquired; and to what use it will be put.

The X-way experiment has been completed. As I have already announced, I have decided, in the light of the experiment, to introduce a new and simpler push-button controlled pedestrian crossing to be known as the Pelican. I have issued a circular to local authorities giving details of the new crossing and I will send the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will hold a public inquiry into the effects on amenity of the proposed traffic scheme for Gloucester and Westbourne Terraces in Bayswater.

No. This scheme is the responsibility of the Greater London Council as traffic authority. It has been extensively publicised by the Council, but it has yet to consider all objections and representations before deciding on their final proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the amount spent from public funds on the roads in the county of Wiltshire for the year 1962–63 and the last convenient year to date.

Expenditure in 1962–63 was £2·1 million, excluding sums paid by the Ministry direct to contractors. These amounts are not readily available.Expenditure in 1967–68 was £3·75 million, including sums paid direct to contractors.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the names of the subsidiary and associate companies of the London Transport Board, the British Waterways Board and British Railways, respectively; and what is the percentage of the issued share capital of each subsidiary owned by those authorities.

The London Transport Board has one wholly owned subsidiary company, London Transport Trustee Company Ltd.The British Waterways Board has nine wholly owned subsidiary companies, none of which has carried on business since 1950:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in conjunction with the river authorities, he will provide funds and/or facilities to net and remove coarse fish from all or any of the following, namely, Bala Lake, River Tweed, Grantham Water, Huntingdonshire, and Pitsford and Eye-brook Reservoirs, Northamptonshire, to fishing waters in the Midlands, where the continued diminution in the number of coarse fish is causing concern to anglers.

The re-stocking of waters with fish is not the function of my right hon. Friend, who has no funds for this purpose. It is however open to river authorities to carry out restocking where appropriate, and some of the Midlands Authorities concerned have made arrangements for this.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to allow the payment of the extra £25 of holiday allowance to be made at pensionable age, for men of 65 years and women of 60 years, instead of at the age of 70 years as at present.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of recent increases in charges for overseas holidays, he will re-examine the £50 overseas travel allowance, with a view to an increase; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in the House on 15th October, 1968.—[Vol. 770, c. 188.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to the revenue of reducing to 18 the age of majority for the aggregation of minors' incomes under the provisions of the Finance Act 1968.

About £5 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give a list of all financial obligations, other than external loans, acquired since October, 1964.

If the hon. Member has in mind domestic borrowing by the central Government, between the beginning of October, 1964, and the end of September, 1968, this borrowing amounted to approximately £750 million, including approximately £225 million borrowed from the banks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why a reprint has been ordered at Her Majesty's Stationery Office of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926.

Although the whole of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, is repealed by the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, there is still a continuing public demand for the old Act which has to be met.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he proposes to deal with per-sans

EXPENDITURE PER HEAD OF POPULATION 1966–67
	Total Public Expenditure						Central Government Expenditure†
	Scotland			England and Wales			Scotland			England and Wales
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
SERVICE*
Civil Defence		7	4		6	11		3	11		2	9
Roads (including lighting)	9	16	10	8	3	7	5	16	9	5	0	7
Airports	1	3	1		6	4	1	3	0		4	6
Ports		16	7		12	4			5		—
Promotion of local employment	3	12	1		9	3	3	12	1		9	3
S.E.T. additional payments		13	1		15	9		13	1		15	9
Research Councils	1	3	11	1	2	11	1	3	11	1	2	11
Agricultural support	8	6	2	3	12	7	8	6	2	3	12	7
Agricultural services		17	2		11	8	1	5	10		10	2
Fisheries		8	1			10		8	6			10
Forestry	2	8	11		7	3	2	8	11		7	3
Housing	32	13	5	16	2	1	4	5	0	1	17	6
Environmental services	14	9	4	12	1	8		12	4		9	3
Libraries, Museums and arts		13	6	1	1	10		3	10		2	0
Police	4	4	10	4	11	4	1	18	11	2	2	8
Prisons		13	6		11	1		13	6		11	1
Other law and order (including fire services)	1	19	4	2	3	4		19	3		17	5
Education (excluding Universities)‡	32	0	7	30	3	6	5	10	7	1	10	6
Universities, etc.	7	3	9	4	10	6	7	3	4	3	14	0
Health and Welfare	30	1	5	25	16	4	27	14	10	23	17	8
Childrens Services (including family allowances)	7	3	1	6	3	3	6	4	6	5	11	11
Social security benefits	47	15	1	42	10	0	47	15	1	42	10	0
Financial administration and common services	4	11	3	5	11	8	4	7	6	5	1	6
Other services	3	17	0	3	10	1	3	13	5	2	18	3
Non-specific grants to local authorities		—			—		24	15	1	22	3	2
Totals	216	19	4	171	6	1	160	19	9	125	13	6
* As listed on Table 61 of the Digest of Scottish Statistics Ooctober, 1968.
† Includes transfers to other spending authorities within the public sector other than Consolidated Fund loans to local authorities (not separately identified).
‡ Includes in Scotland an element of student grants which in England and Wales is included under non-specific grants to local authorities.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the expenditure per head of the population in Scotland, and in England and Wales, respectively, on each of the services for which a separate calculation can be made for the year 1966–67.

The following table shows public expenditure and central Government expenditure per head of population in Scotland, and England and Wales, respectively, for 1966–67, on each of the services for which a separate calculation can be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to encourage borrowing in overseas capital markets by the nationalised industries in order to benefit the balance of payments.

There would be advantage to the balance of payments if those nationalised industries which have power to do so were to borrow at medium and long-term in these markets. The Treasury is therefore prepared to give consent to such borrowings and, in addition, in appropriate cases, to make special arrangements to relieve the industries of the associated exchange uncertainties. Details are given in a separate Notice issued by the Treasury today and obtainable on inquiry at the Treasury or the Bank of England. The text of the Notice is as follows:NOTICEAs the [Financial Secretary to the Treasury] announced in answer to a Question in the House of Commons today, the Government has decided that, when it is practicable and appropriate, nationalised industries should be encouraged to cover a proportion of their borrowing needs in the international and foreign capital markets. While it is not envisaged that anything but a small proportion of their capital needs can be met by borrowing in this way, it is considered that such borrowing would provide a significant and useful benefit to the United Kingdom balance of payments, provided that the borrowing were done at medium or long term. In appropriate cases, the Treasury will be prepared to make special arrangements to relieve the nationalised industries of the exchange uncertainties associated with borrowing foreign currencies.Specific Treasury consent will be needed for each borrowing operation of this kind. Before giving consent, the Treasury will need to be satisfied that the terms and conditions, including the currency, size and timing, of the borrowing are appropriate, both in relation to the United Kingdom balance of payments and to the prevailing conditions in international and foreign capital markets. In order to ensure that loans comply with the Treasury's requirements, nationalised industries who are considering proposals to borrow abroad are being asked to make early contact through their sponsoring departments with the Treasury.It is emphasised that borrowing in this way will not provide an additional source of finance which would allow the nationalised industries to exceed their approved investment programmes. Borrowing in foreign currency is an alternative source of finance, not a way of increasing investment.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will list, by their areas, the approximate numbers of empty houses of which he has official knowledge.

The number of dwellings recorded as unoccupied in the Sample Census of April, 1966, is available for each local authority in England and Wales with a population of 15,000 or more, in the published reports for the counties. The Census post-enumeration survey showed that there had been some over-counting of vacant housing but local figures cannot be adjusted. No later official estimates are available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) how many case A notifications on the sale of owner-occupied dwelling-houses have been notified to the Land Commission since its inception; and of these how many resulted in levy being payable;(2) how much betterment levy has been collected by the Land Commission from owner-occupiers of dwelling-houses to the nearest convenient date.

This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government were informed of the decision to hold a referendum in Rhodesia in May, on a proposed new Constitution; and whether the decision affects the British Government's policy of leaving the "Fearless" terms on offer to Salisbury indefinitely.

It has for some time been the declared intention of the régime to hold a referendum on a new Constitution. Mr. Smith said in a broadcast on 13th December that

"we could not hold a referendum on our new constitution before April next year".

As regards the second part of the Question, I should refer my hon. Friend to what my right hon., Friend the Prime Minister said on 21st January.—[Vol. 776, c. 246.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is aware of representations being made to the Government of Hong Kong with a view to amending the labour laws so as to permit the employment of women and young persons in textile factories; and if he will give an undertaking that he will withhold his consent to such amendment of the law in the colony.

My hon. Friend is presumably referring to recent representations about the employment of women and young persons on night work. This is prohibited by Regulations made under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, but under Section 7(4) of that Ordinance the Commissioner of Labour has power to exempt any industrial undertaking from compliance with the Regulations. No legislation is therefore required to introduce any relaxation of this general prohibition.Past requests for relaxation have been refused. The current proposals are for a limited relaxation in selected textile factories. They have been discussed in Hong Kong with my Labour Adviser: we await his report and the views of the Hong Kong Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance was given by the British High Commission in Nairobi to Mr. Praful Patel in connection with his recent deportation from Kenya.

Mr. Patel was offered the normal consular protection and assistance. However, apart from using the facilities of the British High Commission in order to make arrangements for his departure for India, no other assistance was necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Tunisian Government with regard to compensation for British citizens whose lands were expropriated in 1964; and with what result.

The latest occasion on which this question was raised with the Tunisian Government at a Ministerial level was in October, 1968, when I visited Tunisia. I received an assurance from the Minister concerned that the Tunisian Government would be happy to examine the cases of those claimants ready to accept settlement in local currency and to settle these claims quickly. I regret that there has been no progress since then. Her Majesty's Ambassador is being instructed to take the matter up at a high level.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the cargo of Rhodesian tobacco delivered to Antwerp last week by the s.s. "Mokana"; and what steps he is proposing at the United Nations to make sanctions more effective.

Under paragraph 21 of Security Council Resolution 253, (1968) Her Majesty's Government are under an obligation to report suspected breaches of sanctions to the Security Council Committee established in pursuance of that Resolution. Such reports are confidential until the Committee itself reports to the President of the Security Council. As regards the second part of the Question, I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Moonman) on 10th February.—[Vol. 777, c. 867–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government about its Bill to incorporate South-West Africa into the Republic.

Her Majesty's Government have from time to time reminded the South African Government of the international character of the territory and of the need to preserve that character. The South West Africa Affairs Amendment Bill is at present being studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet studied Professor Stallworth's report on the future of maternity services in the Rugby area.

No. This report was prepared for the regional hospital board and I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 11th November, 1968.—[Vol. 773, c. 29.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward the date for the starting of the project to improve the operating theatres at the George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton.

Unless there are special reasons I do not intervene in the decisions on priorities made by a regional hospital board. Such special reasons do not seem to me to be present in this case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a leaflet similar to the one issued by the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare entitled, If you must smoke—five ways to reduce the risks, a copy of which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West.

In October last year my Department and the Scottish Home and Health Department published a leaflet "How you can give up smoking", which covers much of the same ground, and has been distributed to general practitioners for their patients. I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend.