asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to improve the roads to the South-West, in view of the additional traffic which will result from the railway supplementary charges to start this summer.

We do not accept that these surcharges will lead to any significant increase in road traffic and do not consider they justify changing the programme for improving the trunk roads to the South-West.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to authorise the bypasses round Dorchester, Bridport and Sherborne, respectively.

Bypasses of Dorchester and Bridport are being considered for selection for detailed preparation with a view to future programming as trunk road schemes. The Sherborne bypass, a principal road scheme, is at an early stage of preparation by Dorset County Council, the highway authority. Programming decisions will be made when detailed proposals have been received.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for the improvement of the A20 east of Maidstone.

The comparative merits of improving the existing A20 or providing a new road on an alternative alignment are now being studied. A preliminary report and recommendation are expected this spring.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects the roadworks in the Nottingham area referred to in his decision to permit British Railways to close the line between Nottingham, Arkwright Street, and Rugby will be completed.

These roadworks in Loughborough Road will be the subject of a local public inquiry on 16th April. If, after considering the Inspector's report and any outstanding objections my right hon. Friend decides to make the necessary Orders, construction work should be completed by the end of next year.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he has now considered the report on the accident concerning a lorry which last June caused the deaths of six people on the M6 when it crossed the central reservation and struck a family car travelling in the opposite direction; and what action he is taking as a result of the report's conclusions;(2) if he has yet received a report on the accident involving four people killed on the M1 at Newport Pagnell several months ago when their car crossed the central reservation and struck a lorry travelling in the opposite direction; and what action he is taking on the conclusions of the report.

The report on the accident on M6 at Winwick is not yet available and I am unable to comment as the case is still sub-judice. We do not consider that any immediate action is called for following the accident on Ml at Newport Pagnell.

asked the Minister of Transport what guidance he has given to local authorities about the application of cuts in highways expenditure; and what representations he has received from the Reading Borough Corporation.

On 26th January, 1968, a circular was sent to all local authorities in England asking them to reduce by at least 15 per cent. their planned expenditure on their roads. The need for economy was re-iterated in the recent rate support grant negotiations. There have been discussions with Reading Corporation about one particular proposal.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the workings of the Local Government Act 1966, in particular the Section relating to street lighting; and, in view of the fact that in certain areas county councils have refused to assume lighting responsibility for these installations until such time as the highways are formally adopted so that street lighting has been temporarily cut off, if he will introduce amending legislation to improve this situation.

I see no grounds for further legislation to limit local authorities in the exercise of their powers on street lighting.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he now proposes to take to improve road safety at Kingswood Junction, Bilbrook, Staffordshire.

A traffic light system to improve safety at this junction is being designed for installation in the coming financial year. In addition, a "Give Way" sign has been erected on the alternative approach to the A41 from the A464.

asked the Minister of Transport when green lights will be submitted for the white Xs at X-way pedestrian crossings; and what arrangements have been made to publicise the new Pelican crossings.

We have already announced that the X-way crossing will be replaced by the Pelican which will have a full green light instead of the white X. Publicity will be arranged when Pelican crossings come into operation, but we are still finalising technical details of design.

asked the Minister of Transport upon what grounds he advised local authorities, in a circular in December last, that where a road with a speed limit had been by-passed there might no longer be a need for a limit.

The construction of a bypass can alter the volume, composition and speed of traffic on a road and consequently the likelihood of accidents. In some cases, where dangers have been substantially reduced, there may no longer be a need for a speed limit.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will add to the advice which he has given to local authorities concerning the removal or increase of speed limits on improved roads further advice on dealing with the difficulties and dangers encountered by pedestrians and on the need to increase crossing facilities following such improvements.

No. Local authorities are already aware of the need to make adequate provision for pedestrians in such circumstances.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the road haulage industry of changing speed limits to the metric system.

No detailed estimate has been made, but I would expect the cost to be very small.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to the need for traffic signals at the junction of Hall Lane and Altrincham Road, Manchester, 23; what application his Department has received from the local authority on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what was said in the letter of 14th February to my hon. Friend. As I explained, it is for Manchester City Council, as highway authority, to decide the priority to be given in their programme of road schemes to a proposed scheme for improving this junction and installing traffic signals.

asked the Minister of Transport how many representations he has received from the Nuneaton Borough Council and residents in Nuneaton about road improvements on the A47 and A444 in Nuneaton; and what reply he has sent.

The Divisional Road Engineer has had correspondence with the Council during 1968 about these improvements. Representations have been received from owners of property which is affected by a programmed trunk road improvement at Tuttle Hill, and is now being acquired. An inquiry about blight of a property affected by the Bedworth By-Pass extension has been referred to the Council. If my hon. Friend will let me know what particular information he desires I shall be happy to let him have it.

asked the Minister of Transport when Part III of the London Traffic Survey will be published.

I understand that the Greater London Council hope to publish a report shortly.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to release operators of restaurants and cafes on land adjacent to motorways where such land is leased from his Department from the obligation to pay to his Department a percentage of gross turnover or profit.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a further statement about the operation of British Standard Time in relation to road accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the result of his inquiries into the effects of British Standard Time on road accidents.

It would be wrong to draw conclusions at this stage about the effect of British Standard Time on road accidents. During the months of November and December, 1968, fatal and serious casualties during the morning hours affected by British Standard Time rose by 436,

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a further statement on the effect of continual summer time on accidents to pedestrians.

In the months of November and December, 1968, fatal and serious casualties to pedestrians during the morning hours affected by British Standard Time rose by 198 compared with the corresponding periods in 1967; during the evening hours they fell by 387.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will so amend the Road Regulations as to enable local authorities in Dorset to exempt parked vehicles from compulsory lighting on a scale similar to that which exists in London.

The Regulations already empower local chief constables to designate roads on which vehicles may be parked at night without lights.

asked the Minister of Transport what is his Departmental policy on giving directions as a consequence of Section 138 of the Transport Act, 1968.

My right hon. Friend has no power to direct local authorities to use these powers, but a circular giving information about them has been sent to the local authority associations. I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that some local authorities in nominating representatives on the new passenger transport authorities have nominated councillors from one political party; and if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory for local authorities to pay due regard to the political composition of then-council when making such nominations.

Nominations are, under the Act, a matter for the local authorities as with their appointment to other statutory authorities and I have no power to intervene. The Act was passed as recently as November of last year and it is too early to consider amending it.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress his Department has made in its study of the possibility of charging for the use of heavily congested roads by motor vehicles.

Prototype equpiment is being developed and the first will be available for exhaustive tests shortly. It will take a considerable time to work out how far a road pricing system is technically feasible and to assess the economic, social and administrative implications.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to announce his decision on the location of the Channel Tunnel Terminal.

When we have completed the necessary studies and consultations, which are now in progress.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps have been taken by the National Freight Corporation to achieve integration of the activities of their subsidiary companies in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy as set out in paragraph 21 of Command Paper No. 3470, The Transport of Freight.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the report on the review of its organisation which the Corporation has a duty to make to me under the provisions of Section 45 of the Transport Act, 1968.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Transport Holding Company and its travel subsidiaries.

I have not yet completed my consideration of the issues involved. I will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the fact that the West Midlands district of British Road Services has notified customers of a 10 per cent. increase in rates, with effect from 3rd February, 1969, and that rates were previously raised on 28th January, 1968, and on 1st April, 1968, if he will refer this latest increase to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

We are having some inquiries made of the National Freight Corporation and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will refer the recent fare increases of up to 50 per cent. on buses in the Hemel Hempstead area to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

No. Fares outside the London Transport Special Area are matters for the Traffic Commissioners. I understand that the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner is arranging a public sitting, to take place shortly, to consider the new "auto-fare" London Transport bus services at Hemel Hempstead and the representations which have been made about them.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the working of the regulations concerning safe loading of road transport vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

We believe the regulations to be working reasonably well, but improvements in the safety of vehicle loading should flow from various measures we have introduced or planned. These include quality licensing and plating of goods vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what consultations his Department have had with the European Ministers of Transport about international agreement on legislation on the use of drugs and driving, following recent evidence sent to him by the Automobile Association;(2) what consultations his Department have had with the Federal Department of Transportation in the United States of America about international agreement on legislation on the use of drugs and driving, following recent evidence furnished by the Automobile Association.

None. We have been in touch with the Federal Department of Transportation on the general problem of drugs and driving, but the information which they have so far been able to provide is limited and not necessarily relevant to conditions in this country. International collaboration on this problem is likely to centre on further research proposed by Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development, in which the United Kingdom will be participating through the British Medical Association.

asked the Minister of Transport on what basis he chose road haulage firms for the pilot scheme of application forms for quality licences.

The pilot scheme is being carried out by three of the independent licensing authorities. I understand that their aim was to draw a broadly representative sample of the firms which will ultimately be subject to operators' licensing.

asked the Minister of Transport what consultations he is having with road haulage organisations about the form of application for quantity licensing.

None at present.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the machinery for consultation between his Department and the Home Office on matters concerning the extension of the British Transport Police powers.

The Departments consult on these matters, as on others, in the ordinary course of business.

asked the Minister of Transport how many representations he has received from bus operators concerning difficulties in obtaining claim forms from licensing authorities for bus grants under the Transport Act 1968, Sections 32, 33 and 34; what reply he has sent; what steps he is taking to improve supplies; and whether he will make a statement.

All traffic area offices now have supplies of claim forms for new bus grants. The increase in the bus fuel grant is being paid under the existing claims procedure for this grant, of which all operators are aware. Rural bus grants are a matter for local authorities in the first instance. Inquiries received about the new bus grant claim procedure have been answered. I have received no other representations from operators.

asked the Minister of Transport how many Scottish local authorities have taken advantage of the Transport Act, 1968, giving concessionary fares to retirement pensioners; if he will make a statement giving the names of the local authorities who have not taken advantage; and if he will send a further circular to them.

This information is not available to me. The extent to which local authorities use their powers to arrange travel concessions is in their discretion. Their attention has been drawn to the new powers by means of the circular referred to in my Answer of 27th November, 1968, to my hon. Friend.—[Vol. 774, c. 136.]

asked the Minister of Transport why an abnormal load 16 feet high, 14 feet wide and 140 feet long weighing 120 tons from Penrith to Port Talbot in November last was routed via Huddersfield and Oldham; and how much extra major road mileage was involved and which large towns were affected by this routing.

My right hon. Friend did not authorise the use of the route referred to. Inquiries to identify the load are being pursued and I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport why his proposed subsidy in respect of the Weymouth-Bournemouth rail link is limited to one year.

The Railways Board were under very heavy pressure to prepare over 220 grant applications during 1968. With my right hon. Friend's agreement they prepared detailed estimates of costs for certain services, including that between Bournemouth and Weymouth, for 1969 only.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals have been submitted to him by the Railways Board under the terms of Section 48(4) of the Transport Act, 1968; and what steps he is taking to satisfy himself that the Workshops Division of the Railways Board has a selling organisation equipped to make use of the powers granted under Section 48.

My right hon. Friend has not yet received proposals from the Railways Board under Section 48(4) of the 1968 Transport Act, but expects to do so within the next few weeks. The setting up of a selling organisation would be a matter of management for the Board.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the social cost/benefit study of the Machynlleth-Pwllheli railway line has been completed; and when it will be published.

The report on the study is now in the final stages of drafting. I hope that it will be published within the next two or three months.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the value of the output of British Railways' workshops in each of the last five years.

The British Railways Board have supplied the following information:

					£million
1964	…	…	…	…	83
1965	…	…	…	…	90
1966	…	…	…	…	81
1967	…	…	…	…	85
1968	…	…	…	…	89

asked the Minister of Transport whether, before reaching a decision on the proposed closure of the mid-Hampshire railway, he will ascertain from British Railways the estimated increased revenue obtainable from the building of a halt at Kings Worthy.

No. I am satisfied that the financial effect of building a halt at Kings Worthy could not be a significant factor in this case.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he takes to check the accuracy of figures supplied to him by the Transport Commission in respect of estimated future annual losses when the Commission is submitting a proposal for a rail closure.

It is the responsibility of the Railways Board to supply accurate figures. Naturally I make commonsense checks.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to the British Railways Board to publish monthly, region by region, the percentage of local and express passenger trains that arrive at their destination within five minutes of the scheduled time.

No. Statistics on train punctuality are regularly supplied to the Central Transport Consultative Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will give a breakdown of the £65,000 estimated annual loss on the Wareham/Swanage railway line;(2) on what date he received a letter from the Swanage Urban District Council dated 17th January, 1969, referring to the Wareham/Swanage railway closure; and on what date he replied to it.

The breakdown of the figure has already been given to the hon. Member in correspondence, but I am circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The letter dated 17th January from Swanage Urban District Council, which was also concerned with this figure, was received on 20th January. A full reply to this and two further letters was sent on 13th February.The following is the information:

Cost:	£
Movement	25,000
Terminal	15,000
Track and signalling	35,000
Interest and administration	13,000
	88,000
Earnings	20,000
	68,000
less estimated saving from de-staffing of stations	2,500
Deficit	65,500

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made for the provision of container berths in all ports handling more than five million tons of goods per year; and how many berths have been completed and approved, respectively.

I understand that 12 container berths are now completed in the areas of the harbour authorities listed in paragraph 10 of the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Ports. A further four are under construction, of which three required my approval. The initiation of further proposals for such berths is a matter for the operators concerned, but I am expecting proposals for a further three or four berths.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) whether he will give his approval to the two-tier system of payment for chairmen of nationalised boards whereby the first-tier chairmen will have their £12,500 per annum salaries increased to £20,000 per annum and the second-tier up to £15,000–£16,000 per annum and the Chairman of the Steel Board from £16,000 per annum to £27,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether he will give an assurance that he will not agree to increase the salaries of the chairmen of the nationalised boards above the Government's 3½ per cent. norm;(3) whether he will, in accordance with Government policy, require any increase in salaries to the chairmen of nationalised boards to be based upon productivity increases similar to industrial workers.

The question of revising the salaries of the chairmen of nationalised boards will be considered in the light of the forthcoming report from the National Board for Prices and Incomes. It would not be right for me to comment further at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the agreement of other powers to measures to prevent continued acts of piracy against civil airlines.

We are already actively engaged with other member States within the International Civil Aviation Organisation in seeking measures to prevent unlawful seizure of aircraft and other acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which hon. Members he received representations concerning the supply of arms to Israel.

I have received oral representations from a number of hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total value of food and medical supplies sent to Nigeria by Her Majesty's Government since the outbreak of hostilities.

Her Majesty's Government has spent £44,050 on the purchase of food and medical supplies. This contribution takes no account of our expenditure on vehicles and other transport costs, nor of our general financial contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross for Nigerian relief purposes. Her Majesty's Government has given nearly £1,000,000 to Nigerian relief so far.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which hon. Members he received representations concerning the supply of missiles to Jordan.

Representations have been received from my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) and, in more general terms, from other hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps are being taken by her Department to encourage people between the ages of 40 and 65 to enter into Government training centres for retraining after redundancy.

Redundant workers between the ages of 40 and 65 who appear suitable for the accelerated training for skill given at Government training centres receive the same encouragement to apply as those under 40. Experience has shown, however, that most of the re-training required by redundant workers of all ages is at the semi-skilled operator level, and this is best given by their new employers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the latest figure for unemployment among men between the ages of 40 and 50 and 50 and 65 in Wales; and what percentage these two groups represent of the total unemployed among men in Wales.

Of a total of 34,101 males registered as wholly unemployed in Wales at 13th January, 1969, the latest date for which a detailed age analysis is available, 17,071 or 50·1 per cent., were aged 40 to 64. Of these 5,736 were aged 40 to 49 and 11,335 were aged 50 to 64.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what estimate she has made of the effects upon unemployment in the Merseyside Development Area during the next three years of the Government's decision to cease placing contracts for the construction and re-fitting of nuclear submarines at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.

No estimate has been made at this stage as no pending redundancies arising out of the Government's decision have been notified to my Department. Any effects upon employment will depend on what other work the firm has in hand and is successful in obtaining in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimate cost of operating the Distributive Industry Training Board.

The Board's estimated expenditure in its first year, to the end of July, 1969, is about £150,000. No estimates can yet be formed of costs when the Board is fully in operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps she is taking to ensure alternative employment for the men due to be dismissed by the British Steel Corporation from the Redpath Dorman Long fabricating shop on 31st May; how many have been assured of alternative work comparable with their skills; how many are as yet unprovided for with any alternative jobs; how many have indicated that they will have to move home to find alternative work; and what estimate she has made of the total amount of redundancy pay involved.

Details of the workers to be discharged are not yet available to my local officers. Arrangements are in hand for the interviewing and registering for other work of those concerned and it is hoped that this will start about mid April. Until the interviews take place, specific information about the workers' redeployment cannot be given and there is little I can add in this respect to my letter of 3rd January to the hon. Member. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the total amount of redundancy pay that may be involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will estimate the number of employed persons in each of the agriculture, horticulture and forestry industries at the latest convenient date.

At June, 1968, the estimated numbers of employees in employment in agriculture and horticulture (Minimum List Heading 001 of the 1958 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification) and forestry (MLH 002) were 377,000 and 17,400, respectively. Estimates are not made for agriculture and for horticulture separately.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the recent offer by Swan Hunter to over 2,000 ancillary workers; and whether these workers were also covered by the national engineering award concluded in December.

No agreement has yet been reached on an offer made by the company concerning ancillary workers. I understand that discussions are continuing with the National Union of General and Municipal Workers. The ancillary workers at Swan Hunter are covered by the national shipbuilding agreement concluded in December, 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings and productivity expected to arise from the settlement of the dispute involving electricians and other exhibition workers.

As the hon. Member will be aware, the disputes at Earls Court and Olympia have not yet been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the latest position regarding the dispute at Armstrong Patents concerning the interpretation of the national engineering agreement; and if she will make a statement.

The dispute was resolved following discussions between the company and the unions under the auspices of the Engineering Employers' Federation, and work was resumed on 10th February. My Department is obtaining further details of the settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the latest state of negotiations between independent television technicians and their employers; and if she can yet make a provisional assessment of the percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the claim.

I have nothing to add to my Answer to the hon. Member of 27th January, 1969.—[Vol. 776, c. 240.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will ask the National Board for Prices and Incomes to indicate in the report they are now preparing how a percentage measurement can be made of the work of a journalist employed by London and Manchester national newspapers.

The National Board for Prices and Incomes is required to pay regard to the Government's Productivity, Prices and Incomes Policy and will consider the relevance of the productivity criterion when it makes its examination of the recent pay settlement affecting London and Manchester journalists.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will now make a statement on the journalists' pay claim.

My right hon Friend has today referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes for examination the pay agreement reached on 1st December, 1968, between the Newspaper Publishers' Association and the National Union of journalists.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many strikes have taken place in the Rover Motor Company since December; how many pay settlements have been concluded as a result of these strikes; and what is the estimated range of percentage increases in rates, earnings and productivity arising from those settlements.

My Department has been notified of three strikes at the Rover Company Limited since December 1968; no pay settlements are known to have been concluded as a result.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the relationship of the present retirement pension to that payable in 1948, having regard to the increase in the cost of living.

The current retirement pension rates of £4 10s. (single) and £7 6s. (married) exceeded the January, 1969, value of the corresponding 1948 rates by £1 14s. and £2 15s. 6d. respectively. Calculated by reference to the change in the Index of Retail Prices, the January, 1969, equivalents of the 1948 rates of £1 6s. (single) and £2 2s. (married) were £2 16s. and £4 10s. 6d. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the present Members' Pension Scheme, details of which are in his possession, meets the criteria for contracting out under the proposals outlined in the White Paper on Social Security, Command No. 3883.

The conditions for contracting out employed persons under these proposals will need to be prescribed in detail before particular schemes can be tested against them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what considerations he has given to extending the exemption period for payment of national health and insurance stamps for mentally-handicapped adults in full and part-time training.

My hon. Friend has given us details of a particular case he has in mind and I shall write to him when I have considered it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated annual value of the graduated pension to be paid to a man who reaches 65 in 40 years' time whose contributions for the years ended 5th April, 1968, 1967, 1966 and 1965 were £23 14s., £17 10s. 6d., £11 7s. 8d. and £7 Is. Id., respectively, and whose total units to 5th April, 1968, were 8·7, taking into account changes in the purchasing power of the £ between now and the date of his retirement.

Under current provisions and assuming no addition to be made to the 8·7 units, the answer in cash terms is £11 14s. I prefer not to speculate about the purchasing power of the £ in the year 2,009.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make the constant attendance allowance, proposed in the White Paper Command No. 3883, available to widows and unsupported mothers who have to stay at home to look after an invalid child.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Somerset, North (Mr. Dean) on 3rd February.—[Vol. 777, c. 31–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services, if he will state the total amount spent on research into the effects of noise on health in each of the last 10 years.

The identifiable expenditure of Government departments on the effect of noise on health, in the past ten years, was:

1958–9–1961–2	…	…	None
1962–3	…	…	£11,800
1963–4	…	…	£25,400
1964–5	…	…	£21,900
1965–6	…	…	£18,400
1966–7	…	…	£23,400
1967–8	…	…	£60,000
1968–9	…	…	£70,000

The figures for 1967–8 and 1968–9 include sums of £44,000 and £54,000 for investigation of the effects of aircraft noise as a social nuisance, which is relevant to health. The figures do not include the cost of research in a number of universities, since the expenditure is not easily ascertainable, nor that of studies of the effect of noise carried on by the Applied Psychology Research Unit of the Medical Research Council as part of a wider programme of research into factors affecting working efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why no copy death certificate forms were available at the Registry at High Park Street, Toxteth, for a period of at least eight days from the 13th February, 1969.

I very much regret that this should have happened. The Registrar General is investigating the matter and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's policy on the sale of proprietary brands of baby food at infant welfare clinics.

Local health authorities have been advised that the decision whether to sell these commodities at clinics is a matter for the individual authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of all the relevant authorities still permit the sale of proprietary brands of baby foods at infant welfare clinics.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to announce his decision regarding the implementation of the Seebohm Report.

The Government will seek to make an interim statement about the Report after publication of the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list the local authorities which do not yet provide family planning clinics.

There is nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) on 29th January.—[Vol. 776, c. 353.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what was the total number of United Kingdom citizens who emigrated in each of the years 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968; and to which Commonwealth countries they emigrated, stating the numbers of emigrants involved in each case.

EMIGRATION OF UNITED KINGDOM CITIZENS*
Thousands
Country of destination		Australia	Canada	New Zealand	Africa†	India, Pakistan and Ceylon	West Indies	Other Commonwealth countries	Total Commonwealth	Foreign countries	Total
1964	…	74	27	14	10	4	3	7	140	62	202
1965	…	85	36	13	10	4	3	8	159	60	219
1966	…	80	57	14	11	2	4	6	173	57	230
1967	…	76	56	13	12	3	4	6	171	67	238
First three quarters 1968		56	27	4	9	1	2	4	105	52	157
* Estimates derived from the International Passenger Survey. An emigrant is defined as a person going overseas for a year or more. Traffic with the Republic of Ireland is excluded,
† Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate separately the number of men and women who have applied to venereal disease centres for treatment in the years 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967 and to the latest available date.

The following table shows the number of men and women in England and Wales who sought advice at venereal disease treatment centres for the years in question. More detailed information is published in Appendix C to the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report for the year 1967.

Year		Legally defined venereal disease (Syphilis, soft chancre, Gonorrhoea)	Other conditions requiring treatment (including non-gonococcal urethritis in males)	Other conditions not requiring treatment	Total
Males
1950	…	23,419	55,068*		78,487
1955	…	17,075	27,882	24,436	69,393
1960	…	29,245	39,397	26,087	94,729
1965	…	30,763	50,540	30,324	111,627
1966	…	30,455	53,057	29,414	112,926
1967	…	33,142	57,655	28,748	119,545
Females
1950	…	8,502	23,840*		32,342
1955	…	6,048	10,182	9,075	25,305
1960	…	8,702	15,199	10,876	34,777
1965	…	10,074	22,842	14,485	47,401
1966	…	10,789	25,102	15,946	51,837
1967	…	12,354	28,417	15,958	56,729
* Separate figures not available for 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the

The following table gives the available information:cost of administering venereal diseases centres in the years 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1967 and to the latest available date.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of those people who have applied for venereal disease treatment under the National Health Service have had their names referred to the Medical Officer of Health for the Basildon and Brentwood Urban Districts for the period 1960 to 1968.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that doctors who dispense their own prescriptions to the public use metric rather than imperial weights.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a notice sent by executive councils to all doctors who dispense for their patients under the National Health Service drawing their attention to the need for all medicines supplied by them to be in metric quantities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors have received financial assistance for improvement of their surgeries, in the borough of Rhondda, the county of Glamorgan and the whole of Wales, respectively; and what has been the total cost in each of these areas.

The information is as follows:

	Number of Practices and Doctors	Amount of Grant
		£
Borough of Rhondda	Nil	Nil
County of Glamorgan	17 (36Doctors)	3,541
Wales	43(103Doctors)	9,081

In addition advances of grant totalling £1,236 have been made to three practices (seven doctors) in the county of Glamorgan in respect of schemes which are in progress but not completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the estimated percentage increase in the productivity of National Health Service doctors over the past three years; and what estimated percentage increase in productivity is expected to arise from the recent 8 per cent. salary increase confirmed by the Government.

It is not possible to measure productivity of individual medical practitioners in the manner suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what county boroughs, other than Wolverhampton, now maintain records which would indicate what proportion of the births in their area are to Commonwealth immigrant mothers.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that, following the centralisation of hospital services, patients in Wales needing out-patient hospital treatment have to travel longer distances twice or three times a week in some cases for long periods; and, in view of the effects of the increased cost of travel on low wage earners, if he will take steps to introduce free travel concessions for such patients after the first three visits to hospital.

Arrangements already exist to provide financial help to meet the travel expenses of hospital patients when the need for such help is established. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a memorandum which describes these arrangements in detail.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the delay in securing hospital beds in the Leicester Royal Infirmary for operations on two of the constituents of the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member; why there has been a four-year delay in admitting one of them; and what steps he is taking to rectify the position.

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the average delay in patients obtaining appointments in the out-patient department of the Leicester Royal Infirmary for consultations recommended by the patients' doctors; and what is the waiting time for admission for operations of non-urgent surgical cases, gynaecological cases and medical cases.

Six to eight weeks; 12 months, 2 years and nil, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the sums spent on advertising and public relations by Government Departments, shown separately, including the Post Office, in each of the last five calendar years excluding costs arising from employment under the Crown but including the cost of Press advertisements, posters, pamphlets, etc., and payments to agencies and consultants outside the Government service.

To provide all the information which the hon. Gentleman wants would involve disproportionate cost, but he may care to refer to the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Table 9) for the years in question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the supply of pennies being minted leading up to their withdrawal from circulation in 1971.

The penny will continue in general circulation for a further two years and for the time being the Royal Mint must continue to meet demand:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether lending to agriculture occupies as high a place as lending for exports on the list of categories which enjoy priority for the granting of credit.

In the guidance which has been given to the banks on direction of lending, the category with the highest priority includes lending for export transactions, finance for production and investment necessary to sustain increased exports, the promotion of invisible earnings, and, as in the case of agriculture, securing savings in imports.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what, at the latest convenient date, was the number of teachers employed by local education authorities who had reached the age of 65 years in posts of special responsibility and the age of 70 in other posts.

This information is not at present available but will be available from the computerised teachers' records now being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what are the salary scales applied to untrained teachers in Scottish schools whose appointments have not been considered by reference panels; and what salary scales are applied to such teachers in the event of their appointments being confirmed by the reference panels;(2) what salary scales are applied to teachers who are conditionally registered with the General Teaching Council.

It is for an education authority itself to determine the remuneration of such teachers. Information about the salaries paid is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers in Scottish local authority schools, at the most recent date for which figures are available, fall into the categories registered, provisionally registered, conditionally registered, unregistered but approved by reference panels, and other persons, respectively.

Returns giving the numbers of registered teachers—including provisionally registered teachers—and of conditionally registered teachers serving in the schools in December are still being processed and total figures are not yet available. As regards the further categories I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bothwell (Mr. James Hamilton) on 3rd March. There are in addition 353 certificated but unregistered teachers, of whom 142 have applied for registration.—[Vol. 779, c. 32–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of new school building in Scotland in 1965–66, 1966–67 and 1967–68 was by industrialised methods; and what are the equivalent figures for new university building and new further education building.

Industrialised methods were used for the following percentages of building started in the years shown:

	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68
Schools	3·6	1·4	14·9
Further education	Nil	4·1	11·4

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science that the corresponding percentages for university building in Scotland authorised to start in these years were 5·2, 4·1 and nil respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he has arranged to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress; and what matters will be discussed at the meeting.

I have arranged together with a number of my right hon. Friends with responsibilities in the economic and industrial fields, to meet representatives of the General Council of the S.T.U.C. on 19th March. The S.T.U.C. have indicated that they wish to discuss a number of matters affecting the Scottish economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has accepted the recommendation in paragraph 794 of the Grant Committee's Report that required legislation on sheriff courts be taken in two stages; and when he expects to introduce the Bill dealing with the planning of court business.

Yes. The initial legislation will deal with the planning of sheriff court business, and although the necessary Bill cannot be ready in the present Session I hope to introduce it as soon thereafter as Parliamentary business permits.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from teaching associations in Scotland, regarding the future of the General Teaching Council; and what were the terms of his replies.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 6th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Hannan).—[Vol. 779, c. 173.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has studied the Report of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) published on 26th February regarding the effect on Scotland's economy over the next 20 years of the increasing tendency to centralise the top functions of industry and commerce in London; and if he will make a statement on these and other recommendations made by the Council.

I have seen reports in the Press of the statement to which my hon. Friend refers. I understand that the Scottish Council published the statement to stimulate thought on the subject and that they themselves intend to give further consideration to the matters with which it deals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on which dates the financial loss allowances, subsistence allowances and car allowances, respectively, for local government representatives were last increased; and, in view of the loss being incurred by those local authority members, when he intends to amend the regulations.

The financial loss allowance for local authority elected members was last increased in August, 1966; the travelling and subsistence allowances in February, 1965; and the motor mileage allowances in March, 1954 (although the public transport equivalent rate for motor car users was increased in September, 1962). I have received from the local authority associations representations that these allowances should be increased, and have asked them for detailed proposals and supporting evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that residents in properties which have been abandoned by owners are free from liability to contribute to common repairs in tenement properties with the consequence that increasing financial liabilities are being placed on owner-occupiers and business firms in such properties; and if he will consider taking steps to remedy this situation.

I refer the hon. Member to Part II of the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of premises licensed to sell liquor in Scotland in the years 1948, 1958 and 1968, respectively.

Figures for 1968 are not yet available. The following table gives the number of licensing certificates granted in 1948, 1958 and 1967, the latest available year:

1948	…	…	…	…	8,114
1958	…	…	…	…	8,391
1967	…	…	…	…	10,594

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that building firms which tender regularly for building houses which are subject to approval by his Department are paying high dividends; and if he will pay special attention to tender prices, in view of the high cost of houses in Scotland by comparison with other areas.

The system for controlling centrally the cost of subsidised housing ensures that only reasonable tender prices are accepted in the public sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the range of registered rents fixed under the Rent Act, 1965, for the following types of property in Glasgow over the most recent convenient 12-month period, namely, two-apartment houses with outside water closets, three-apartment houses with outside water closets, two-apartment houses with scullery, bath room and hot water, and three-apartment houses with scullery, bathroom and hot water.

I regret that information is not available in this form at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average cost of improving two- and three-apartment houses.

I have no information which enables me to relate improvement costs to particular sizes of house.