asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he plans to take in respect of local education authorities which refuse to build classes with grants under the urban aid allocation, when such classes were on the authority's list of building projects submitted to him.

I have not been informed by any local education authority that it has decided not to proceed with urban programme projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the total cost of his decision to transfer the records of British Rail ways from London to York.

The capital cost of the extension to the new Transport Museum at York in order to house the railway records was estimated early in 1967 to be about £60,000. In 1968 it was estimated that the transfer would result in a saving on recurrent costs of about £8,000 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what are the number of pictures in the possession of the Tate Gallery; and how many of them are on view, on loan or in the cellars.

There are about 4,800 paintings and drawings. Of these approximately 1,150 are on permanent exhibition in the Gallery, 550 normally on loan and 3,100 in store. Many of those in store are not of sufficient interest to the general public to justify their exhibition even if space were available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools and colleges for which he is responsible in Wales are equipped with language laboratories; and how many of these laboratories are used to teach the Welsh language as a second language.

The present number is 47 of which 35 are used to teach Welsh as a second language. Decisions on the installation of language laboratories are for local authorities, not for the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research is currently being conducted by the Agricultural Research Council on hydroponics and its use in livestock rearing in this country.

None. The Council has no reason to suppose that research on this subject merits any priority. There is no evidence that hydroponics would be economically viable in the conditions under which agriculture operates in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he will consult representatives of the relevant historical and archival interests with a view to holding a new inquiry into the problems raised by the export of documents, manuscripts and archives;(2) whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit the export of historical manuscripts unless adequate copies are left in the United Kingdom.

The Government have carefully considered the proposals on the latest Annual Report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art for the introduction of export control over manuscripts, documents and archives less than 100 years old. The conclusion has been reached that practical difficulties prevent the proposals in their present form from providing the basis of a statutory control and the Chairman of the Reviewing Committee has been so far informed. The matter will now be further considered by a working party containing representatives of the Departments directly concerned. In the light of the working party's findings the views of the Reviewing Committee will again be sought. All relevant interests will be consulted at the appropriate stage It would be premature to consider at the present time whether legislation should be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will seek to ensure that university students in receipt of grants and who so desire may opt out of their contribution to the National Union of Students.

No. Students normally become members of the N.U.S. through the affiliation of their university union. It is a matter for the members of each university union to decide whether or not their union should be affiliated to the National Union of Students.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations on educational policies he has received from the Schools Action Union; and if he has replied to them.

I have received an unsigned list of demands, receipt of which has been acknowledged.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, when reissuing his Circular 17/68 to local education authorities, he will draw their attention to the need, within the frame work of the global picture, of studying also European and Atlantic relations.

The purpose of the Circular is to draw attention to sources of information for teachers. I shall consider the need to include in the next issue additional sources of information on European and Atlantic relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy as to the proportion of schools and universities which are to remain free from State control or interference.

All the univerversities are autonomous and will remain so. So far as the independent schools are concerned Part III of the Education Act, 1944, requires me to be concerned about their standards.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will draw to the attention of the Schools Council and of the principals of colleges of education the projects of the Centre for Education Research and Innovation.

The officers of the Schools Council are fully aware of the programme of the Centre and are taking an active part in one current project. They will keep in touch with further developments that are relevant to the Council's work. Projects which seem likely to be of special interest to principals of colleges of education will be drawn to their attention at an appropriate stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to local education authorities faced with a strike or work to rule by some of their teachers.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many organisations have been asked to give him their views on what should be included in a new Education Act; and by what date he has requested these views.

Forty-five bodies have now been invited to submit their preliminary views on desirable changes in the law. There is no time limit for these submissions, but I have expressed the hope that I might receive these views by Easter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce legislation to make student grants standard for the same subject; and if he will make a statement.

Awards for first degree and comparable courses are paid at the same rate for every subject. Postgraduate awards are to be transferred from local authorities to Research Councils and the Department later this year. Awards for other courses are made by local education authorities under their discretionary powers and, may vary, but these are best left to individual authorities to decide.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what conditions must be satisfied before a grant is made to sporting associations.

Grants are made to national voluntary organisations of sport towards the costs of coaching administration and international participation abroad. Capital grants are made to nonprofit making sports clubs that have open membership and where the cost of the sport to the individual is reasonable. In all these cases the applicants have to prove need.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers received in-service teaching training in the years 1962 to the nearest convenient date; and what are the numbers estimated for 1969 and 1970.

The information requested is not available. But a special inquiry last year showed that in the academic year 1966–67 there were in England and Wales over 7,500 courses of all kinds, ranging from single sessions or short conferences to one-year full-time courses. The total attendance of teachers from both schools and colleges some attending more than one course exceeded 290,000. A separate inquiry among a sample of school teachers showed that 42 per cent. had attended courses in that year, the provision of courses is increasing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement supported by any convenient and relevant statistics about the numerical trend back towards science subjects by students in universities, compared to numbers entering arts faculties, over the 10-year period 1959 to 1969.

The following table, which is based on a broad division of all subjects into science and arts, shows the proportion of full-time students entering courses in science subjects from 1959–60. From 1965–66 it is difficult to make valid comparisons with earlier years because of changes in the basis of the statistics. Figures for 1968–69 are not yet available. A comparison of student numbers by field of study between 1961–62 and 1966–67 is given in Table 5, University Development 1962–67, Cmnd. 3826.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's participation in the proposed European Research Council.

The suggestion made by my right hon. Friend's predecessor regarding a European Research Council is currently under examination by the Council for Scientific Policy and will be discussed with their colleagues in other countries as occasion offers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance he has given to local education authorites regarding the supply of free milk to all schoolchildren under 11 years of age; and if he will make a statement.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of Circular 14/68 on this subject which was issued last July.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what new research projects into disposal of farm wastes were started by his Department in 1968; what new projects are

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to local education committees on assistance to pre-school play groups; what limitations are imposed on the assistance given by education authorities; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to his similar Question today.

The following table shows the expenditure authorised or estimated by the Agricultural Research Council for relevant research in the financial years 1968–69 and 1969–70. All these investigations except those at the Institute for Research on Animal Diseases and some of the work at the National Institute for Agricultural Engineering were started in 1968–69.

asked the Secre- of State for the Home Department if he will give figures showing the amount of crime recorded and cleared up in England and Wales in 1968 as compared with 1967.

The following table gives the figures for indictable offences known to the police in England and Wales in 1967 and provisional figures for 1968:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in accordance with Section 29 of the Police Act 1964, whether he will require the police authority to call on the Chief Constable of Durham to retire.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 6th March to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Hugh Jenkins).—[Vol. 779, c. 144.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the warning issued to his depart mental officials in February, 1969, drawing their attention to Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911, and reminding them that it is an offence to divulge any information to an unauthorised person, or to retain without permission any documents no longer needed for a person's official duties.

Yes. A reminder to the staff is issued every year. This year it was put out on 30th January. Below is the text of the notice:—"All staff are reminded that the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts, 1911–1939 apply to them and cover any official information, whether classified or not, to which they may have access. Attention is especially drawn to Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911. Under this Section it is an offence to divulge any information to an unauthorised person or to retain, without permission, any documents which are no longer needed for a person's official duties. The full details of this Section of the Act are set out on the declaration form which every civil servant signs on entering the Service.2. Staff are also reminded that, on transfer from one post to another in the Service, they must surrender any documents etc. which have not been issued for their personal retention."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements exist for the collection within his Department of current electoral figures for constituencies in England and Wales; and what causes the delay in the central compilation of these figures.

The figures are collected on my right hon. Friend's behalf by the Registrar General. Electoral registration officers cannot begin the work until the register has been published in mid-February. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of this year's form of return, from which he will see the amount of detailed work involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what notice was given and when notice was given to her solicitor of the decision to deport Miss Amina Patel;(2) whether he will make a statement on the case of Miss Amina Patel.

Miss Amina Patel, who had not obtained an entry certificate before setting out for the United Kingdom, was refused admission on 8th January because the immigration officer was not satisfied that she was the child of a Commonwealth citizen resident here. After an application to the High Court was dismissed on 25th February, I reexamined the case and concluded that the decision to refuse admission was correct. The solicitors were so informed on 28th February, and Miss Patel left for India on 1st March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in 1968 under the Litter Act, 1954.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Litter Act, 1958, but I regret that this information is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date it was first officially announced that the Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board was to hold office on a part-time basis.

The post was previously part-time and was so regarded when the present Chairman was appointed to it; no announcement to that effect was made or needed to be made at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are detained in mental institutions after being found by the courts to be unfit to plead.

On 31st December, 1968, 446 persons were subject to detention in hospitals in England and Wales in consequence of being found insane on arraignment under Section 2 of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1800, or under disability as defined in Section 4

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study he has made of sanitary conditions in public houses.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue of the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish the firework accident statistics for 1968, clasified in age groups and between types of firework.

The table below analyses the information obtained from hospitals in England and Wales relating to the 2,537 persons who received hospital treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the period 14th October to 10th November, 1968. Figures are also given for the comparable four week periods in 1967, 1966, 1965 and 1964, when the total numbers of persons involved were 2,214, 2,302, 2,339 and 2,220 respectively.provisional statistics of offences known to the police in England and Wales, committed in 1968, in the categories of murders of all types, murders of policemen, murders of prison officers, estimated capital murders, attempted murders, murders reduced to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, capital murders reduced to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, threats, conspiracy or incitement to murder, and child murders.

In view of the importance of having murder statistics on as reliable a basis as possible, it is the established practice to correct the statistics of offences of murder known to the police so as to exclude offences originally recorded as murder but subsequently found not to be murder. This process is dependent on the passage of cases through the courts. As in the case of figures for previous years, I hope to have the figure for 1968 towards the end of May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total prison population of criminals who are serving sentences for capital murder; and what is the cost for their maintenance per week.

26 persons are serving sentences of life imprisonment in England and Wales for capital murder, which existed as a separate offence only between the passing of the Homicide Act, 1957, and the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act, 1965. The average weekly cost per prisoner in all prisons in England and Wales in the year ended 31st March, 1967, was £14 14s. 4d., excluding capital and maintenance expenditure on buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to provide for the enforcement of maintenance orders made with respect to persons who take up residence abroad.

The Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act, 1920, provides for the enforcement in Commonwealth countries of maintenance orders made in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Consideration is being given to the possibility of amending legislation extending these provisions to other countries abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what estimates he has made of the annual growth possible in each of the next five years on the basis of a balance of payments surplus of £100 million, £200 million, £300 million and £400 million, respectively.

The range of growth rates considered in the Economic Assessment has been based on the objective of a £500 million surplus. We have, therefore, not made precise estimates of the growth rates that might be possible under the various hypotheses put forward by my hon. Friend.

asked the Post master-General why a letter with a 5d. stamp addressed to a Leamington Spa resident and posted in Birmingham on 23rd December last took 57 days to be delivered; and why a letter with a 4d. stamp addressed to the same resident and posted in Gloucester on 21st December took 59 days to be delivered.

I am sorry the two letters were misdelivered to the adjacent flat by one of our Christmas casual staff on Christmas Eve. The flat was vacant at the time, and the letters were not discovered until 18th February, when a prospective buyer visited the premises, and put the letters through the correct letter box.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the fact that stamps issued for the England Winners of the World Cup issues 1966 were sold only in England, why the special issue postage stamps for the Investiture of the Prince of Wales in Wales are not being confined to sales from post offices in Wales.

When special stamps are issued to commemorate an event it is not our practice to confine their sale to the part of the United Kingdom in which the event takes place. The "England Winners" stamp is the only exception to this practice. My right hon. Friend felt that it was not appropriate for this particular stamp to be put on general sale in other countries which had also competed in this World Cup.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the report of the Consumer Association, details of which are in his possession, on the operation of the two-tier postal service; and what action he proposes to take as a result of these findings.

Yes. I was pleased that the new 5d. post was found to be better than the old 4d. and that most of the second-class letters arrived within two days of posting. No immediate action is proposed, but the report will be considered as part of the full survey of the two-tier system which I have already announced.—[Vol. 772, c. 558–624.]

asked the Postmaster-General what will be the practice of the Post Office in the future regarding the date stamping of letters sent under the 4d. post; and if he will set out the reason for the decision.

We shall continue to stamp 4d. letters posted in letter boxes with the date of collection. Those handed to us in large quantities will bear, as at present, a code or other impression instead. I have no cause to make any change.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will instruct all post offices responsible for stamping mail that the date is to be included where second-class letters are concerned.

Our instructions already provide for second-class letters posted in letter boxes to be stamped with the date of collection. Postings handed to us in large quantities bear a code or other impression instead.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the total cost incurred by the Post Office in acquiring for car park purposes 70, Ridgeway Place, Wimbledon, including the cost of demolishing the house which stood on the site and preparing the site for car park purposes; and what is the number of vehicles for which the site will provide parking.

£10,470; 30 vehicles.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the average waiting time for the installation of private telephones in Chelmsley Wood; and how this compares with the national average and the average waiting time in the Birmingham area.

Two months. The national and the Birmingham area average waiting time is six months.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the capital expenditure by the Post Office on the telephone system in each year from 1946.

Capital expenditure on telecommunications fixed assets was as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the people at present requiring a private telephone in the towns of Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline, respectively, will be required to share a party line; and when he expects the obligation to share a line to become unnecessary.

57 and 23 respectively.We aim to remove the obligation to share as soon as spare plant capacity enables us to do so without risking our ability to meet new demand. I am sorry that I cannot estimate when this will be.

asked the Postmaster-General how many private telephone subscribers in Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline, respectively, who do not share a line at present will be expected to do so in the near future.

Within the next 12 months about 35 and 170 respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the present

asked the Postmaster-General what representations he has received from the proprietors and/or owners of newspapers about the level of advertising permitted on independent television; and if he will make a statement.

None.

102 and 107 respectively: by the end of the year.

asked the Postmaster-General how many new telephones have been installed in each year since 1946. showing separately the figures for Wales, Scotland and England.

The figures of new exchange connections installed are as follows:

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what new aid agreements were entered into following the recent Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

No new development aid agreements resulted from the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in January. The meeting did, however, review the present extensive range of Commonwealth co-operation in functional fields and considered a number of proposals for increased co-operation in specific areas. These proposals were noted and referred to the Commonwealth Secretariat in consultation as necessary with the Commonwealth Education Liaison Committee for further consideration and appropriate action. They included proposals from Britain for the extension of co-operation in the legal field by the establishment of a legal section in the Commonwealth Secretariat and to hold a conference on legal education; to set up new regional centres for the teaching of English and Science; and to initiate a series of studies on the problems of youth.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many hotels in Scotland and Edinburgh, respectively, have applied for loans since the start of the Hotels Loans Scheme; how many have been granted; how many have been rejected; what sums of money have been involved; and how many have been withdrawn and for what principal reasons.

Five applications, totalling £217,000, were received for loans for hotel projects in Scotland. No application was rejected but four were not pursued by the applicants for a variety of reasons. One offer of a loan was accepted but was subsequently not taken up. I cannot give the rest of the information asked for by the hon. Member without disclosing information which applicants have given to the Board in confidence.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give an assurance that the development status of Merseyside will continue.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 11th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer).—Vol. 779, c. 268.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to bring in legislation to implement the Brambell Report on animals.

The Government's decisions on the recommendations in the Brambell Report were announced in a statement in the House on 5th August, 1966. Legislation to enable those decisions to be implemented has already been passed in Part I of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968, which came into operation on 3rd September, 1968.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the final figure for 1967–68 and the forecast for 1968–69 of the net income of the farming industry, using the average for 1954 to 1957 as a base with an index of 100; and if he will include these figures and the annual figures from 1954 in the forthcoming White Paper on the Price Review.

It is not the practice to present the figures of net income as an index in the White Paper, but the actual figures will be shown.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new research projects into disposal of farm waste were started by his Department in 1968; what new projects are planned for 1969; and how much has been spent and is planned to be spent on these projects.

New work started in 1968 included projects concerning aeration and smell treatments, feeding dried poultry manure, the long term effect of slurry on crops, soil and soil populations, the chemical value for slurry and the problems of run-off. Projects planned to start in 1969 include oxidation ditch treatments, tank aeration treatments and fertiliser experiments. Work on long term experiments started in earlier years continues. This work which is being carried out by the Ministry's technical services is complementary to the work of the A.R.C., the other Agricultural Departments and the Ministry of Technology in this field. It involves the use of existing capital resources and staff time, the cost of which cannot be separately identified. However, new capital expenditure in 1968–69 included £1,250 for sludge disposal equipment at the Arthur Rickwood farm and for three projects on commercial farms concerning smell, and there is provision of £7,000 in 1969–70 for an oxidation ditch at Terrington E.H.F. and a poultry effluent disposal system at Gleadthorpe E.H.F.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT an analysis, by Departments, of the individual increases and decreases in the number of non-industrial civil servants which have been forecast for the year beginning April 1969.

Yes. The following increases and decreases in Departmental ceilings are forecast as between 1st April 1969 and 1st April 1970:

asked the Minsiter of Housing and Local Government whether he will seek to amend the Land Commission Act so as to provide redress for property owners who are unable to sell their houses in the open market because the Land Commission has indicated that it may, at some future date, seek to acquire these properties by compulsory purchase.

No. But where the Commission intend to acquire by compulsory purchase an area including occupied houses they will be prepared to consider buying such houses in advance of the making of the order if the owners wish to sell them.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will send a circular to local authorities in areas of housing shortage requesting them to provide his Department with quarterly statistics of unoccupied council houses and flats, including the length of time during which each council house or flat has been vacant and an explanation by the local authority of any vacancy lasting more than four weeks.

No. While my right hon. Friend appreciates the great importance of making full use of unoccupied council dwellings he has to rely on the good management practice of housing authorities to achieve that end.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement on the allocation of contracts by local authorities to tenderers other than the lowest tenderer, with special reference to recent developments in the city of Manchester.

We have made clear to local authorities on many occasions that they are expected to accept the lowest tender received unless they adduce good reasons for not doing so. This applies both to tenders from direct labour departments and private builders.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, if before reaching a decision on the Hastings expansion scheme, he will hold a public inquiry at which objections from the rural district council of Battle may be heard and subsequently considered by him.

Hastings County Borough Council are preparing an amendment to their town map to incorporate the town development proposals. This will be submitted to my right hon. Friend for approval, and a local inquiry will be held into any objections that are made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the net income after tax of a married man with three children with gross earnings before tax of £25 per week.

£22 2s. 5d. a week on average, assuming steady earnings of £25 a week and that the children are under 11. In addition to tax, National Insurance contributions will be due; and family allowances will be paid in respect of two of the children.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that coies of the Roskill Commission Report, Short List of Sites and Site Information for Stage II Local Hearings, 1. Foulness (off-shore), were not available on 11th March at Her Majesty's Stationery Office in London; and as these are required by local authorities and other objectors in time to submit applications to appear by 21st March, if he will take steps to extend the time-limits for applications and for the local inquiries.

Copies of the Report were on sale at Her Majesty's Stationery Office bookshop in London from Tuesday, 4th March, the date of publication, until Tuesday, 11th March when, owing to some difficulty with the paper on which the remainder of the copies were being printed, there was a temporary interruption of supplies. This was overcome and copies were once again available on the 12th March. I regret this temporary breakdown in the supply. The second half of the question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of allowing an additional £1 of a person's superannuation retirement benefit to be disregarded.

I have been asked to reply. There is no specific disregard of private superannuation payments when assessing entitlement to supplementary pensions, but up to 20s. a week of total income from such sources as private superannuation, charitable payments and any income assumed from capital is disregarded. If this limit were raised to 40s. a week in respect of superannuation only, the extra cost for people now on benefit would be about £2¾ million a year. In addition, some people not now entitled to supplementary benefit would be able to make successful claims, but it is not possible to estimate the extra cost of this.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out in HANSARD the full details of his estimate of the savings in annual running costs of the Fleet Air Arm which would result from the transfer of H.M.S. "Daedalus" at Lee-on-Solent to Arbroath, and of H.M.S. "Condor" at Arbroath to Lee-on-Solent, respectively.

Technical training for both fixed wing and rotary wing tasks is carried out at the Engineering School at Arbroath and the Electrical School at Lee-on-Solent. The latter station also contains the Flag Officer Naval Air Command's Headquarters and a number of miscellaneous units which could not be moved to Arbroath.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has formed of the total cost of moving the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry to Portsmouth.

The disposition of certain functions of the Joint Anti-Submarine School in relation to future maritime training requirements is still being examined. Work is proceeding on the construction of the integrated training complex to be established at Southwick Park, but until the future scope of joint maritime training has been finally settled, I regret that it is not possible to give detailed costs involved in the transfer from Londonderry to Portsmouth.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of personnel stationed at the Royal Air Force Station, Ballykelly, who are involved in exercises with the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry.

No one is specially established at R.A.F. Ballykelly for these exercises but personnel at the station are naturally involved from the station commander downwards, mainly in the domestic, administrative and airfield services fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how long personnel stationed at the Royal Air Force Station, Ballykelly, and involved in exercises with the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry will remain at Ballykelly.

Until about the end of 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the number of civilian employees at the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry who will become redundant after 1971.

All established employees will be eligible for transfer under the normal procedure, and it is our policy to explore every possibility of alternative positions for all the employees. A lot depends on the natural wastage and early retirements and so at this stage it is not possible to estimate the number of employees liable to become redundant after 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to move the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry to Portsmouth.

When the decision to move the Joint Anti-Submarine School to Portsmouth was announced in July, 1968, it was said the move was not scheduled to take place before 1971. This is still the present position.—[Vol. 768, c. 128.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what economic appraisal he made of the cost of Social security benefits and the provision of alternative jobs and other factors before reaching his decision to close down the Joint Anti-Submarine School, Londonderry; and whether he will make a statement.

All relevant economic factors were taken fully into account, before this decision was taken. I do not consider it necessary to add to the statement made to this House on 11th July, 1968.—[Vol. 768, c. 128.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in reaching his decision to close down the Joint Anti-Submarine School at Londonderry, an economic appraisal was made to take into account the cost of grants, loans and development aid needed to restore employment in the area.

All relevant economic factors were taken fully into account before this decision was taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he had received up until 20th February, 1969, from European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to move naval training facilities provided at Londonderry to Portsmouth.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why there has been a delay in increasing the pensions of retired Servicemen.

I am not aware of any delay in increasing the pensions of retired Servicemen. If the hon. Gentleman is referring to the increases resulting from the Pensions Increase measure, these do not become due until 1st April, 1969.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the railway workshops, showing the function of each and the total numbers employed at each as at October, 1964 and 1st March, 1969.

The British Railways Board have supplied the following information, covering their main workshops organisation:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that track on the St. Boswells-Tweedmouth railway line has been sold and uplifted; and why this has been allowed in view of the instructions issued by his Department on 28th February, 1964.

The Department's letter of 28th February, 1964, merely requested the Board to notify my right hon. Friend before removing the track. They did so last year and were told that he had no objection.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will give the number of traffic wardens employed in each London borough at the most recent convenient date, indicating the number of these who are aged over 65 years;(2) what is the average number of parking meters for which a traffic warden is responsible in each of the London boroughs with parking meter schemes.

I have been asked to reply.Following are the figures for 31st January last. None of the traffic wardens in post is over the age of 65.

asked the Minister of Transport for the latest period of one year for which figures are available, how many cases of motor vehicles were found by responsible authorities to be being driven by persons whose driving licences had expired or been withdrawn or who had never held licences.

I have been asked to reply.Provisional figures of relevant prosecutions in England and Wales during the twelve months ended 30th September, 1968, are as follows:

asked the Minister of Technology what new research projects into disposal of farm wastes were started by his department in 1968; what new projects are planned for 1969; and how much has been spent and is planned to be spent on these projects.

The major part of the effort of the Water Pollution Research Laboratory is devoted to continuing projects applicable to treatment of a wide range of effluents, including those from farms. Two small projects, started in 1968, were concerned exclusively with farm effluent treatment; one dealt with waste from potato peeling and the other with slurries from piggeries. The latter included the use of polyelectrolytes as an aid to filter pressing. The cost of the two projects was about £1,500. It is expected that a number of small projects will be undertaken in 1969, as the need for them arises. Plans for longer term projects, to start in 1969, are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present Government policy towards arms sales to Greece; and if he will make a statement.

Any request for an export licence for the sale of arms to Greece would be considered in the light of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation requirements.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what representations he has received from official bodies on the proposed development of the Tate Gallery; and what replies he has sent.

The Royal Fine Art Commission and the City of Westminster raised no objection. The Greater London Council objected to the demolition of the portico and asked that a public exhibition of the scheme should be arranged. This had been intended and an exhibition was held at the Tate Gallery between 24th January and 9th February.Since the plans were made public, the Royal Fine Art Commission have stated that their original acceptance of the scheme in principle was on the assumption that there was no possibility of providing any of the additional accommodation required outside the existing Tate Gallery site.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will seek to alter the two-year period for qualifying for redundancy payments to one year, so as to give consideration particularly to construction and building workers; and if she will make a statement.

No. The purpose of redundancy payments is to provide compensation for the loss of security by an employee who is made redundant. This security is only built up over a period of continuous employment and the Government regard two years as a suitable qualifying period. So far as construction and building workers are concerned, the Committee of Enquiry under Professor Phelps Brown concluded that the level of redundancy payments received by workers in the building and civil engineering industries showed no apparent need for them to receive special treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what progress has been made in the provision of a passenger transport authority for South Wales under the terms of the Transport Act, 1968; and if he will make a statement;(2) what plans he has to amalgamate local authority bus undertakings in South Wales in order to secure an integrated system of public transport; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering these matters and hope to make a statement soon.

asked the Minister of Power what are his latest estimates of the demand of the Nuclear Reactor Programme for natural and enriched uranium and plutonium in 1970, 1975 and 1980; whether he is satisfied that adequate supplies will be available to meet it; and what is the quantity and value of past and future imports necessary for such a programme.

I have been asked to reply.Estimates for the enriched uranium requirements for the Nuclear Power Programme are about 150 tonnes of low enriched for 1970 and from 350 tonnes to 550 tonnes in 1975. About 1,700 short tons per annum of natural uranium will also be required for Magnox reactors. The demand for plutonium could be 3 tonnes in 1975; the demand in 1970 will be for research and development purposes only. Requirements for 1980 will depend on how many, and what type of stations are built, but I am satisfied that adequate supplies of enriched uranium and plutonium will be available. All the natural uranium required will be, or has been, imported, but for defence and commercial reasons details of past and future imports cannot be disclosed.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give the latest estimates of the costs of electricity sent out from the power stations listed in Table F of Appendix III to Command Paper No. 3438, and the figure for the coal-fired station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar; and when each of the stations is expected to be in operation.