asked the Minister for the Civil Service what measures incurring expenditure, other than those disclosure of which might prejudice the public interest, were taken by Departments, identifying these, in connection with the demonstration in Grosvenor Square in October, 1968.

I have been asked to reply.A list of the Departments concerned was given in my right hon. Friend's Written Reply to the right hon. and learned Member on 12th November, 1968. These Departments appointed duty officers on the day in question and took certain measures to minimise the risk of damage to buildings and unauthorised entry.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will undertake to make an annual report to Parliament on the progress made in implementing the Fulton proposals.

I have been asked to reply.The Civil Service Department will pro duce annual reports, covering the full range of the Department's activities, including progress on the Fulton proposals. Apart from this, the House will be kept informed of decisions on Fulton proposals from time to time by announcements and reports as appropriate. As my right hon. Friend told the House on 13th March, a progress report has just been issued by the Civil Service National Whitley Council, copies of which are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the recent in crease in the indiscriminate bombing of Biafra, the poisoning of food supplies to the Biafrans and the harassment by Nigerian pilots of church and Red Cross planes, he will now review the question of the supply of arms to Nigeria as a first step towards Great Britain initiating peace talks.

While I cannot accept my hon. Friend's description of events in Nigeria, I would refer him to my right hon. Friend's speech in the debate on Nigeria on 13th March.—[Vol. 779, c. 1571–1696.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when the first General Election in Gibraltar under the new constitution will take place.(2) whether the new constitution for Gibraltar has now been agreed; and whether the Order in Council will be tabled before the start of the summer adjournment.

The draft of the new constitution is now in its final form and the Order in Council will be published well before the summer adjournment.It is expected that the next General Election in Gibraltar will be held in the early summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the official visit to Anguilla of the Minister of State.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Sir J. Rodgers).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will state the name and nationality of the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Political and Security Council Affairs, and of his predecessors in office.

The name of the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Political and Security Council Affairs is Mr. Leonid Kutakov. He is a Soviet national. His predecessors in office were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much land which was not allotted to Israel in the United Nations partition would become part of Israel on the implementation of the Security Council's Resolution of 22nd November, 1967; and what percentage increase this would represent.

It would be neither practical nor helpful to engage at this juncture in calculations of this sort.The Security Council Resolution lays down certain principles which are required for the establishment of a just and lasting peace. These include

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent implementation of the Security Council's Resolution of 22nd November, 1967, provides for the increase of Israel's territory.

I would refer the hon. and noble Member to my reply today on the same subject to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Sir T. Beamish).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a date has now been fixed for the trial of those British subjects arrested from m.v. "Conqueror" near Bari in Italy in January, 1968.

No. The estimate of April or May, which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) on 3rd March, still stands.—[Vol. 779, c. 21.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the next in the series of regular consultations on foreign policy questions in the permanent council of the Western European Union is to take place.

The next meeting of the Permanent Council of Western European Union is expected to be held on 26th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been received from countries in Eastern Europe relating to the warning issued officially to British businessmen regarding their travel in those countries.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has given to the Lezghinka Dance Company in connection with its current visit to this country.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what estimate she has made of the percentage of insured persons who will become unemployed at local employment exchanges following the closure of the Royal Naval Air Station, Brawdy.

Some 350 civilian workers or 46 per cent. of the insured population of Haverfordwest are currently employed at the Royal Naval Air Station, Brawdy. It is not possible so far in advance to make any reliable assessment of the numbers who might register as unemployed following the closure in 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) what has been the number of factories closed and consequent redundancies within the area of each of the following employment exchanges: Willesden, Camden Town, Ealing, Hendon, Harrow and Wembley since July, 1965;(2) what has been the number of redundancies, other than those arising from factory closures, in each of the following employment exchange areas: Willesden, Camden Town, Ealing, Hendon, Harrow and Wembley since July, 1965.

I regret that information about the number of notified redundancies arising from factory closures and from other causes since July, 1965, cannot be supplied without disproportionate cost to public funds, and figures of total redundancies are not available. I will write to my hon. Friend giving details of the number of factory closures during that period in the six areas mentioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will set up a committee of inquiry into the dispute at Ford's.

Discussions between representatives of the company and of the unions are continuing at my Department today, and my right hon. Friend will make a further statement to the House as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many men wholly unemployed in the Northern Region are over 40 years of age; how many of these have been out of work for more than six months; and what steps her Department is taking to make available to them equal job opportunities.

On 13th January, 1969, the latest date for which a detailed age analysis is available, there were in the Northern Region 31,762 wholly unemployed men aged 40 years and over, of whom 15,937 had been registered as unemployed for more than 26 weeks.My Department continues to encourage employers to make capacity, not age, the test of suitability for employment. The pressing need to help the older unemployed worker has been one of the reasons for the expansion of Government assistance in industrial training, retraining and rehabilitation in the Northern Region. My Department will continue its efforts to encourage older workers and employers to take more advantage of these facilities. Older workers who are unemployed will benefit from the Government's policies designed to raise the level of employment in the Northern Region and in the development areas generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she has considered the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, dated 7th March, concerning the salaries paid to company chairmen and directors; and what reply she has sent.

I have written to my hon. Friend today, saying that we hope the National Board for Prices and Incomes report on top salaries will be published on 25th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many persons were employed in the motor industry in Scotland at the end of 1968; and what were the comparable figures for the end of 1967, 1966 and 1965, respectively.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will indicate the incidence of strikes and other labour disputes in the motor industry, expressed as a percentage of man-hours worked in the industry in 1968 and each of the previous three years; and if she will provide separate comparable figures in respect of the motor industry in Scotland.

I regret such annual figures are not available. Statistics of man-hours worked in a year are obtained in some years only, through labour costs surveys. The 1968 survey is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what grounds the drug Methedrine has been withdrawn from veterinary surgeons.

To counteract the misuse of this drug by addicts the manufacturers, with the agreement of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, under took last year to restrict supplies to hospitals only, for an initial period of one year. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is considering the possible need to make this drug available to veterinary surgeons.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to carry out a review of the scheme on prescription charges; and what causes attributable to the scheme are responsible for the fall in prescriptions estimated at 40 million per year.

The operation of the scheme is kept under constant review. I do not accept my hon. Friend's estimate of the size of the reduction in the number of prescriptions, nor is it necessarily attributable only to the reintroduction of prescription charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of clerical grade officers and senior officers employed by the Inner London Executive Council to check the entitlement to exemption from prescription charges; what is their estimated annual cost; what was the number of prescriptions checked between September 1968 and January 1969; what was the number of patients found not to have been entitled to exemption; and what was the total of the charge recovered from those patients.

In terms of whole-time equivalents, one executive grade, one higher clerical and seven clerical grade officers, £8,400; checks were completed on nearly 19,000 prescription forms; 225; £45.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what emergency arrangements are made for the care of patients of a general practitioner who dies suddenly with no partner or assistant to carry on; and who makes these arrangements.

The Executive Council for the area has power to make, directly or through representatives of the estate, temporary arrangements for the conduct of the practice. These arrangements will be with other local practitioners or with a locum. In addition, all National Health Service family doctors are required to provide necessary treatment sought in emergency for a patient whose own doctor is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set up a committee to investigate the problems of single women who work only half time, because they must care for elderly and ailing parents, and to make recommendations regarding possible improvements in their unemployment and social service benefits.

Such women are already eligible for supplementary benefit if their part-time earnings are insufficient. They would also be eligible for supplementary benefit during periods off work if their resources, including any national insurance benefits payable were insufficient. I do not think that the appointment of a Committee would be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study he has made of the Report of the United States Federal Trade Commission showing the relative tar and nicotine content of all brands of cigarettes and advising smokers of the varying degrees of risk of disease, a copy of which has been sent to him; and whether he will publish comparable tables of the tar and nicotine content of each brand of cigarette on sale to the public in this country.

I am aware of the American practice and am keeping it under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study has been made by his Department of the value of various filters in reducing the cancer risk from cigarette smoking; what correlation his research has shown between the risk of lung cancer and the higher concentrates at the end of cigarettes; and what advice he has issued on the dangers of the exhaustive smoking of each cigarette.

I am advised that such studies are in progress though none is being undertaken directly by my Department. There is some evidence from studies in the United States to suggest that a cigarette with a filter is less dangerous than a similar one without a filter, and also that the last part of a cigarette is particularly dangerous.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pregnancies have been terminated under the provisions of the Abortion Act, 1967, from the 28th March, 1968, to the latest date up to which figures are avail able; and what proportion of these were carried out under the National Health Service.

From 27th April, 1968, when the Abortion Act came into operation, to 25th February last, the number of abortions notified was 28,849, of which about 60 per cent. were carried out in National Health Service hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, whether he is aware that doctors' and clinic fees in excess of £100 are being charged for the termination of pregnancies under the Abortion Act, 1967, in cases where the patient is detained in the clinic for less than three hours; and if he will introduce legislation to provide that neither of the certifying doctors shall be permitted to charge a fee for performing the operation.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to terminations undertaken in private clinics which are approved places under the Act. The fees payable there depend on private arrangements between doctor and patient and I have no proposals for legislation on the lines suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will restrict the prescription of amphetamine sulphate powder which can be used for injections in place of methylamphetamine to hospitals.

I am advised that there are no good grounds for any doctor to prescribe amphetamine in powdered form. My Department is discussing with the medical and pharmaceutical profession ways of preventing such misuse: in the meantime I welcome the action taken by the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society in advising all pharmacists to refuse to dispense prescriptions for amphetamine sulphate powder.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total in the last financial year paid by his Department to all local authorities in Lancashire with an analysis of such payments under the appropriate categories, and a comparison of each on a per capita basis with all other counties.

Payments in 1967–68 by the former Ministry of Health were as follows:

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

Details of the only research establishment for which this Department is responsible are:

(i) The Biomechanical Research and Development Unit.

(ii) Located at Roehampton.

(iii) Opened in January 1967.

(iv) Staff at 1st January, 1969–3 qualified engineers, 6 scientists, 3 medical officers, 28 technical and other staff.

(v) Cost to public funds in 1968–69—£196,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications he has received from the elderly for assistance towards meeting a part or the whole of the cost of telephone installation.

I understand from the Supplementary Benefits Commission that no figures are available on claims for telephones since a claim may not be pursued if the claimant's resources would prevent the Commission from paying supplementary benefit for this anyway. The number of cases in the last year where provision was first made for the installation or rental of a telephone, or both, is estimated at about 45.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are drawing retirement pension; and what percentage this represents of the national working population.

It is estimated that there were at 31st December, 1968, about 7 million retirement pensioners representing 28·7 per cent. of the national working population.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total amount paid out to date in supplementary benefits for the families of men engaged in industrial disputes in the motor car industry; and what is the average amount per family.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek powers to credit men and women summoned to jury service with their National Insurance contributions.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the late Minister of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Oakes), on Monday, 10th February, 1969.—[Vol. 777, c. 275.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been paid out in National Assistance benefits to the dependent families of those on strike at the Ford Motor Company during February and March; how many individuals were involved; how much was paid out to those indirectly involved and how many fall into this category; and how many of his staff have been involved and at what cost.

About 5,400 supplementary benefit payments totalling approximately £33,000 were made up to 11th March for the dependants of men involved in the Ford trade dispute. By "indirectly involved" I assume that the hon. Member has in mind those not disqualified for unemployment benefit by Section 22(1) of the National Insurance Act, 1965: the numbers in this category cannot be established until claims for unemployment benefit have been determined by the statutory authorities. The number of staff directly involved is now approximately 470, at an estimated daily cost of some £5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a list showing the amount of National Assistance benefit paid out to the dependent families of strikers, and to men laid off due to strikes, respectively, and the actual numbers of recipients in these two categories for each quarterly period during the last five years.

The table below gives details of national assistance/supplementary benefit payments to the dependent families of strikers for each quarter during the last five years. Similar information is not available for others laid off because of strikes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider setting up an independent inquiry into the cause and control of the fire at Carlton Hayes Mental Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

I deeply regret that four male patients lost their lives in a fire at Carlton Hayes Hospital, Nar-borough, near Leicester, on 11th March, 1969.The fire occurred in the day room of a non-observation ward accommodating 38 ambulant longer-stay patients in the first floor of a two-storey building. It was discovered by a Charge Nurse at about 2.30 a.m. during his usual rounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the advice he has given to mental hospitals on safety provisions since the fire at Shelton Hospital in 1968.

My Department wrote to all hospital authorities in April, 1968, asking them to re-examine their fire precautions in the light of the Department's standing guidance. This guidance, in the form of a Technical Memorandum, is applicable to hospitals of all types (including psychiatric hospitals) and has been prepared taking account of the fact that many of the people who would be at risk would be physically or mentally handicapped. It contains comprehensive guidance on good practice in hospital fire precautions and includes technical data, information on fire safety, equipment, means of escape, organisation of fire precautions and staff training.Advance copies of a new edition of this document were issued to all hospital authorities in January this year pending publication in the near future. It reinforces previous guidance, including those aspects of fire precautions which were the subject of adverse comment by the Committee which inquired into the fire at Shelton Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total number of nonmedical scientific staff presently employed in the hospital service together with the total salaries of such staff; and if he will give an estimate of the effect of implementing the Zuckerman Committee's Report.

The number employed at 30th September, 1968 was equivalent to 812 whole-time officers and the estimated salary cost was £1·65 million. Implementation of the Zuckerman Committee's Report, which is still the subject of consultation with hospital authorities and other interests, would be expected to lead to a better use of existing staff resources but not to a rate of expansion of staff numbers and total salary costs greater than in recent years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received the communication dated 10th March from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, together with papers and documents from a resident in West Ham, North, making representations about the administration of South Ockenden Hospital authorities; when he expects to reply; and whether he will make a statement.

I am awaiting a full report from the regional hospital board and I will write to my hon. Friend when I have studied it.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present estimated cost per mile of building six-lane and four-lane motorways, respectively.

The costs vary widely depending on design and on whether the site is urban or rural. On rural motorway schemes for which contracts were let in 1966, 1967 and 1968 costs per mile (at December 1968 prices) were in the following ranges:for dual 2 line motorways—£550,000 to £800,000 per milefor dual 3 line motorways—£600,000 to £1,300,000 per mile.Urban motorway costs are usually considerably higher.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the year-by-year expenditure on motorway construction since 1951; and what he estimates expenditure will be over the period 1969 to 1974.

Separate figures for motorways expenditures are not available before 1960–61. Spending on motorways in England has been as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the year-by-year expenditure on roads in Great Britain since 1946 by central Government and by local government on major improvements and new construction, and on minor improvements and maintenance, respectively.

Following is the information:On the other hand, published maintenance data now includes cleansing and watering of roads and snow clearance. Following the introduction of the Rate Support Grant system, specific Central Government grants have not normally been available since 1966–67 for new or improved non-principal roads nor for the maintenance of any local authority roads.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will tabulate sources of origin, points of destination, and possible motorway or dual carriageway routes which are now being surveyed or reviewed as part of the comprehensive survey of traffic requirements for east-west traffic across the Pennines now being carried out by him.

The information is not available in the form requested.The feasibility studies will determine which route improvements will best meet traffic needs between Manchester and Sheffield and between Stoke and Derby.

asked the Minister of Transport when the Bar End junction, the main approach to Winchester off the Winchester bypass trunk road A33, will be bridged to eliminate the right-turning traffic which is the cause of many accidents.

A further examination of requirements for traffic on the Winchester bypass is at present being made. Until this has been completed, I am unable to say whether the measures proposed to improve conditions at Bar End Junction will be appropriate. I will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his preliminary estimate of the cost of expressing road speed limits in metric terms takes account of labour as well as materials.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will issue a general direction to the London Passenger Transport Board that when the sixpenny coin is withdrawn from circulation in 1971 they shall not increase the minimum fare on the London underground to one shilling in excess of 100 per cent. on the present minimum fare.

No. On the assumption that the Transport (London) Bill becomes law, the general level and structure of fares on the services of the proposed London Transport Executive will, subject to overall Government policies, at the relevant time be a matter for the Greater London Council.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list of the various statutory rules and regulations concerning the use of road vehicles; and what action is taken by his Department to enforce these various regulations.

The major points that concern road users are already listed in the Highway Code. Enforcement is mainly the responsibility of the Police. Officers of my Department and others including local authorities enforce or help in the enforcement of particular provisions.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total in the last financial year paid by his Department to all local authorities in Lancashire with an analysis of such payments under the appropriate categories, and a comparison of each on a per capita basis with all other counties.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Transport how many people in his Department and in organisations responsible to his Department are employed full-time and part-time on matters connected with civil hovercraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total in the last financial year paid by his Department to all local authorities in Lancashire with an analysis of such payments under the appropriate

Various branches of my Department are concerned with hovercraft matters, but no staff are engaged on them full-time.

asked the Minister of Transport what requests for sanction of capital expenditure for the provision of appropriate automatic ticket machines to deal with decimal currency he has received from the London Passenger Transport Board.

London Transport has not asked for authority to invest in machines specifically for decimal currency. But machines currently on order are adaptable.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the cost of a second or third class monthly season ticket on British Railways for five miles, 10 miles, 15 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles, 40 miles and 50 miles, in August 1939, January 1948, October 1964 and March 1969.

The information in respect of monthly season tickets in England and Wales is as follows:—categories, and a comparison of each on a per capita basis with all other counties.

Exchequer assistance to local authorities in respect of their expenditure on education forms part of rate support grant, which is paid by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will appoint an independent inquiry into the composition of the Burn-ham Committee.

I would refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to my replies on 13th March to the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Dudley Smith) and the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mr. Lane).—[Vol. 779, c. 133–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average percentage of students in Wales and England, respectively, receiving local education grants to enter the universities and teacher training colleges for each of the last four years.

I regret that information is not available about the percentage receiving grants of all students entering these institutions.

asked the Secretary of of State for Education and Science how many new places in primary schools have been created in each local authority area in Wales in 1968.

The figures are given in the table below.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will now take steps to extend Members' free telephone; calls to include the provinces.

This is under consideration. It is anticipated that free trunk calls for Members will, at the latest, be introduced on an experimental basis when the automatic exchange comes into use.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what plans he has to exercise his powers of granting further exemptions under Section 63 of the Land Commission Act; and if he will make a statement.

I am keeping the provisions of the Act under review but I have at present nothing to add to what I said in the debate on home ownership and the Land Commission on 6th February.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is yet in a position to make a statement about his decision regarding the redevelopment of Old Hatfield.

I am not yet able to add to the reply I gave to the noble Lord on 28th January.—[Vol. 776, c. 289.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the number of pitches provided by local authorities on caravan sites for gipsies at the latest convenient date; and what was the equivalent figure one year earlier.

On 1st March, 1969, 402 pitches had been provided in England and Wales: there were 286 pitches on 1st March. 1968.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the total in the last financial year paid by his Department to all local authorities in Lancashire with an analysis of such payments under the appropriate categories, and a comparison of each on a per capita basis with all other counties.

The information required for the year 1967–68 is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many different charges for services, supplies, admission fees, and hiring fees, excluding council house rents, mortgages, and bus fares, are now made to the public by Sheffield City Council; what these charges are; how many of them have been increased or applied for the first time since May, 1968; and by how much.

I regret that this information is not available. Some charges of general application, such as those for school meals, are prescribed centrally. But with the exception of certain market charges and fees for burials and cremations, for which my right hon. Friend's approval is needed, local authorities are not required to inform him of the many different fees or charges which they determine at their discretion.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what in 1968 was the total value of Government grants to ease the impact of rates on the domestic ratepayers in Wales; how many people are now receiving these benefits; and how these figures compare with those for 1963–64.

The total of the domestic element payable to rating authorities in Wales for 1968–69 is estimated to be £1,813,177 out of total rate support grants to Welsh authorities estimated at £103,075,982. The domestic element secures reductions in the rate poundages paid by domestic ratepayers in 1968–69 of 10d. in the pound in respect of dwelling houses and 5d. in the pound for mixed hereditaments which are predominantly residential. In 1969–70 the reductions will be 1s. 3d. and 7d. in the pound respectively. The number of hereditaments in Wales to which the reductions apply is approximately 888,000 and a corresponding number of ratepayers directly benefit.There was no similar rate reduction for domestic ratepayers in 1963–64.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has concluded his consideration of London University's plans for the redevelopment of Woburn Square.

I had a discussion last week with representatives of the university. Planning permission for their redevelopment proposals was given in 1965 and plans are now at a very advanced stage. The University Grants Committee has allocated nearly £3½ million over the two years 1969–71 for these proposals, and if the scheme were abandoned I understand that an estimated £600,000 would be payable for abortive expenditure alone. The terraces in Woburn Square are not on the statutory list of buildings of historic and architectural interest. My right hon. Friend has concluded that he should not intervene to frustrate the proposals at this very late stage by listing them.He is, however, urgently reviewing the listing of buildings elsewhere in the university precinct and in Bloomsbury generally so that full account can be taken of their architectural and historic interest in deciding any future proposals for development in these areas.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total in the last financial year paid by his Department to all local authorities in Lancashire with an analysis of such payments under the appropriate categories, and a comparison of each on a per capita basis with all other counties.

The following table gives the information requested in respect of the grants paid to local authorities in Lancashire in the financial year ended 31st March, 1968:—cost of legal aid for additional divorce suits arising from the enactment of the Divorce Reform Bill.

The Law Commission estimated, in the light of comparable Australian experience, that the introduction of long separation as a ground for divorce might lead to an annual increase in this country of about 4,900 petitions. This was necessarily a very tentative estimate and should not be taken as a reliable guide. However, on this basis I accept that the increased cost of legal aid would be of the order of £300,000 to £400,000 per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the percentage increases over preceding years in average output per operative hour in Royal Ordnance factories as a whole between 1965 and 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify, and itemise separately, the elements in cost of manufacture for all Royal Ordnance factories taken together, for the two latest consecutive years for which figures are available, on the lines set out in paragraph 42 of Command Paper No. 3931.

The appropriate elements are:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the extent of wage

The percentage increase in average output per operative hour compared with the previous financial year is:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the total numbers of workers employed in each Royal Ordnance factory, listed separately, for the years 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968.

The numbers of non-industrial and industrial employees in the Royal Ordnance Factories administered by the Ministry of Defence at 1st January each year were:drift in Royal Ordnance factories, in aggregate, and listed separately, in each year between 1965 and 1968.

Wages paid at the factories totalled £14,114,564 in the financial year 1965–66, £14,862,146 in 1966–67 and £15,752,023 in 1967–68. Detailed information is not available identifying those elements of the annual changes properly attributable to wage drift.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by how much, on hourly and percentage average, the actual working week exceeded, or fell short of, the standard week in all Royal Ordnance factories listed separately for the years 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968; and what proportion of the overtime worked was worked on Sundays.

In the Royal Ordnance Factories under Ministry of Defence control the actual working week exceeded the standard 40-hour week by the following amounts and percentages:—

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by how much, and by what percentages, minimum earnings levels increased, and by how much and by what percentages, average earnings, both for the standard week, and for the actual working week, increased in respect of planers, millers, turners, skilled welders and semi-skilled production workers, at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Barnbow, and at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham, over the period January, 1965, to January, 1968.

The following is the information regarding R.O.F. Leeds (Barnbow):

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what increases in numbers of operatives employed has taken place in each year from 1965 to 1968 in each Royal Ordnance factory, listed separately.

Annual variations in the numbers of industrial employees (other than canteen workers) have been:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by what percentage minimum pay entitlements increased and by what percentage average earnings with overtime, and without overtime, respectively, increased for skilled workers, unskilled time-workers, skilled payment-by- result workers and unskilled payment-by- result workers at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Barnbow, and the Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham, between January, 1967, and January, 1968.