asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will relieve the Chief Constable of Durham of the administrative duties given to him by the Home Office in respect of the security of prisoners in the maximum security block at Durham Prison.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with interested bodies about the introduction of regulations to prevent the sale of domestic electrical goods which are not constructed to minimum safety standards; and if he will make a statement.

The Home Office has been studying the complex problems involved and the extent to which regulations of the kind proposed would be feasible. My right hon. Friend expects the results of this study shortly. Interested bodies will be fully consulted on the preparation of any regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will appoint a second veterinarian to the Advisory Committee on Experiments on Living Animals.

No. My right hon. Friend does not consider that a change of this kind is called for in relation to the Committee's present functions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that establishments licensed to carry out experiments on animals keep records of the purchases of animals for vivisection and other purposes.

Laboratory authorities are free to decide for themselves what records to keep of purchases of animals. As I informed the hon. Member in reply to his Question on 13th February, the question of bringing the supply of animals for research under statutory control is being kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments on living animals designed to induce stress have been performed in the last two years; and whether applications so to experiment have been referred to the Advisory Committee.

I regret that it is not possible to give the figures requested, which are not shown separately by licensees in their annual returns. No special cases have come to notice in the past two years on which guidance from the Advisory Committee was thought to be desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made to fit police Panda patrol cars with acoustic apparatus to enable the occupant to hear sounds such as burglar alarms, shots, calls for help, and police whistles which would normally be heard by a police constable on foot patrol.

The police do not consider such equipment to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why special permission was given for the admission of two Greeks, Alexandros and George Soutis from Tanzania, in the light of the fact that the Port Medical Officer certified them as mentally defective persons in the meaning of the Aliens Order, 1953.

They were admitted to the United Kingdom in 1963 in the light of the fact that at their father's expense arrangements had been made for their reception in a private home for the mentally handicapped.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it takes his Department to reply to a letter from an hon. Member.

About three weeks. In a substantial number of cases, inquiries have to be made outside the Home Office before a reply can be sent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the net increase in the number of police in the Metropolitan Police force and in the provincial police forces since 1st January, 1968, to the latest date for which figures are available.

The provisional figures at the end of February showed a net increase of 531 in the Metropolitan Police and a net decrease of 63 in the provincial forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many lives have been lost and how much material damage has been caused by fire in the latest convenient period; to what extent carelessness in smoking or the use of matches was a contributory cause; and what further steps are being taken to prevent smoking in places with high inflammable risk.

The prevention of smoking in premises with high inflammable risk is a matter already under consideration by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, in the light of the recommendations made by the jury which inquired into the recent Glasgow warehouse fire in which 22 lives were lost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of unlawful behaviour were received against policemen in the Metropolitan Area in 1967 and in 1968; and whether he will consider seeking to amend the Police Act, 1964, under which police are allowed to investigate complaints made against themselves, so as to arrange for independent investigation of such complaints.

1,167 complaints were received in 1967, and 1,344 in 1968, alleging that criminal offences, most of them assault and driving offences, had been committed by Metropolitan police officers. The Royal Commission on the Police, which reported in 1962, proposed the main features of the system for dealing with complaints which is embodied in the Police Act, 1964. My right hon. Friend is keeping the working of the procedures under close review but he has at present no proposals for amending legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects a code of practice to be circulated to owners of automatic dry-cleaning establishments to ensure that there is no health danger from fumes from cleaned garments.

A first draft is expected shortly and will at once be circulated to interested bodies for comment. I cannot yet give a precise date of publication. Meanwhile, launderette owners may obtain appropriate advice from the firms supplying dry-cleaning fluid or from the National Association of Launderette Owners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the case of intending immigrants to be returned to their country of origin following inquiries or legal proceedings, he will give instructions that their legal representatives should be given reasonable notice of the date of return and that such notice be given during working hours.

It is usual for adequate notice to be given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to widen the powers of local authorities in laying down conditions and in enforcement of conditions in respect of permits to open or to continue the operation of amusement arcades.

My right hon. Friend is keeping this matter under close review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has now received from the building industry and from the agricultural industry, respectively, regarding British Standard Time; and what replies he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received a few representations from individual building firms, but none from the industry as a whole. The National Farmers Union has submitted a report on the effects of British Standard Time on agriculture and has been told that this will be taken into consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will pay a visit to Scotland in the near future to ascertain the results of one winter's experience of British Standard Time.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to a Question by the hon. Member on 13th February.—[Vol. 777, c. 353.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to set up a Crown Court to cover the five county boroughs in the West Midlands conurbation.

The arrangements for the administration of justice in the higher courts are being examined by the Royal Commission on Assizes and Quarter Sessions, and I do not think that it would be appropriate to take any steps to set up a new court of this nature in advance of their report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to provide more severe penalties against hooligans who intimidate, assault and injure bus crews and taxi men late at night, thus causing risk of curtailed public services to the majority of citizens; and if he will make a statement.

Substantial penalties are available to the courts in dealing with persons convicted of offences of this kind and I am not persuaded that any change in the relevant statutes is called for in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of the organisations consulted by his Department regarding the Sunday Entertainments Bill.

This is a Private Member's Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Dagenham (Mr. Parker). The Home Office asked the following organisations for comments on whether the proposals now embodied in Clause 3 of the Bill would be workable:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice has been offered by the Fire Service Department to the county borough of Wolverhampton in respect of the replacing of the turret and ladders of the Leyland Magirus turntable ladder now out of commission in their fire brigade.

When the Chief Fire Officer asked for technical advice last December, the Home Office expressed a preference for replacement mainly because it was then understood that new equipment, incorporating ladder sections of improved design, was obtainable at a favourable price. I understand that this is no longer available. I am advised that the existing equipment is capable of repair to a standard which would fully comply with the relevant Home Office specification. The choice between replacement and repair rests with the fire authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost in each month since the inception of the subsidy to areas of special need because of the influx of immigrant population; and what estimate he has made of the increases in numbers of immigrants in each area of special need following the adoption of this policy.

As regards the first part of the Question, payment of grants under the Local Government Grants (Social Need) Act, 1969, will not begin until later this year; the presence of immigrants is not the only factor, though it is an important one, in determining the existence of areas of special social need for the purposes of the Act. As regards the second part of the Question, I have not attempted to make any such estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police in the London Metropolitan Area are employed in towing or driving away cars that cause obstruction and in operating the car pounds.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis estimates that during the first seven weeks of this year the daily average number so engaged full-time varied between 65 and 74 police officers, together with eight civilians. Other police officers effect removals during the course of, or when they can be released from, other duties. On weekdays 33 police officers are currently employed at car pounds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation making it an offence for children of school age to be in an amusement arcade unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

I am not satisfied on present information that this particular change in the law would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the police force at Acton is under-established.

The number of officers posted to the Acton section is 45 less than the authorised establishment of that section. This establishment has, however, not been reviewed for a number of years and does not take account of the recent introduction of unit beat policing into the area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen from Acton Police Station were seconded for duties in Central London on Sunday, 9th March when All Saints Church, South Acton, was subject to an attack by vandals.

Nine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to increase the recruitment of policemen in Acton.

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for a special recruitment campaign limited to Acton. It is for the Commissioner of Police to decide how to allocate his manpower, including the 750 permitted addition to his force between 1st April, 1969 and 31st March, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in view of the increasing popularity of small boat sailing, sometimes by inexperienced persons, he will seek powers to sponsor an authoritative code of behaviour and guidance for small boat sailors.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents already gives guidance of this kind in its publications Safety Afloat and On the water, in the water. These were prepared in consultation with a number of interested bodies, including the Board of Trade, and I doubt whether another code is needed.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will seek powers to review the contracts of the television authorities so as to enable them to publish allegedly defamatory facts.

No. The terms of contracts with the programme companies should remain entirely the responsibility of the Independent Television Authority.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make it a condition of the approval of expenditure on colour television and other similar improvements by the British Broadcasting Corporation that the service on regional and other sound radio programmes should also be developed and improved to give benefit to blind and partially sighted persons who cannot benefit from television.

No. It is for the B.B.C. to consider how best to meet the needs of its various audiences. However, the Corporation will, I am sure have taken note of the right hon. Member's Question.

asked the Postmaster-General for what reason sub-post offices are not issued with new commemorative postage stamps until a day after Crown post offices have received their supplies; and if he will make a statement.

Normally we make a point of issuing new special stamps on the same date at all our post offices. In the exceptional circumstances of the recent Concorde issue I decided that the stamps must be put on sale on the earliest possible occasion after the aircraft had flown. We had very short notice of the flight date, which was on a Sunday, and it was unfortunately impracticable to make an advance distribution to sub-post offices. But stamps were supplied to as many of these offices as possible during the first day of issue (Monday).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider a special stamp issue commemorating the work of the tourist industry in this country and its contribution to the economy.

I will certainly include this in the list of suggestions from which the 1970 stamp programme will shortly be chosen.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now discontinue the policy of inserting, in newspapers, advertisements describing telephone and other Post Office facilities.

No, for the telecommunications and postal businesses it will be necessary to continue Press advertising campaigns to help achieve our objectives.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the Pembrokeshire economy that will be caused by the closures of the Royal Naval Air Service Station, Brawdy, and the School of Artillery, Manorbier, respectively.

I am aware that the potential effect could be serious but a great deal will depend on the nature of alternative uses which might be found for the establishments. This is being considered urgently.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the effect on local authority housing programmes of the proposed closure of the Royal Naval Air Service Station, Brawdy.

The future use of the Station has not yet been settled and it would be premature for me to make any comment on the housing situation in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in view of the number of naval married quarters that will be available for sale following the closure of the Royal Naval Air Service Station, Brawdy, what information he has received from the Land Commission on the probable resulting fall in betterment values in the Haverfordwest district; and whether he will express these figures as a percentage of the existing values.

I have received no information from the Land Commission.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to prepare accurate figures of the contribution made by the inhabitants of Wales and the industries in Wales to the United Kingdom Exchequer by way of direct taxation, and indirect taxation, respectively.

Work is in hand on ways of improving statistics for territorial areas of the United Kingdom. One of the difficulties is that the point of collection of taxes does not always correspond with the place of residence of the ultimate taxpayer. For many taxes I see no prospect of providing a reliable breakdown between industry and persons for individual regions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out as a percentage, in each case, Wales's share of identifiable Central Government expenditure on fisheries, forestry, agricultural support, regional employment premiums, promotion of local employment, investment grants, education (other than university), universities, housing, environmental services, roads, rate equalisation grants, and other subsidies to local authorities.

With permission, I will circulate these figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has received from building societies for fiscal or other assistance as an alternative to increasing interest rates to house owners.

None in recent months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further discussions he plans to hold with the Building Societies Association over the proposed increase in interest rates to home buyers.

I have no immediate plans for further discussions; but, as I have said, we shall watch the position very carefully to ensure that building societies lose no opportunity of lowering rates that a general fall in interest rates may present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of Corporation Tax collected from building societies in the last financial year.

The amount due in 1967–68 is estimated at £14 million. The amount paid is not known.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of income tax collected from building society depositors in the last financial year.

Building society depositors do not have to pay income tax on the interest paid to them; but the societies pay income tax, mainly at a composite rate, in respect of dividends or interest payable to investors. The amount of income tax from building societies under this head in 1967–68 is estimated at £121 million; the amount actually paid in that year is not known.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies were allowed to increase their dividend distributions by more than 3½ per cent. betwen 19th March, 1968, and 28th February, 1969, in order to restore reductions in distributions made in previous years; how many requests for dividend increases in excess of 3½ per cent. on these grounds were disallowed during the same period; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the reasons in each case why such requests were disallowed.

355 and one respectively. The latter company wished to return to the dividend level of 1937, which the Treasury regarded as providing an unrealistic basis of comparison for incomes policy purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that in the last quarter of 1968, when the borrowing from the overseas sector was £337 million, the money supply increased by £681 million, it remains Government policy to treat external transactions, when they reduce the Government's domestic borrowing requirement, as a factor leading to a reduction in the money supply.

When the sterling counterpart of external transactions reduces the Government's need to borrow from domestic sources, the direct contractionary effect on the money supply is automatic and does not result from Government policy. At any particular point in time, this contractionary effect can be offset by other factors working in the opposite direction, such as a weak gilt-edged market. This is what happended in the fourth quarter of 1968.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what method the figures for debits and credits on the net Government current account overseas are collected.

The figures are derived from returns provided by Government Departments having transactions with overseas residents.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why she has appointed an executive member of the Foremen and Staff Mutual Benefit Society to be one of her official manpower advisers in view of the recommendations of the Donovan Report regarding the Foremen and Staff Mutual Benefit Society in making this appointment; and whether she will reconsider this matter.

It is not intended to appoint to my Manpower and Productivity Service a member of the Executive of the Foremen and Staff Mutual Benefit Society. I understand that the individual my hon. Friend may have in mind does not support the less desirable tenets of the Society and has resigned from its Executive Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total number of man-days lost within the Merseyside Development Area which were directly and indirectly due to industrial disputes between 1961 and 1968, inclusive; and how many man-days per head of the employed population this represented.

Statistics relating to stoppages of work due to industrial disputes are not compiled for areas below Regional level, and I, therefore, regret that separate information is not available for the Merseyside Development Area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the average number of man-days lost per head of the employed population in Great Britain in consequence of industrial disputes in the years 1961 to 1968, inclusive.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the official visits to Nigeria made by members of Her Majesty's Government or by representatives of Her Majesty's Government, giving names and dates, since the outbreak of hostilities in that country.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is visiting Nigeria at the invitation of General Gowon later this month. The following are the other principal visits since May, 1967:—

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from the international observers in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

The International Observer team which is observing the conduct of Federal Nigerian forces engaged in the war has now issued a further report on its activities during the period 14th January—6th March, 1969. Copies of this report, the findings of which are consistent with those of earlier reports, have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to provide that transport authorities shall permit Sikhs to wear blue turbans with a badge instead of the traditional peaked cap.

My right hon. Friend does not consider that legislation would be appropriate for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the names of the Management Board of the Port of London Authority and the companies and organisations they are principally associated with.

The following is the information:Viscount Simon. Chairman of the Authority.Mr. F. B. Bolton. Bolton Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.Sir David Burnett. The Proprietors of Hay's Wharf Ltd.Sir Andrew Crichton. P. & O. Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. and Overseas Containers Ltd.Mr. F. A. Everard. F. T. Everard & Sons.Mr. S. Forbes Cockell. Greater London Council.Mr. B. Fry. Transport and General Workers' Union.Mr. A. S. Gaselee. Gaselee & Knight Ltd.Captain R. N. Mayo. Trinity House.Mr. J. M- Meyer. Montague-Meyer Ltd.Mr. Dudley Perkins. Director-General of the Authority.Sir William Rendell. Commonwealth Development Corporation.Mr. P. Shea. Transport and General Workers' Union.Mr. H. N. Sporborg. Hambros Bank Ltd.The Earl of Verulam. Delta Metal Co. Ltd.Mr. A. S. Wingate-Saul. Tate and Lyle Ltd.

asked the Minister of Transport how many private employers operate throughout the Port of London Authority; and how many in Tilbury Docks alone.

I understand that excluding the Port of London Authority there is a total of 183 private licensed employers in the Port of London. Of these, 19 operate at Tilbury although 9 of these 19 operate also in other parts of the port.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the normal labour force at Tilbury Docks and in the Port of London; and how many of this number are normally employed by private employers.

I am informed that as at 18th February, 1969, the number of registered dock workers at Tilbury Docks was 2,870, of which 2,434 were employed by private employers.In the Port of London area the number of registered dock workers on that date was 20,590, of which 17,121 were employed by private employers.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total labour force throughout the Port of London Authority; and how many of this number are normally employed by private employers.

I am advised that according to the latest information available the total labour force throughout the Port of London (registered dock workers, non-registered dock workers and other persons wholly or mainly engaged on port transport work) is 36,697, of whom 25,460 are employed by private employers.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the reductions in repairs to minor roads that have been made by the Devon County Council as a result of the restrictions on estimated expenditure introduced by the Government for 1969–70, he will reconsider the levels of permitted expenditure having regard to the adverse conditions arising from extreme cold and flooding.

The level of expenditure for highways in 1969–70 envisaged in the Rate Support Grant Order, 1968, reflects the reductions requested in January, 1968, and the Government's view that, given the country's economic situation and the limited amount of resources that can be spared for roads as a whole, there was no serious risk in continuing to impose severe restriction on maintenance expenditure on minor roads. Local authorities are, of course, free to determine their expenditure in the light of the Government's views and of their individual requirements.My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government has promised a special grant towards the expenditure on the repair of roads in Devon damaged by the severe floods in 1968.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the members now serving on the Landscape Advisory Committee; and which of them has visited Levens Park in Westmorland.

Below is a list of the present members.It is for the Committee to decide which of its members visit particular sites: the advice given to my right hon. Friend is that of the Committee as a whole.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given for a principal road designation for Heaton Moor Road, Stockport; and when he expects to commence works for widening and improving this stretch of roadway.

We are at present considering whether to classify Heaton Moor Road as a principal road. If we do, it will become eligible for grant on any approved improvement scheme which may obtain a place in our programme, but it will be for Stockport County Borough Council, as highway authority, to prepare and carry out any such scheme.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Sao Paulo Trade Fair.

The British Industrial Exhibition in Sao Paulo took place from 5th to 16th March, 1969. 400 British firms took part. It is too early properly to evaluate the business done, but the present indications are that this exhibition has been commercially successful.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many businessmen have requested copies of the leaflet, "Security Advice About Visits to Communist Countries"; how many have been issued; how many have been printed; what has been the circulation to date; and how many of these have been to the Press.

Information is not available about the total number of requests for this leaflet, which can be obtained from a number of sources. 25,000 copies were printed and several thousand have been issued. About 40 copies have been given to the Press in response to requests.

asked the President of the Board of Trade upon what grounds his Department reached the conclusion set out in the monthly Press release issued on 13th March, 1969, that the February figure for exports was an erratically low one.

Falls in exports last month occurred in most markets and commodity groups, and this is likely to be explained by the temporary influences on the movement of goods and ships to which the flow of trade is subject rather than by changes in world demand or conditions of supply in industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that British film exhibitors will be able to comply with the provisions of Section 1 of the Films Act. 1960, following the termination of the short film series known as Look at Life; and if he will introduce regulations under the Cinematograph Films Act, 1957, to provide for payments by the British Film Fund Agency in order to enable short British documentary films to continue to be made and exhibited.

I do not at present foresee any difficulties for British film exhibitors in complying with the requirements of the Films Act, 1960, regarding the prescribed percentage of British quota films, including short films. This percentage is reviewed annually by the Board of Trade with the advice of the Cinematograph Films Council, and we shall continue to watch the position closely.The Cinematograph Films (Distribution of Levy) Regulations, 1963, as amended, already provide that eligible British short films should receive payments from the British Film Fund at an enhanced rate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish the trade figures for March on Monday, 14th April, 1969.

No; the day of publication has already been announced as Tuesday, 15th April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the import arrangements for butter for the year beginning 1st April, 1969.

I have decided to continue the quota system for imports of butter for a further twelve months beginning on 1st April, 1969.The total of imports to be authorised initially will be 397,000 tons. This amount is lower than usual because stocks in the United Kingdom are exceptionally high and rising, and it is necessary to reduce them. We shall keep the situation under review during the year. Because of the large reduction in our import requirements, the distinction between basic quotas and supplementary authorisations, with the attendant requirement that part of the total allocation must be delivered during the period April to November, has been suspended. Supplying countries will be free to phase their supplies to suit variations in market demand during the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had with the Nature Conservancy on the preservation of marine species; and what proposals he has for sub-littoral conservation of nature.

The Natural Environment Research Council, of which the Nature Conservancy is a component body, has this matter under consideration. Sub-littoral conservation is a complex problem in which scientific, legal and practical aspects need careful appraisal before any conclusion can be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research is at present being sponsored by the Medical Research Council into the use of drugs in relation to driving.

None directly concerned with this problem; but the Council is supporting a number of related investigations, including studies of the physiological and psychological aspects of driving. It is also sponsoring a programme of fundamental pharmacological studies into the mode of action of various drugs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local authorities in England and Wales have, in the course of the last five years, granted leave of absence with pay to teachers employed by them who have been selected to represent their country at rugby union in tours abroad; and how many local education authorities have refused such leave with pay.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will send a circular to local education authorities advising them on the procedure to be followed when they are requested from time to time to give leave of absence with pay to teachers selected to represent their country at sport in an amateur capacity on tours abroad.

No. The grant of paid leave of absense to a teacher is a matter for the local education authority, as his employer, to decide at their discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the numbers of persons tried on indictments for, and the number of persons convicted of, murder, culpable homicide, assault to the danger of life, and assault to severe injury, respectively, in Scotland in each of the last 10 years to the latest convenient date.

The following table sets out the number of persons proceeded against under solemn procedure who were convicted of murder, attempted murder, culpable homicide and assaults. I regret that information is not available about the charges on which persons were tried or on sub-classifications of serious assault (other than attempted murder).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of persons tried for, and the number of persons convicted of, capital murder and non-capital murder, respectively, in each of the years between 21st March, 1957, and 8th March, 1965.

The table below sets out the number of persons charged with capital murder and non-capital murder in the High Court of Justiciary, and the number of these persons convicted during the period from 21st March, 1957, to 31st December, 1964. I shall write to the hon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies he has made of the recent surveys into the effects of British Standard Time carried out by the Scottish National Farmers Union and by the National Federation of Building Trades Employers, details of which have been sent to him; and if, in view of these surveys and the further representations he has received, he will bring this time experiment to an end in Scotland.

As regards the survey by the National Farmers Union of Scotland, I received from it on 14th March a summary of the results which I am now carefully studying. As regards the inquiry instituted by the National Federation of Building Trades Employers, although I have read the Press report which the hon. Member sent me, I have not received any further details. As for ending the experiment, I have nothing to add to the Answer given by my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary in reply to Questions on 5th February.—[Vol. 777, c. 371/5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to commence the building of the general hospital and maternity wing in Rutherglen.

The maternity unit is part of the present programme of schemes due to start by 1972; the general hospital is one of the schemes being considered by the Western Regional Hospital Board for inclusion in the programme of schemes to and learned Member about the period 1st January to 8th March, 1965, as soon as the necessary information has been extracted.start in the period after 1972, but is not in the board's highest priority category for that period. I am at present in consultation with the board about starting dates for schemes in the current programme including the maternity unit, and I am also considering with regional hospital boards the longer-term programme.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what new financial aid Great Britain offered to Ceylon at the fifth meeting of the World Bank's Ceylon Aid Group on 11th March, 1969.

A further loan of £4 million was offered for commodity aid and a loan of £2 million for project aid, the details of both to be agreed between the two Governments in further discussions. These loans will be on the same terms as other British loans to Ceylon since 1965, i.e. interest free and repayable over twenty-five years including a three-year grace period and five years of graduated repayments.Disbursements during 1969–70 will be charged to the Overseas Aid (Bilateral) Vote in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to limit the hours of duty of hospital medical staff where pressure on individual doctors may affect their standard of work.

In 1967 my Department notified hospital authorities of the minimum periods of assured time off duty which should be made available to all staff in the medical assistant and senior registrar grades and below and gave advice on ways of improving organisation in circumstances where it was difficult to introduce these off-duty periods without disrupting the continuity of patient care. Implementation of this is a matter for local hospital management. The Department, after consultation with the profession, is also carrying out a factual study of the organisation of the work of junior hospital doctors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why dispensing doctors in Worcestershire did not receive on 1st March payments due to them for prescriptions dispensed in December; and whether he will give instructions for interest to be paid for the overdue period.

I regret that payment was delayed till 13th March mainly because of sickness at the Pricing Office where the prescriptions are priced for payment. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what plans Luton County Borough Council has submitted to him for discontinuing the building of houses for rent and selling land in their possession for private development; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received no such plans; he will of course give careful attention to any proposals that he does receive.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek powers to enable him to compel all local authorities who have general need applicants for council housing within their area to provide rented local authority housing to meet these general need cases.

It is in the first place for the local authorities to review the needs of their areas and to make proposals to my right hon. Friend for providing new houses as required. Officers of the Department keep in touch with authorities about their needs and their programmes. I do not think that additional powers are required.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that at the Glen Garden Caravan Estate at Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, 40 families may be without water supplies or electricity to operate their sewage pumps this week; and if he will take immediate action to ensure the health of residents threatened by lack of sewerage and water facilities.

The Central Nottinghamshire Water Board have informed me that the water supply to the Estate will not be cut off as was feared, and the Department will keep in touch with the Board. I am also informed that the electricity supply too will be maintained.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what reply he has sent to representations from the County Borough of Stockport and other local authorities concerning the appraisal of 12 M. Jespersen system deck-access flats built in their respective areas; and if he will make a statement.

A letter was sent to the Town Clerk of Stockport on 7th March, with copies to the town clerks of the other two local authorities concerned. This letter suggested that it would be advantageous for the same consultant engineer to be appointed to appraise blocks built in 12 M. Jespersen in the three towns, and listed three firms, one of which the authorities might appoint jointly. No reply has been received to this letter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress has been made in discussions with the Association of Municipal Organisations and other local authority organisations about financial provisions towards the appraisal and strengthening of 12 M. Jespersen type system blocks of flats; and if he will make a statement.

At a recent meeting with the local authority associations they were told that they could expect Exchequer assistance. Further discussions will be held on the amount of this contribution, how it should be paid, and the types of expenditure that will rank for assistance.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the total amount of financial assistance

Details of the Exchequer grants made to the county borough of Bradford for the years 1963–64 to 1967–68, the estimated amounts of rate support grant for 1968–69 and 1969–70 and the grant payable towards rate rebates for 1968–69 are given in the table below. Particulars of other grants for 1968–69 and 1969–70 are not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the result of his consultations on the matter of amending legislation to those sections of the Town and Country Planning Act governing uses of premises, with particular reference to the interchanges of use which may be carried out without re-application for permission in view of the rapid growth in amusement arcades.

I have received the views of the local authority associations on the Use Classes Order and hope shortly to consult them and other interests involved about various matters including amusement arcades.