asked the Minister of Technology if he will set up a public inquiry into circumstances which have led to the delay of one year in the completion of the new prototype fast reactor at Dounreay, with special reference to work of the engineers employed there and including an assessment of the extent of the consequential loss in money and production to the economy.

No. The delay is due to technical difficulties in the fabrication of the radiation shield roof. These difficulties do not concern the fast reactor system as such but only the constructional engineering involved in this one project. Contractors' engineers, and to a certain extent Authority design engineers, have been involved in the technical difficulties, but not A.E.A. engineers permanently based at Dounreay.

asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has to expand the research being conducted by his Department in Scotland.

Research in Government establishments is not overall being expanded in the United Kingdom; indeed in certain establishments in England it is being run down in favour of expanded research in industry which I am anxious to promote in Scotland and elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Technology when he will reply to the Report of the Select Committee on Science and Technology on carbon fibres; and if he will make a statement.

The Report of the Select Committee on Carbon Fibre Technology is now being studied in detail by the Department. For some time, in collaboration with N.R.D.C., we have been exploring with industry how best to establish a large-scale plant for producing carbon fibre in the United Kingdom which was one of the main recommendations of the Report. The importance of carbon fibre technology is fully recognised and my right hon. Friend will inform the House of his considered views at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the total costs of research and development of the Concorde project to the latest convenient date.

Extramural expenditure by B.A.C., Rolls Royce and their subcontractors to date totals about £170 million, to which may be added £17½ million for intramural expenditure at Ministry of Technology Establishments. Expenditure in France, both extramural and intramural, is on a broadly similar scale.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) what was the tonnage of British shipping repaired in this country in 1968; and how this figure compares with the tonnage for 1958;(2) what was the tonnage of foreign shipping repaired in the United Kingdom in 1968; and how this figure compares with the tonnage for 1958;(3) what was the tonnage of British shipping repaired in Wales in 1968; and how this figure compares with the tonnage for 1958;(4) what was the tonnage of foreign shipping repaired in Wales in 1968; and how this figure compares with the tonnage for 1958.

No statistics are available of the tonnages of British or foreign shipping repaired in the United Kingdom as a whole or any particular region.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will now publish the report on inter-city services, prepared for him by Professor T. E. Williams, indicating the location of the sites in eight major cities which have been reviewed, and which are suitable for both short take-off and landing and vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and which are unsuitable for either; what has been the cost of this survey; and whether it has been in addition to the official technico-economic study by Brian Colquhoun and Partners.

Professor William's final report will be made available to the House in about six months' time. It will give the locations of the sites reviewed and discuss their suitability for vertical take-off and landing. This work complements the survey that Messrs. Brian Colquhoun Partners is doing; it has cost about £15,000 so far, within a contract limit of £24,000, but additional work is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to assess the effects of recent high interest rates upon house-building in Scotland, both in the public and private sectors.

Our regular contacts with the building industry, housing authorities and the building societies ensure that all factors affecting the rate of house-building are brought to our attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what circumstances the increase in planned growth by local authorities in Scotland, in 1969–70, will be restricted to 1 per cent., in view of the 3½ per cent. increase in expenditure embodied in the Rate Support Grant Order, as foreseen in the Scottish Development Department circular of 7th March.

The amount of growth available will depend on the level of local authorities' expenditure in 1968–69. As my right hon. Friend explained in the debate on the Rate Support Grant Order, local authorities have anticipated in 1968–69 some of the growth allowed for by the Government: as a result the permissible increase next year could be between 1 and 2·6 per cent., in real terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct the Scottish Development Department to carry out an investigation into the effects of the introduction of British Standard Time on exports from Scottish firms to the continent of Europe.

No. There will be full consultation with industry and commerce in the general review which the Government propose to carry out after the winter of 1969–70.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities did not complete a house last year.

70 local authorities completed no houses in 1968, but in the areas of all but four of these house-building took place, either for the local authority or for other owners. Full details are given in the Housing Return for Scotland, 31st December, 1968, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private houses were built by housing authorities within the 33 counties for private occupation in 1968; and in what year was the global figure last reached.

In 1968 the private sector completed 8,720 houses. This is the highest total achieved in any year since 1934. An analysis by areas will be found in the Housing Return for Scotland, 31st December, 1968, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified teachers have been dismissed for failing to register with the General Teaching Council; how many teachers are currently under sentence of dismissal for failure to register; and how many teachers have not renewed their registration since 1st April.

18 certificated teachers have been dismissed because they are not registered and 20 are under notice of dismissal. As regards renewal of registration, I would refer the hon. Member to the announcement made yesterday by the General Teaching Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of teachers who have re-registered with the General Teaching Council since 1st April; and what is the total number currently employed in schools who have failed to re-register.

According to the announcement made yesterday by the General Teaching Council, 27,479. As regards the second part of the Question, teachers to be retained on the register have to reregister by 1st May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hotels and restaurants were inspected in the last full year; and how many prosecutions took place for breaches of food and hygiene regulations.

In 1968, 4,102 hotels and restaurants were inspected by local authorities and there were four prosecutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure the location in Scotland of further Government offices as part of the Government's policy of decentralisation.

Scotland is considered whenever locations are being decided for new or transferred Government work. The most recent examples are the Inland Revenue Computer Centre to be located in the Edinburgh area (providing on present estimates up to 3,000 jobs) and certain London Drawing Office work of the Post Office which is being moved to Glasgow and which is expected to employ about 100 people.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what rights of appeal are available under his regulations to parents whose children are refused presentation for Scottish Certificate of Education examinations by the local education authorities.

The responsibility for presentation of school pupils for the Scottish Certificate of Education Examination rests entirely with the presenting authorities which are education authorities or other school managers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the hardship caused to nurses as a result of now having to pay for all meals taken at hospital whilst on duty; and if he will take steps to eliminate this practice or otherwise relieve the effects it is having on the nursing profession.

I have received no representations about the new arrangements, which have been agreed by the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council under which resident nurses where practicable pay for their meals as they take them instead of paying a fixed annual charge. £106 has been deducted from the fixed charge for board and lodging to take account of this change. If there are difficulties in any particular hospital, I shall be glad to look at them. Any review of the agreement, which applies to all resident nursing staff, would be a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his land transportation studies for new roads connecting Aberdeen with the North and West of Scotland.

I have no such land use transportation study in hand, but the forthcoming survey of the economic potential of North-East Scotland will take account of the road structure.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that the authority responsible has exercised sufficient control of the fire and public health hazard arising from the use of Quarry Wood Plean as a waste paper dump; and if he will make a statement.

This ground is privately owned, but the local authority has a duty to intervene if satisfied of the existence of a statutory nuisance. I have received no previous complaint, but I am now making inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many regulated rents were fixed in 1968, or in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and how many of this total represented an increase or decrease in the rents previously paid.

In 1968 rent officers registered 4,936 rents. The rent previously paid was reduced in 520 cases, unchanged in 892 cases and increased in 3,524 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total net recruitment to Scottish police forces in the first three months of 1969; and what were the comparable figures in the same quarters in each of the previous three years.

During the first three months of 1969 there was a net gain of eight recruits to Scottish police forces; in the same quarter of 1968 and 1967 there were gains of 83 and 16, and in 1966 a loss of 29.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the agricultural industry against the proposals in the recent Price Review; and what was his reply.

The Scottish National Farmers' Union has represented against the adequacy of the award. My reply has been that the award should give re- newed confidence to farmers producing the priority commodities set out in the Selective Expansion Programme statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 12th November.—[Vol. 773, c. 210–13.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of local authority expenditure is covered by Exchequer grant; what sums are involved; how it compares with the years 1963 to 1968; and what is the estimate for the current year.

The information is contained in the following table. My hon. Friend will be interested to know that the proportion of Exchequer grants to rate and Grant borne expenditure rose from 55·8 per cent. in 1963–64 to an estimated 57·1 per cent. in the current financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects of an overall national policy for the improvement of the stocking of freshwater fish for commercial and leisure-time fishing.

I am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind. Guidance on means of improving stocks is available from my Department's Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory at Pitlochry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to alter the title of water bailiffs to fishery wardens.

This is one of the recommendations in the Hunter Report which I am considering.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if Turnhouse, when in operation, and Glasgow Airports will be granted parity of status in respect of the handling of non-scheduled large aircraft traffic.

The possible demand for non-scheduled operations with large aircraft at Turnhouse is too uncertain at present to enable any view to be taken whether restraints on such services might be necessary.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make it a condition of designating Luton Airport that the consultative committee should include representatives of the Luton and Dunstable Chamber of Commerce, Luton Trades Council, Luton and District Chamber of Trade, local travel agents and other airport users.

The power of the Board of Trade under Section 8 of the Civil Aviation Act, 1968 is limited to designating aerodromes for the purposes of the Section. The Board have no power to impose conditions on the person managing the aerodrome about how he is to provide facilities for consultation or to give him directions about the provision of such facilities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take on the Report of the Textile Council on the productivity of the textile industry.

The Textile Council have made a number of far-reaching proposals to increase the productivity and efficiency of the cotton textile industry and we shall be discussing these with them at an early date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to nullify guarantees which restrict the statutory rights of consumers and if he will make a statement.

We intend to await the First Report of the Law Commissions on exclusion clauses, which is expected shortly. This report will deal, among other things, with the exclusion by means of guarantees of statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Aberdeen is geographically favourably situated to export machinery and other goods made there; and if he will take steps to increase and expedite Government grants to Aberdeen firms who apply for them in order to increase these firms' export trade.

Firms in Aberdeen are eligible for investment grant at the development area rate and may be considered for grants under the Local Employment Acts for projects which will provide employment. Increased grants would not, in our view, be justified. If my hon. and learned Friend knows of any case where the payment of grant has been delayed I will, of course, investigate it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to publish the findings of the Holland-Martin Report upon safety of the trawling industry.

I hope to receive the final report of the Holland-Martin Committee at about the end of this month and to publish it shortly after.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations he has had to improve Anglo-Argentinian trade.

Discussions with Argentine authorities on trade matters take place whenever occasion arises.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of exports of stud cattle and horses to the Republic of Argentina during each of the last five years.

Exports of bulls and bull calves for breeding were:

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he will make a statement on the volume of British exports to Israel in the years 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968, respectively;(2) whether he will make a statement on the volume of British exports to Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Iran in the years 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968, respectively.

Exports to these countries are given in the December issues of the Overseas Trade Accounts, on pages 282 and 288 for the years 1965 to 1967, and on pages 283 and 289 for 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of marine engines exported by Scottish firms in the last annual period for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to promote such exports.

Trade figures are compiled only for the United Kingdom as a whole. The full range of services given or sponsored by Government to assist exports is available to Scottish firms.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a breakdown of the estimated total cost to public funds of £176,000 per job created at Grampian Chemicals' petrochemical project at Invergordon, as between investment grant, the Board of Trade Advisory Committee grant and loan, and other assistance from public funds.

Investment grant would be available under the normal rules on plant and machinery; and any application for grant or loan assistance under the Local Employment Acts would be considered against the normal criteria. It is not, however, our practice to reveal details of assistance to individual firms.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the assistance given by his Department to Messrs. Rootes when it moved into Scotland as a new firm; and in what year that assistance was first given;(2) to what extent and in what years the Government assisted Messrs. Honeywell, Burroughs, Rolls-Royce and Rootes, respectively, as new firms starting operations in Scotland.

It is not the practice to disclose details of assistance given to individual firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reply he has sent to the representation from the Theddlethorpe, Lincolnshire, Parish Council about the use of large jet-engined aircraft using the Theddlethorpe Bombing Range which was built only for small piston-engined aircraft; and, in view of the concern this is causing locally, if he will now have this practice stopped.

No representations have been received this year from any parish council in the vicinity of the Theddlethorpe air weapons range. Limited dive bombing trials, involving an overland approach to the target, produced two complaints. Future dive bombing practice will be carried out entirely over the sea and foreshore. There is a long-term requirement for the range which is suitable for all forms of training currently carried out there both by jet-engined and piston engined aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what checks he has on the supply of addictive and dependent drugs which are purchased for use in the forces under his control to ensure that there is no leakage into a black market and no irresponsible disposal in sales of surplus stores.

At medical stores depots, all such drugs are stored under lock and key under the supervision of qualified pharmaceutical officers. Records are kept of all receipts and issues, stocks are checked at regular intervals and independent audit teams make visits for stocktaking purposes from time to time. Similar arrangements apply after the drugs are issued to hospitals and other medical centres. Issue to wards and patients are only made against prescriptions signed by medical officers. The prescriptions are retained by the dispensers concerned to support the entries in the appropriate issues register.Should drugs obtained for the Ministry of Defence become surplus to requirements they would be offered to the Department of Health and Social Security on repayment in the first instance provided they were still useable. In the event of failure to dispose of them in this way the next step would be to approach the Home Office for permission to sell them to firms licensed to procure, possess or supply drugs. Should such firms not be interested in purchasing them consideration would then be given to the drugs being destroyed.It is only on rare occasions that drugs become available from Service sources for disposal to licensed firms. The most recent case was in October, 1966 but no offer was received and the drugs were later destroyed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available details of inquiries made concerning the accident to Kevin John Andrews, Trainee Signalman, 24149111, of the Eighth Royal Signal Regiment, Catterick Camp, Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

On 17th March, 1969, Signalman K. J. Andrews jumped from a moving train near Birkby Grange, Northallerton, when returning from weekend leave. Our inquiries into this incident a re continuing and I will write to the Ion. Member when they are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state in regard to the married quarters at Nos. 7 to 10 and 42 to 56 Wylye Road, Tidwirth, the original tender price, their cost on completion individually and collectively, the amount spent in maintenance and improvement on each since completion, when they were completed and first occupied, for how many days since completion they have been occupied, and whether they were built with a vertical damp-proof course and in accordance with current building regulations.

I have been asked to reply.The original contract price for these quarters was £2,288 each: the cost on completion was £2,416 each and £45,904 collectively. An average of £233 has been spent on maintenance and improvement on each since completion. They were completed between November, 1965, and April, 1966, and first occupied between November, 1965, and June, 1966. Since completion they have been occupied individually for periods varying between 301 and 758 days. They were built with a vertical damp proof course and in accordance with current building regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the decision by Her Majesty's Government to embark upon a joint project for gas centrifuge technology is conditional upon West Germany signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Although agreement in principle has been reached on certain issues, we are still negotiating with the Dutch and Germans and no final decision has yet been taken to embark on the project.The question of German signature of the Non-Proliferation Treaty is one for the Federal German Republic. We hope the Treaty will come into force soon and on as wide a basis as possible. As far as the proposed collaboration is concerned, we shall of course ensure that any Agreement is in full conformity with our obligations under the Treaty.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what have been the numbers of Ministerial visits to European Economic Community countries and to European Free Trade Association countries respectively.

Since 31st December, 1966 there have been approximately 240 visits of British Ministers to the European Economic Community countries and 80 to the European Free Trade Association countries. The figures include a large number of visits by Ministers to attend regular meetings of international organisations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he endorses the recommendation of the report of the Working Party on Refuse Storage and Collection set up by his Department, published in 1967, that the practice of picking salvage out of refuse for sale, known as totting, should be discontinued.

Yes, My right hon. Friend's endorsement of this and other recommendations of the working party was conveyed to local authorities in Circular No. 34/67 dated 16th May, 1967.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ban all artificial milk preparations.

None. Provided that the preparations are harmless and correctly described, my right hon. Friend would have no grounds for so doing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that British agriculture maintains an adequate lime content in the soil; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the individual farmer, in his own interest, to see that the lime content of his land is maintained at an adequate level.At the request of a farmer, the National Agricultural Advisory Service will advise if a liming programme is necessary. Payments under the lime subsidy meet almost half the gross cost of liming.In the four years to the end of 1968, 19·6 million tons of lime were applied to land in the United Kingdom, an average of 4·9 million tons a year. The available evidence is that annual maintenance requirements are about 4·5 million tons.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the increase, in percentage terms, of educational expenditure between 1964–65 and the estimated figure for 1969–70.

52 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total public expenditure on universities in each of the last eight years, expressed in actual and in 1960 prices.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further guidance he is giving to sporting organisations in this country as regards playing against South African teams following the recent case of Mr. Basil D'Oliveira.

The Government's abhorrence of apartheid has been made clear on many occasions and no grants are made in respect of participation in sporting events in South Africa. However, sportsmen have the same freedom as other British citizens to go to South Africa and the decision whether to play against South African teams is a matter for the British team, the governing body and the individuals concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will take steps to safeguard the position of employees of any firm whose insurance cover is disowned by its private insurance company.

This is a matter which should be considered in the context of the Insurance (Employers' Liability) Bill which has been presented by my hon. Friend, the Member for Consett (Mr. David Watkins).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will take steps to provide that representatives of the employees of every firm are elected to a committee to ensure that the safety regulations are complied with.

There is nothing I can, as yet, add to the written Answer I gave on 24th February, in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Murray).—[Vol. 778, c. 198.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will hold discussions with representatives of both sides of the motor manufacturing industry to discuss the National Economic Development Council's Report on Government Training Centres, in particular the quality of the training and the inability of the Government training centres to meet the needs of the industry; and if she will make a statement.

My officials are considering the implications of the Report on "Regional Policy and the Motor Industry" and will be consulting further with the Economic Development Committee for the Motor Manufacturing Industry. This report had a strictly limited purpose, which was to collect the opinions of a small number of motor manufacturing firms about various aspects of the Government's regional policies and their effect on productivity. It was not a report on Government training centres as such and its authors made no investigation of G.T.C. training.The engineering trades taught at Government training centres are those most commonly needed by industry as a whole, and I can assure my hon. Friend that the quality and content of the training are kept under constant review. It would be wrong to regard the comments quoted in the report as having a general validity. The motor manufacturing industry has specialised needs and well-developed training schemes of its own, and I do not expect it to require assistance on a large scale from Government training centres. My Department is nevertheless considering in what ways the centres might give more substantial assistance towards meeting the industry's requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity when the safety and fire arrangements of

This factory was inspected by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Factories on 26th August, 1968. The inspectors found that the doors leading to the street from the escape staircase, which had been padlocked at the time of the previous inspection in April, 1968, were open. The fire alarm, however, was not fully operational and it had not been tested within the previous three months. The occupier was requested to take the necessary corrective action.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Employment and Productivity if she will state by age, sex, and trade the numbers of unemployed persons in Aberdeen to the latest convenient date and showing each of the last five years.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the total value of Leyland buses exported and paid for by grants or loans under the Government's overseas aid programme for the latest convenient 12-months period.

In 1968–69 about £200,000 was disbursed from aid loans for Leyland buses, chassis and spares. In addition to the loans to Indonesia and Turkey to which I referred in my reply on 21st March to my hon. Friend the Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt), an agreement since signed with Ceylon includes £201,000 for Leyland buses.—[Vol. 780, c. 168.]

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what will be his future policy in respect of British expatriate staff serving in operational posts overseas which are covered by the Overseas Service Aid Scheme and other supplementation arrangements.

Existing agreements covering supplementation arrangements, which affect 40 developing countries and some 12,000 British staff, are due to expire by March, 1971. It is clear that many of the countries concerned will continue to rely on British help after that date. I have today laid before the House a White Paper, "The Future of the Overseas Service Aid Scheme and other Supplementation Arrangements" (Cmnd. 3994), in which Her Majesty's Government express their willingness to negotiate new arrangements, where these are desired and the need exists, to cover the period to March, 1976.New agreements will continue the main features of the existing schemes, including the payment of salary inducement allowances, educational allowances, assistance with the cost of certain travel passages for officers and their dependants and, where appropriate, contributions towards the costs of pensions and compensation schemes. Opportunity will be taken to seek some improvements in the conditions of service offered.

asked the Postmaster-General how many houses in the area of the Washington New Town experiment are now connected to the Post Office television relay system.

None.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the approximate length of television relay cable laid by or on behalf of his Department in the area of the Washington New Town experiment to the latest convenient date.

To date, about 400 yards.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the approximate length of telephone cable laid in the area of the Washington New Town experiment by or on behalf of his Department to the latest convenient date.

None so far.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in the area of the Washington New Town experiment, the television relay cable and the telephone cable are contained in a combined cable or are physically separate.

Physically separate.

asked the Postmaster-General when the television relay head-end equipment for Washington New Town will be installed.

It is hoped to start installation this week.

asked the Postmaster-General how many subscribers to the Post Office system of combined television and telephone service in Washington New Town are now on service; and how many will be on service by June, 1969.

None. The relay service will commence when the first houses to be served are occupied, probably in June this year. The number will depend on the rate of completion of the houses and the speed at which tenants move in.

asked the Postmaster-General what types of equipment and cable he is providing for the Washington New Town experiment; and in what respects they differ from the orthodox very high frequency communal aerial equipment and cable in use in Great Britain and abroad for many years.

The coaxial cable to be used has been maufactured to Post Office specification; on the main highways it has a solid polythene dialectric and an outer conductor in the form of seam welded copper tube of 0·345 in. diameter. Its characteristic impedance is 75 ohms, and the attenuation per mile is 110 dB at 230 MHz. Line repeaters, specially protected for underground mounting and having a gain of 23dB, will be provided at intervals of about 0·2 mile. A more flexible cable will be used in the distribution highways. The characteristic impedance is 75 ohms, and at 230 MHz attenuation is about 120 dB per mile. Automatic alarm facilities and reliable power supplies should contribute to a high standard of performance. The system being installed does not in principle differ from orthodox VHF relay distribution systems. Its significance lies in that it has been planned to be adaptable to provide the basis for an integrated network capable in the future of offering many additional facilities.

asked the Minister of Power on what grounds he has not given the Chevron Oil Company permission to make application for planning consent to build a deep-water jetty and oil refinery on the Clyde estuary following a request made two years ago; and if he will make a statement.

The Chevron Oil Company does not require my approval to make application to the local authority concerned for planning permission to build a jetty and oil refinery. The company were advised at an early stage in discussions that they are free to go ahead with such an application at any time.

asked the Minister of Power what recent communications he has had from the Chevron Oil Company concerning the possible abandonment of their proposed project on the Clyde estuary; and if he will make a statement.

None, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the opportunity of correcting a misleading article which has recently appeared in the Press, which said that the company were intending to abandon the project unless Government approval was received within ten weeks.

asked the Minister of Power if he will now make a further statement about the siting of a nuclear power station in the far South-West.

I have nothing to add to my answer given on 11th February. The Central Electricity Generating Board have not yet completed their studies and consultations.—[Vol. 777, c. 1097.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the results and report of the inquiry into the allegations that a 23-year-old male patient at South Ockenden Hospital had been beaten last June.

The incident was reported by the hospital staff to the police for possible proceedings under Section 126 of the Mental Health Act. After making inquiries the police informed the hospital authorities that the Director of Public Prosecutions did not propose to authorise proceedings.The Hospital Management Committee took disciplinary action for negligence against the two junior nurses on duty in the ward at the time of the incident. As a result both resigned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which of the criticisms made by the reports of the inquiries into the "Sans Everything" allegations have not yet been rectified.

The six Committees of Inquiry made a total of 53 recommendations to the respective hospital boards which have submitted statements to my Department of the results so far of their consideration of each recommendation. Action has been taken or initiated on 43 recommendations. Of the remainder, one has been implemented as far as practicable; one has been made redundant by other action taken; five have financial implications which the board is still considering; one has been deferred to become part of a later re-organisation; one relates in part to a matter outside the powers of the board; and one is not accepted. I am considering what further action may be required.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now appoint an ombudsman for hospitals similar to the Mental Hospital Commissioner in Scotland.

I am still considering and discussing the views of interested organisations on the Green Paper on health services administration which included a tentative proposal that there should be independent health commissioners.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places are available in small half-way house units for convalescing mental patients and slightly subnormal cases compared with five years ago; and what proposals he has for their increase, in order to reduce the pressure on hospitals.

At 31st December, 1968, there were 5,727 places in hostels for the mentally ill and mentally subnormal in England and Wales compared with 1,820 at 31st December, 1963. Local authtorities plan to provide some 16,500 hostel places by 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the hospital accommodation available for the treatment of the mentally sub-normal in the South-Western Region.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new plans he has for improving the pay and conditions of nurses within the National Health Service, in view of the fact that as a result of now having to pay separately for all meals taken at hospitals, many nurses are worse off financially after taking into account the recent pay award.