asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will discontinue his discussions with the West German Government on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation policy on the use of nuclear weapons.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reply he has received from the United States Administration to Her Majesty's Government's proposal for a policy of nuclear response by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces.

The agreed N.A.T.O. strategy is based on the concept of deterrence by posing the threat of escalation, if necessary to a nuclear level. Current studies, designed to establish guidelines for the tactical use of nuclear weapons within this context, will be considered at the Ministerial meeting of the N.A.T.O. Nuclear Planning Group next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether his contingency plans for the destruction of enemy ships in the Mediterranean involve the employment of nuclear weapons.

Planning for the maritime defence of the Mediterranean theatre is carried out by N.A.T.O. and I am not prepared to reveal details of Allied plans.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will give an assurance that any British troops made available for defence installations in Northern Ireland will remain directly under his control.

All British troops in Northern Ireland are under the command of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, who is responsible to me through the Chiefs of Staff in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science of the amount of the gross national product spent on research and development for each year from 1955 to 1967, what percentage sums in each year were spent in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, by his Department.

Prior to April, 1965, when the Research Councils and the Natural History Museum became the responsibilty of my Department, this Department had no expenditure on scientific research and development. No survey of research and development expenditure covering all sectors was carried out for 1965–66. In 1966–67, the net rate expenditure of my Department (including Research Councils, etc.,) on scientific research and development in Scotland, expressed as a percentage of the total expenditure on scientific research and development in the United Kingdom for 1966–67, was 0·5 per cent. The corresponding figure for England and Wales was 5·5 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of taxpayers whose marginal rate of tax through the incidence of income tax or surtax is 6s. 6d. in the pound or higher.

About 3⅓ million in 1966–67, the latest year for which an estimate can be made. This figure includes about two million taxpayers with mixed incomes whose marginal rate on their earnings is 6s. 5d. though the marginal rate on their investment income is 8s. 3d. or higher.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance has been given, and on what date, to joint stock banks to enable them to answer queries from the public about the types of bank interest allowable for tax.

It is not the general practice to give detailed guidance on the effect of Budget proposals until the Finance Bill has been published, but the Inland Revenue have answered informally some queries by the banks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that sterling has fallen 56 points in two days to 2·3880, the lowest point since January; and what new steps he is taking to restore it to its par level of 2·40.

The main purpose of the Budget is to continue our balance of payments improvement. Further measures are not called for at this juncture.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of copies of "In Place of Strife" sold at each of Her Majesty's Stationery Office retail sales centres throughout the United Kingdom and the total sales of this publication to the latest available date.

Up to the 18th April 1969, approximately 42,000 copies had been sold.Approximate sales by each bookshop were as follows:—London (Holborn), 14,000 copies; Belfast, 400 copies; Birmingham, 2,650 copies; Bristol, 1,250 copies; Cardiff, 950 copies; Edinburgh, 3,700 copies; and Manchester, 4,050 copies.In addition, the Stationery Office sold some 15,000 copies through its central retail mail-order and wholesale section.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total sales made at each of Her Majesty's Stationery Office retail sales centres throughout the United Kingdom during the past 12 months.

Sales by Government Bookshops during the year ending 31st March, 1969, were:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a list of the five best selling publications issued by Her Majesty's Stationery Office during the past two years and the numbers sold in each instance.

The best selling titles during the past two years and the estimated number of copies sold were:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the increase in the weekly cost of keeping a guide dog for the blind as a result of his Budget proposals.

Any such increase will depend upon the nature of the individual dog's diet and it is not possible to give a meaningful estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek to revise the Malta Double Taxation Agreement so as to remove the present discrimination against British public service and armed forces pensioners.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the additional administrative cost of his proposal for differentiating between types of bank loan interest for tax purposes.

My right hon. Friend's proposals on the treatment of interest for tax purposes are expected to lead to some administrative economy in the long run; but transitionally they will give rise to extra work requiring about 100 extra staff this year at a cost of £140,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the price of War Loan has fallen below 40 per cent., the lowest ever, as compared with 56⅔½ per cent. on 31st October, 1964; and if he will take steps to prevent further falls.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire East (Sir D. Walker-Smith) on 28th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will make a statement on the outcome of her talks with representatives of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited on 16th April concerning the recommendations of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the pay of white collar staff employed by that company.

My right hon. Friend and I met the company representatives on 21st April, and we are considering the representations they then made.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she has now completed her studies of the salary increase recently awarded to clerical staff employees of Massey Ferguson Limited; and what percentage increase in productivity is expected to arise from the settlement.

No. The company's proposals are currently being assessed against the requirements of incomes policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if her Department has now been notified of the pay agreement being negotiated between the British Motor Corporation Limited and the Association of Scientific, Technical and Management Staffs in respect of foremen and supervisory staff; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings arising from the claim.

This agreement has now been notified to my Department for consideration against the requirements of incomes policy. I cannot supply the details requested in the second part of the question as the information received under the early warning arrangements set out in Cmnd. 2808 must be treated as confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if negotiations on the claims of shipping-off gangs, who struck in November 1968, and the Port of London Authority have now been concluded; and what action has been taken to inform the parties concerned of the requirements of the Government's incomes policy.

The Port of London Authority has agreed an increase of 1s. 0d. per hour in the fall-back minimum payment of men employed in their shipping-off gangs, which they estimate will raise the earnings of the men when employed on this work by 1 per cent. The increase, which operated from 24th February, was notified to my Department in accordance with the Government's early warning procedure. The P.L.A. were informed that the Government did not oppose implementation of the agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what date she was notified of the claim for salary increases by university technicians belonging to the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staff; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity, arising from the claim.

The Government was notified of the claim on 29th November, 1968. The claim was estimated to add 12½ per cent. to the salary bill. It did not include any proposals for increased productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many working days were lost during the last year due to unofficial strikes, sickness and accidents, respectively.

Stoppages of work due to industrial disputes included in my Department's regular statistics involved a loss of about 4½ million working days during 1968 in Great Britain at the establishments where the disputes occurred. Of these, about 1¾ million were due to disputes known to have been official. The latest available Department of Health and Social Security statistics of certificated absence notified for national insurance purposes relate to the year ended 3rd June, 1967 and are 301 million days due to sickness and 23 million due to industrial injuries and prescribed diseases.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list for each county in Scotland the facilities provided which are additional to services in existence at the time of the inception of the Agricultural Training Board which the Board provides.

Separate information in respect of each county is not readily available. But for Scotland as a whole the Board has set up a Scottish Advisory Committee and provided an Advisory Service of seven training advisers together with a travelling instructor; financial support for training at the place of work, including group training; and financial support to enable the Scottish Apprenticeship Scheme to continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many courses were provided by the Agricultural Training Board in 1968; and how many of these were in Scotland.

In the period from January, 1968 to the end of February, 1969 the Board provided 461 training courses, and a further 504 courses were provided by local education authorities and other bodies in association with the Board. Out of the total of 965, 211 courses were held in Scotland: 166 were provided by the Board and the remaining 45 in association with the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many skilled farm workers have become qualified instructors following courses of training by the Agricultural Training Board; and how many of these were trained in Scotland and work as instructors in Scotland, respectively.

By the end of March approximately 540 skilled workers had been trained as instructors. Of these, about 50 were trained in Scotland. So far as the Board is aware, they are working in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what recent representations she has received about the financing of the Agricultural Training Board; and what reply she has sent.

The National Farmers' Union have informed me of the recent rejection by their Council of the proposal to finance the Board by deduction from the fertiliser subsidy. I am considering their suggestion that my Department might resume discussions on this and other matters affecting the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, taking the development areas as a whole, what was the total number of jobs in them at October, 1964, and at the nearest convenient date, respectively.

Employment estimates for the development areas are made for each mid-year but those for mid-1968 are not yet available. At mid-1964 and mid-1967 the number of employees in employment were 4,758,000 and 4,710,000 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the functions, present membership and annual cost of the United Nations Military Staff Committee; what part it has played in the United. Nations peace-keeping operations; and what consideration has been given to its abolition, or reduction to a care and maintenance basis, in the interests of economy.

The Military Staff Committee was established under Article 47 of the United Nations Charter to advise and assist the Security Council on all questions relating to the Council's military requirements for the maintenance of peace and security, the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments and possible disarmament. Because of the inability of Council members to agree on general principles, the Military Staff Committee has not been able to make progress in its work.The Committee is in practice composed of representatives of the Chiefs of Staff of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The United Kingdom representatives are officers in the United States for other duties. It is not possible to distinguish the annual costs, but these are not large.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, at the forthcoming meeting of the Council of Europe, he will include a request to the Greek Government for immediate release of Ilias Iliou.

The Greek question is due to be discussed at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in London in May. I do not think it would be helpful to raise individual cases at this meeting. British views on the subject of political prisoners are well known to the Greek Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to implement paragraph 8 of Recommendation 177 on security in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, adopted by the Assembly of Western European Union on 20th February, 1969, in view of the four-power talks now taking place.

We are acting on paragraph 8 in Recommendation 177 by playing an active part in the Four Power talks on the Middle East which are now being held in New York.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in view of Recommendation 177 on security in the Mediteranean and the Middle East, adopted by the Assembly of Western European Union on 20th February, 1969, whether the Government will now seek to establish a Mediterranean planning group with instructions to examine the desirability and feasibility of a European task force, which, in co-operation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and operating in collaboration with the United States Sixth Fleet, would establish a European identity in the Mediterranean basin.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Eldon Griffiths) on 16th December, 1968 and to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Dodds-Parker) on 5th February.—[Vol. 775, c. 857–58; Vol. 777, c. 105–106.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in view of Recommendation 177 on security in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, adopted by the Assembly of Western European Union on 20th February, 1969, whether the Government will agree to closer economic and political links with Yugoslavia.

In recent years relations between the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia have developed in economic and other respects to the advantage and satisfaction of, we believe, both sides. Her Majesty's Government will continue to foster this development by all means consistent with their respect for the Yugoslav Government's nonaligned foreign policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of Recommendation 179 on political forces in the Western European Union countries and European questions, adopted by the Assembly of Western European Union on 21st February, 1969, he will convene a conference of Heads of Government of all European States members of or willing to join the European Economic Community, with the object of agreeing in principle on the constitution of a European political community.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to Resolution 39 on the Western European Union crisis, adopted by the Assembly of Western European Union on 21st February, 1969; and what action he proposes to take.

Her Majesty's Government are in full agreement with the spirit underlying this resolution. The Western European Union Council is pursuing its consultations on questions of foreign policy with fruitful results. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Chalfont, is now the United Kingdom's Permanent Representative. This is an indication of the importance which Her Majesty's Government attach to this process of consultation. We continue to hope that the French Government will resume their full participation. We believe they have a valuable part to play.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution Her Majesty's Government will make towards the United Nations Education and Training Programme for Southern Africa in the financial year 1969–70.

My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Cara-don, has informed the Security Council that, subject to Parliamentary approval, Her Majesty's Government will contribute £50,000 to this Programme during the financial year, 1969–70. Parliament will be asked to approve the necessary supplementary estimate in due course. In the meantime, an advance will be sought from the Civil Contingencies' Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a decision has yet been taken about extending the Cairns Committee review procedure to all cases of refusal of passport facilities.

Yes. My right hon. Friend has decided to set up an advisory committee to which cases of persons who appeal against a decision to deny them passports would be referred.There will be early consultations through the usual channels about membership of this Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make proposals to secure the nuclear disarmament of Europe.

Progress on European security measures cannot be dissociated from progress in resolving the political problems of the Continent. Since, unfortunately, fundamental political differences remain, it would be inappropriate at the present time to make proposals along the lines suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will list all telephone exchanges, installations and buildings on the telecommunications side of the General Post Office situated in the London Telephone Region, together with details of their rateable value, the date this was assessed, and the square footage of the sites, giving for freehold properties the cost and date of acquisition and for leasehold properties the initial cost, the annual rent and length of unexpired lease.

As the information would take up considerable space in the OFFICIAL REPORT, I am writing to the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, (1) why the numbers of houses completed in the first quarter of 1969 in Scotland was almost one sixth fewer than the comparable figures in the first quarter of 1968; and how many houses he now estimates will be completed in 1969;(2) why the number of houses started in the first quarter of 1969 in Scotland was some 13 per cent. fewer than the comparable figure in the first quarter of 1968; and how many houses he now estimates will be started in 1969.

At the end of 1968 there were 55,557 houses under construction and in the public sector tenders had been accepted for 20,317 on which construction had not started. The corresponding figures for 1967 were 53,086 and 20,564. Variations in starts and in completions are bound to occur from quarter to quarter and I would emphasise once again the undesirability of drawing sweeping conclusions from the figures for such short periods or of attempting to forecast precisely how many of the houses which have been approved will be started or completed by a particular date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made with the proposal and plans to provide a vehicle ferry service between Berneray Island and the Isle of North Uist.

I have so far received no detailed proposals for this service, but I understand that a report by marine consultants on the designs of suitable ferries to serve a number of islands including Berneray is being studied by MacBraynes. The County Council have included the construction of landing facilities in their forward programme for piers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek to provide that licence fees for fisheries should be allocated solely for the purpose of the development of angling.

Licence fees are not payable in Scotland at present. The Hunter Committee recommended the introduction of a system of rod and net licences, but I should prefer not to comment on individual recommendations until I have completed my consideration of the Committee's Report as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to regulate the use of any angling tackle, lure or bait.

I have no proposals for changing the existing legislation on these matters before I complete my consideration of the Hunter Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of patients on the lists of general practitioners in excess of the population; what is his estimate of the effect of inflated lists upon the remuneration of general practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

About 1·13 million in England and Wales at 1st July, 1968. The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration are given information enabling them to take account of the inflation of doctors' lists when formulating their recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of clerical grade officers and senior officers employed by the Salford Executive Council to check exemptions from medical prescription charges; what was the number of prescriptions checked between September, 1968 and January, 1969; what was the number of patients found not to be entitled to exemption; and what was the total charge recovered from those patients.

In terms of whole-time equivalents, 0·75 clerical officers at an annual cost of about £700. Checks were completed on nearly 1,400 forms, and 14 patients were found not to have been entitled to exemption. The total amount recovered was £2 10s.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the intake of students following a course in medicine will meet the demand for qualified medical practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the statement I made on medical school places on 14th April and my replies to supplementary questions on that occasion.—[Vol. 781 c. 806–10.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department has any record of the number of persons receiving supplementary benefit, in respect of whom a guarantee of maintenance was given when they were admitted to this country; and whether he will make a statement.

The answer to both parts of the Question is, "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the effect on the income of single householders and of married couples in receipt of supplementary pension of the proposed increase in retirement pension.

The scale rates of supplementary benefit, last increased in October, 1968, will be raised again in the autumn at the same time as the increases in retirement pension, if proposals to be laid before Parliament in due course are accepted. The increases in retirement pensions (and other benefits) will have to be taken into account in the ordinary way in deciding how much supplementary benefit a person needs to bring his total income up to the guaranteed levels. This will depend on the individual circumstances but generally the person's total income will be increased by not less than the amount of the supplementary benefit increase appropriate in his case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes have taken place since October, 1964, in the guaranteed level of supplementary pensions and of retirement pensions for a single householder and a married couple; and what were the dates of the changes.

The changes that have taken place since October, 1964 in the scale rates of national assistance and supplementary benefit for single householders and married couples over pension age, which together with provision for rent make up the guaranteed level of

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans Her Majesty's Government have to increase the scales of Supplementary Benefit so as to give the same increase of 16s. per week as will be granted to retirement pensioners.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the Government's detailed proposals on benefit increases. I would, however, remind him that the scale rates of supplementary benefit were increased last October at a time when no increase was made in national insurance benefits.

asked the Minister of Technology by what authority he restricts the staff employed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, from actively helping the Bedfordshire Airport Resistance Association, a non-political organisation.

I have made no such specific restriction. Such limited restrictions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the X-ray department now being proposed at Medway Hospital, Gillingham, will be brought fully into service.

The new X-ray department should be fully in use in September, 1969.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he has now received the report of the Monopolies Commission dealing with the re- strictions imposed by manufacturers upon the number of retail outlets.

The practice of refusal to supply was referred to the Commission in October last. Their inquiry is proceeding but it is too early to say when it will be completed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what sum the British Travel Association received from Government funds in the last convenient 12-month period.

The sum was £2,938,500 for the year 1st April, 1968 to 31st March, 1969.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has concluded his studies of the recent settlement of the British Overseas Airways Corporation pilots' claim; what is the expected increase in productivity arising from the settlement; and in what respect the settlement differs from the recommendations on airline pilots' pay contained in the recent report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

I expect a statement on B.O.A.C. pilots' pay to be made shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when the Land Commission will complete their consideration of the case of Mr. A. B. Martyr.

This is a matter for the Commission. I understand they hope to complete their consideration of this case, which has unusual complications, in the near future.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give particulars of the 12 firms which have received, in aggregate, the greatest value of road building contracts placed by his Department in the past three years, and the total value of the contracts received by each.

During the three years ended 31st March, 1969, contracts over £100,000 from trunk roads and motorways were awarded as follows: