asked the Minister for the Civil Service why the Government are currently advertising for 38 information officers in Government Departments, in view of the fact that there has been an increase of 161 since October 1964; to which Departments successful applicants will be attached; and what will be the annual cost of employing them, showing costs of salaries, pensions and office accommodation, &c., separately, on the basis that all 38 vacancies are filled, and thus the total cost of the 199 information officers concerned.

Only one is for a new post. The other 37 are to fill vacancies in existing complements.The estimated annual cost of the new post, in the Civil Service Commission, is £1,300 for salary, and £900 for pension S.E.T., National Insurance, accommodation and ancillary services, a total of £2,200.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what recommendations have been made by the panel set up under Sir Robert Bellinger with a view to finding savings in manpower in the non-industrial Civil Service; when a full report is expected; if it will be published; and what savings in manpower have so far been effected as a result of the panel's advice.

Departments are considering a number of recommendations by the panel and it is not proposed to publish details at this stage.It is too soon to give forecasts about a full report or manpower savings.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that the pamphlet entitled The Administrative Class—the Home Civil Service, published in conjunction with the Central Office of Information in 1967 omits the fact that responsibility for housing and town and country planning was transferred to the Welsh Office in October 1964; and whether he will now withdraw and revise the pamphlet to include references to a career in the administrative class in the Welsh Office.

The passage in this pamphlet referring to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government does indicate that the Minister's responsibilities do not extend to Wales, save in respect of major regulations and other instruments affecting England and Wales as a whole, which are very few.This pamphlet was last revised in 1966. It is to be revised again this year and will include a reference to the Welsh Office.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how often the allowances for civil servants travelling abroad on Government business are reviewed, particularly in the case of visits to countries experiencing a rate of inflation in excess of that currently being experienced in the United Kingdom.

Subsistence allowances are normally reviewed every three years or so on the recommendations of a visiting Diplomatic Service Inspector. They are also reviewed between inspections where evidence from the post shows this to be justified by increases in the costs of hotels and meals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps he plans to take to secure Great Britain's admission into the European Communities.

We shall continue to maintain our application, upon which the Council of Ministers of the Six has not yet been able to reach the necessary unanimous decision. It remains on its agenda and is discussed at each of its meetings. Meanwhile, as my right hon. Friend told the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 24th March, we are determined to achieve progress towards European unity in other ways.—[Vol. 780, c. 1035.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will recommend the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the recent events in Anguilla.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approaches have been made to the St. Kitts authorities to ensure that postal communications for Anguilla reach that island.

The restoration of postal services to Anguilla is one of a number of problems which arise from the situation in Anguilla. We are making every effort to discuss these problems with those concerned and to ensure that postal services are resumed as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the co-ordination of the home information policy regarding the invasion of Anguilla; and if he will make a statement.

As the hon. Gentleman has already been informed, there was no invasion of Anguilla. I am satisfied that the requisite information was made available to the press with regard to the despatch of troops and police to Anguilla and the installation of Her Majesty's Commissioner on the island.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the draft constitution for Anguilla on which Mr. Holcomb set to work.

No. Copies of the draft "Constitution of the Republic of Anguilla" have however been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the houses burnt out in Anguilla since October, 1968.

So far as I am aware no houses have been burnt out in Anguilla since October, 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many rifles and shotguns have been handed in in Anguilla; and if he will give details.(2) how many rifles and shotguns have been discovered by the British authorities in Anguilla since they took over; and if he will give details.

Eight rifles, 22 shot guns, four pistols, and some 800 rounds of ammunition have been handed in. In addition two rifles, two carbines, 13 rounds of ammunition and an anti-tank rifle have been discovered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the murders in Anguilla since October, 1968.

There have been no cases of murder in Anguilla since October, 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the United States Government's proposal at Geneva that States possessing nuclear weapons should cease production of fissile material and open their plants to international inspection.

As I said in my speech in the 18-Nation Disarmament Committee on 17th April, we are studying the United States proposal for a cut-off of fissile material for weapon purposes with great interest. Any such agreement would clearly have to make adequate provision for satisfactory verification, and we would be prepared to accept appropriate International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards for this purpose if other nuclear powers were ready to do likewise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will extend sanctions against Southern Rhodesia to make it illegal for a British airline or charterer to co-ordinate services with services provided by non-Rhodesian aircraft knowing them to be conveying passengers from Great Britain to Rhodesia.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the damage to British property in areas of Nigeria formerly controlled by the forces of Colonel Ojukwu; and what offers have been made to recompense the owners for damage to such property.

British property in Eastern Nigeria has suffered considerable damage, but an accurate assessment is not yet available. The Nigerian Government have announced that a Claims Commission will be set up when the civil war ends.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further help he is giving to the Federal Government of Nigeria with a view to ending the civil strife in the former Eastern Region.

The Federal Government have reaffirmed their readiness to negotiate without pre-conditions for a peaceful settlement. It is open to the secessionists to respond, and that would be the quickest way to bring an end to this strife. Our willingness to assist the two sides to reach agreement in any way we can is well known, although we believe that Africa's own leaders are the best placed to help.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will undertake consultations with other members of the United Nations which have contributed forces for peace-keeping purposes, with a view to establishing common procedures and joint exercises in preparation for future peace-keeping operations.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) on 26th March, which dealt with exercises. As for common procedures, we are studying how to develop existing contacts.—[Vol. 780, c. 1600–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he as taken to implement the resolution passed at the last General Assembly of the United Nations, and supported by the British delegation, calling for the implementation of a programme of education on the work of the United Nations in the schools of member nations.

The text of the Resolution has already been sent to the Schools Council by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. His Department's Circular on "International Affairs and the Commonwealth in Education", which is issued annually to local education authorities and direct grant and independent schools, will this year include information about the Resolution, and will emphasize the importance of the United Nations, and the opportunity which the 25th Anniversary in 1970 will offer for special attention to its work.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what particular steps his Department is taking to assist those senior members of the Foreign Service who are being required to retire prematurely from the service to find suitable alternative employment.

The Diplomatic Service has for some years made a practice of helping its retired members to find further employment if they desired it. Officers are already informed of opportunities and put in touch with prospective employers whenever possible. In appropriate cases assistance is also given by the Overseas Resettlement Bureau.The existing arrangements were, however, felt to be inadequate to assist those senior members of the Service to whom the hon. Member refers. Special arrangements have therefore been made to register requirements and to investigate any openings that are suggested by other Government Departments, private businesses and other institutions who may be in a position to offer opportunities of alternative employment to these able and experienced officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are serving prison sentences for criminal offences in France; what proportion will have to complete the whole of their sentences; and what proportion have had their sentences reduced on appeal.

Ten United Kingdom citizens. Possibilities for remission, appeal or amnesty exist; but I cannot, of course, forecast to what extent any individual prisoner may benefit from these. None has had a reduction in sentence on appeal. I have no information on British subjects who are not United Kingdom nationals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are serving prison sentences for criminal offences in Belgium; what proportion will have to complete the whole of their sentences; and what proportion have had their sentences reduced on appeal.

Two United Kingdom citizens. Possibilities for remission, appeal or amnesty exist; but I cannot, of course, forecast to what extent any individual prisoner may benefit from these. None has had a reduction in sentence on appeal. I have no information on British subjects who are not United Kingdom nationals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are serving prison sentences for criminal offences in Italy; what proportion will have to complete the whole of their sentences; and what proportion have had their sentences reduced on appeal.

Four United Kingdom citizens. Possibilities for remission, appeal or amnesty exist; but I cannot, of course, forecast to what extent any individual prisoner may benefit from these. None has had a reduction in sentence on appeal. I have no information on British subjects who are not United Kingdom nationals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are serving prison sentences for criminal offences in Germany; what proportion will have to complete the whole of their sentences; and what proportion have had their sentences reduced on appeal.

Twelve United Kingdom citizens. Possibilities for remission, appeal or amnesty exist; but I cannot, of course, forecast to what extent any individual prisoner may benefit from these. One had had his sentence reduced on appeal. I have no information on British subjects who are not United Kingdom nationals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the British Government will move for the expulsion of Greece from the Council of Europe when the European Ministers meet in London on 5th May, 1969; and if he will make a statement.

The Assembly's recommendation on Greece is on the Provisional Agenda for the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of 5th and 6th May. It would not be helpful if I were to disclose in advance of the meeting the line we propose to take.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost to public funds of the legal proceedings taken by the hospital authorities at the Mid-Shropshire Magistrates' Court on 28th March, 1969 against Mr. W. J. Philbin of Shrewsbury for stealing 6s. 8d. worth of waste food from Cross Houses Hospital, Shrewsbury; and whether he will make a statement.

Legal proceedings were instituted by the police; the costs therefore did not fall to be met by the hospital authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what were the names of the two nurses who resigned from Ockenden Hospital following the inquiry into the beating of a patient there last year; and whether either of these nurses is now employed in any other hospital in the National Health Service.

My information is that neither of these nurses is now in National Health Service employment. It would be contrary to established practice to publish the names of persons who have been disciplined not for an offence but for a shortcoming in the performance of their duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to require a statement to be made in each letter given by a general practitioner referring a patient to a hospital to the effect that the patient has an entitlement to National Health Service provisions.

A general practitioner is not in a position to decide whether a hospital will accept a patient for free hospital treatment under the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of Stage 1 rebuilding of St. Thomas's Hospital, the estimated cost of Stage 2, and the estimate of the final total cost; and what was the estimate for the complete scheme originally approved by the Minister of Health.

The current estimated cost is £2,973,000 for Stage 1 and £16,257,000 for Stage 2. Claims for additional payments have been made by the contractors in respect of Stage 1 and are under consideration. The original estimates were, respectively, £2,449,000 and £15,609,000. Further work to complete the development has not yet been planned in detail.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average net income of a student nurse since 1st April, 1969, where arrangements have been made for meals to be paid as taken.

I cannot answer this more precisely than in my reply to my hon. Friend on 21st April. As indicated in the final paragraph of that reply, deductions from pay are £106 less when meals are paid for as taken, but income after payment for meals naturally depends on the number and price of the meals the individual chooses to take.—[Vol. 782, c. 18.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average number of patients and staff who had meals for the quarters March to June and September to December 1967 and 1968, respectively, in each hospital in the area of the South-West Regional Hospital Board.

I am obtaining the information requested and will send it to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average provision of welfare homes for the aged per 1,000 per head of population in the county boroughs in England and Wales, county councils in England and Wales and the London boroughs; and how this compares with the average in the city of Sheffield.

The figures are 2·7 places per 1,000 population of all ages in county boroughs in England and Wales, 2·0 places per 1,000 in counties, 2·6 places per 1,000 in London boroughs and 1·6 per 1,000 in the County Borough of Sheffield.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an assurance that when increased pensions are paid in November supplementary benefits now paid to retirement pensioners will not be decreased.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has, following the announcement that retirement pensions are to be increased in November 1969, to increase supplementary benefits by a similar amount.

I must ask my hon. Friends to await the Government's detailed proposals on benefit increases. However, as I reminded my hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Mr. Beaney) on 25th April, the scale rates of supplementary benefit were increased last October at a time when no increase was made in national insurance benefits.—[Vol. 782, c. 145.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for concessions to be given to those people in receipt of social security supplementary benefits, and who reside in areas classified as smokeless zones, towards the higher cost of smokeless fuels compared with coal.

Supplementary benefit scales are normally intended to cover ordinary living costs including the costs of heating, whatever fuel is used. But where people receiving supplementary benefit have unavoidable extra expenditure on heating not covered by any long-term addition payable or other resources, or have difficulty when first using smokeless fuel, the Supplementary Benefits Commission will consider making additional payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce regulations to allow contributions paid by a man after retirement to be taken into account in assessing the increments to his wife's retirement pension whatever her age.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind contributions paid by a man of pension age who is deferring his retirement. These do, of course, earn increments to the pension payable to his wife on his insurance if they are paid for weeks after she has reached pensionable age.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in regard to nasal cancer in woodworkers in the furniture industry; and what replies he has sent.

During the past year the Council has been studying the results of independent research into the incidence of nasal cancer in the furniture industry. It has now recommended that the disease be added to the schedule of diseases prescribed under the Industrial Injuries Acts. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend, who has made representations on this matter, that my right hon. Friend has accepted this recommendation. The necessary amending regulations will be made very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received a petition from the hon. Member for Darlington making representations about increasing the women's pension age to 65 years; and what reply he has sent.

Yes. The reply points out that the Government have made no proposal to change the pension age for women.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now prescribe Raynaud's phenomenon as an industrial disease under the Industrial Injuries Acts.

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is currently considering whether the vibration syndrone, a condition covering Raynaud's phenomenon and other diseases of the hands, arms and shoulders caused by vibrating machines, should be prescribed under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act. When it has finished its work it will be advising me whether the disease satisfies the conditions for prescription. We shall then consider what action should be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what stage discussions on the arrangements for contracting out of the new earnings-related pension scheme have reached.

I said in reply to a question from the right hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter) on 31st March that good progress

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce regulations to prevent the proliferation of drugs and the increase of work caused to pharmacists and doctors, as instanced by the marketing of one new drug under the separate names of Rimactane and Rifadin.

I have no power to do this.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost to the National Health Service of 150 milligramme capsules of Rifadin and Rimac-

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the death rates per 100,000 of the population from cirrhosis of the liver, from alcoholism and from lung cancer, respectively.

Following are the figures:—tane, respectively; and if he will advise doctors to prescribe the cheaper of the two.

The net ingredient cost per capsule supplied from dispensing packs is about 3s. 1d. for both products.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will decide on the proposal to withdraw the Ashford to Ore railway service.

Quite soon.

asked the Minister of Transport what assistance his Department is giving to the Border Union Railway Company in its proposal to provide a public railway service on the Waverley route.

Following an exchange of correspondence, officials of my Department had a general and helpful discussion with representatives of the Border Union Railway Company on Friday, 25th April.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to make his decision about the route which will be followed by road developments between the end of the projected M3 at Popham and the Winchester bypass.

Detailed decisions on this route, which is part of the strategic network proposed in the Green Paper "Roads for the Future", cannot be taken until the network has been settled and the future needs of traffic in the area have been assessed in detail.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated cost of construction of the entire 12-mile length of the proposed diversion of A34 from South Hinksey to Chilton by-passing Abingdon; and what is the estimated cost of the length from south of Drayton to Chilton.

The estimated cost of the length from South Hinksey to Chilton is about £9 million. Of this amount the length from south of Drayton to Chilton, which is under consideration for inclusion in the preparation pool, is estimated to cost £3·8 million.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will state his reasons for preferring a route west of Abingdon for the proposed diversion of A34; and what estimate he has made of the cost of a route by-passing Abingdon to the east.

A route west of Abingdon is preferred because it would be less expensive than an easterly route but would provide greater traffic relief and could, if necessary, be constructed in stages. It is estimated that the easterly route would cost about £9½ million—£½ million more than that to the west.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the need for a spur road to Didcot from the proposed diversion of A34 by-passing Abingdon; and what is the estimated cost of constructing such a road.

The timing and nature of such a road must depend upon the decision to be taken about the improvement of the route between Drayton and Chilton.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to announce the proposals for the new highway network for Tamworth.

Such an announcement would be the responsibility of the Staffordshire County Council. It will depend on the completion of the transportation study which it has already commissioned.

asked the Minister of Transport what agreement he has reached with the French Ministry of Transport about TIR heavy goods vehicles entering this country without carriers licences; and whether he will make a statement.

An agreement with the French Government was signed on 28th March under which operators of goods vehicles from either Britain or France intending to engage in international transport to or from the other country will be able to obtain, before departure, and from the authorities in their own countries, a special permit authorising them to make the required journey. Under this system, it is immaterial whether the vehicles move under the TIR convention, which is concerned only with the simplification of Customs procedures.The agreement can come into force only after regulations have been made under Section 190 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, as amended by Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962. These regulations can be made only after consultation with interested parties.A second agreement signed at the same time will exempt hauliers from both countries from the principal taxes levied in the other country on goods vehicles. This agreement can come into force only after the making of an Order-in-Council, which is subject to the approval of both Houses.The texts of these agreements will be presented to Parliament in due course.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will hold discussions with the Italian Government about customs delays at the Mont Blanc Tunnel and Mont Cenis Pass affecting British TIR lorries and trailers; and whether he will make a statement.

Delays at frontier posts on the Italian border seem to be occasioned by the system of licensing foreign hauliers entering that country. All non-Italian vehicles, including those moving under TIR procedures for Customs purposes, must obtain a licence issued by the Italian authorities before they can cross the Italian frontier. In some cases, British hauliers, possibly from ignorance or misunderstanding of the Italian rules, arrive at the Italian frontier without having made the necessary prior application for a licence.Negotiations with the Italian Ministry of Transport to simplify the licensing procedures for road haulage between the two countries are in progress and there is a good prospect of reaching a satisfactory agreement within the next few months.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his Department will consider allowing the raising of heavy goods vehicle gross weights to 44 tons and lengths to 15½ metres to carry 30-ton containers; and whether he will make a statement.

On weights, I have nothing at present to add to the Answer I gave my hon. Friend on 3rd March.The overall length limit of articulated vehicles was increased to 15 metres last year. This permits carriage of containers of the maximum international standard length of 40 feet. I have no plans for any further increase.—[Vol. 799, c. 16.]

asked the Minister of Transport what losses have been incurred to date in respect of the hovercraft services run by British Rail solely in territorial waters.

The total working deficit to the end of 1968 was £288,000.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent in allowing increases in the charges made by the nationalised transport industry, particularly the British Rail Hotels, he takes into account the increased costs of Selective Employment Tax.

To the extent that these costs apply and cannot be absorbed through greater productivity.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the number of accidents directly attributable to shattered windscreens.

From sample studies it is estimated that about 0·1 per cent. of injury accidents may have been caused by shattered windscreens.

asked the Minister of Transport how much land his Department owns in the vicinity of the A5 trunk road in the borough of Tamworth; and for how long this land has been owned.

9,854 square yards, including houses and businesses premises. 4,552 square yards have been owned since 1946 when the road became a trunk road. The rest has been acquired since 1960.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North dated 22nd April showing that a number of vehicle owners were fined nominal sums for arrears of road fund licence; and whether he will take steps to increase these penalties.

My hon. Friend's letter was received and acknowledged on 23rd April. A full reply will be sent shortlyThe penalties to which he refers were imposed by the courts, and it would not be right for me to seek to interfere with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that repairs to local authority houses in the Southhouse area of Edinburgh are in accordance with the standards recommended in his recent circular to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

I have no responsibility for supervising the repair of local authority houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had in recent

While I have received no recent representations about this scheme from the county council, I have received a copy of the report from it on the preliminary survey undertaken by the Royal Engineers last summer to establish the feasibility of the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table giving the grade, responsibilities, qualifications and salary of each person based in the Scottish offices of the Land Commission, together with the cost of administration within his Department arising from the work of the Land Commission for the year 1968.

The cost of administration within my Departments attributable to the Land Commission cannot be separately distinguished, but it is small. The information about Land Commission staff is set out in the table below:—

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further information he has regarding new finds of mineral deposits in Scotland.

The Institute of Geological Sciences is engaged on a continuous programme of survey work in Scotland, and reports of the results are published from time to time. I understand that, as part of its normal work, the Institute is currently investigating certain deposits in the north of Scotland with a view to determining whether they could be of economic importance. If my hon. Friend has any particular mineral in mind I suggest he puts down a Question to the appropriate Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a statement showing how and to whom the funds in Edinburgh Corporation Common Good Fund were disbursed in the past two years.

I am asking Edinburgh Corporation to send this information to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorways, for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction and which were in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

The information is given in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he will investigate the deterioration of the Pentland road in the Isle of Lewis, in view of the inconvenience and cost which the loss of use of this road has imposed upon the local community for whose use it was constructed as part of the economic and social development of the area embracing Carloway and Breasclete and other villages;(2) from which representative bodies other than public authorities in the Western Isles he has received requests in the last four years for assistance with the cost of the reconstruction of the Pentland road, in the Isle of Lewis; and what was the nature of his replies;(3) from which individuals he has received representations during the past four years regarding the need for reconstruction of the Pentland road in the Isle of Lewis;(4) what requests or proposals he has received from Ross and Cromarty County Council in each of the last four years for special assistance in meeting the cost of the reconstruction of the Pentland road in the Isle of Lewis; and what was the gist of his reply on each occasion.

In the past four years I have received representations about this road from the county council (in 1966 and 1967), Mrs. Elizabeth Perrins (in September 1960), Mr. Norman Maciver (in February 1969) and on several occasions from my hon. Friend. The replies sent to the county council regretted that the available funds were insufficient to permit a special allocation of maintenance grant to be made for the reconstruction of the road. Since the commencement of the grant arrangements under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1966, in May, 1967, entire responsibility for financing work on the road has rested with the county council, aided by rate support grant, and I could not appropriately intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the continued disorders at universities, he will now seek powers to provide for their proper government.

I do not consider that such powers would be helpful. Countries whose universities are controlled by the Government do not escape such disorders.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the percentage increase of interest and dividends, of wages and salaries, of salaries alone, and of wages alone, respectively, in each year from 1964; and what is the ratio of increase between interest and dividends and wages and salaries over the whole period.

The figures requested are given in the table below. They are based on the information given in the White Paper "Preliminary Estimates of National Income and Balance of Payments 1963 to 1968" (Cmnd. 3983). Separate figures for wages and salaries in 1968 are not yet available but will be published later in the year in the National Income Blue Book.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers made claims for relief on bank interest charges in the most recent convenient year.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many householders living in the vicinity of Gatwick Airport have sought and obtained a reduction in their rates on the ground of aircraft noise; and how many applications for similar reductions are now under consideration by the Valuation Office.

Thirty-six and two.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make available the monthly figures for imports, free on board values.

Importers are not required to declare on Customs documents the values of their consignments on a free on board basis and collated figures on this basis are therefore not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures on a standardised basis showing for each year since nationalisation the gross and net income, as defined in Command Paper No. 3437, of the following bodies and their predecessors, the National Coal Board, Electricity Council and Boards in England and Wales, North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, South of Scotland Electricity Board, Gas Council and Area Gas Boards, British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, British Railways Board and London Transport Board.

The necessary information is contained in the published accounts of the bodies mentioned, but I regret that it could not be extracted in the form requested by my hon. Friend without undue expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will state the number of leaseholders who have successfully negotiated the purchase of the freehold of their properties following the passing of the Leasehold Reform Act, 1967; how this figure compares with the number of freeholds purchased in the two-year period prior to the passing of the Act; whether he is satisfied with the working of the Act; and if he will make a statement;(2) what further consideration he has given to amending the Leasehold Reform Act, 1967, following the decisions reached by a land tribunal in January and April 1969.

Information is not available on the numbers of leaseholders who have purchase their freeholds, either before or after the passage of the Leasehold Reform Act. There are however grounds for thinking that considerable numbers of leaseholders have acquired their freeholds since the Act was passed. It is too early for any definitive conclusion as to the working of this Act, which has been in force for less than a year and a half, to be reached. My right hon. Friend is keeping close watch on its functioning. He has taken no decision on the question of further legislation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in view of the recent decision of the Lands Tribunal, he will now introduce legislation to remove anomalies in the Leasehold Enfranchisement Act.

The whole position is under careful consideration by the Government, but no decision has been taken on the question of further legislation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board that their houses standing empty in areas of colliery closures and in particular where the local authority has a negligible waiting list should be offered to those neighbouring local authorities which have waiting lists.

The National Coal Board already give first refusal of its surplus houses to local authorities. Housing authorities have power to provide and own housing outside their areas, so that neighbouring authorities are already in a position to make out a case for the acquisition of these houses if they need them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres were held by the Forestry Commission in Wales, and how many men were employed on them, in each of the years 1959 to 1968.

I have been asked to reply.The following is the information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of how many increases in the price of grocery items his Department has been informed in 1969 to date.

Information about the number of individual price increases is not available from official sources. However, under the early warning arrangements for food and drink, 51 proposals to increase prices, many of them covering more than one item, have been notified to my Department this year. Of these, 26 have been accepted in full, and a further 10 after modification, as being consistent with the criteria of the White Paper on Productivity, Prices and Incomes Policy (Cmnd. 3590). The other 15 are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will undertake studies in order to enable her Department to make estimates of the annual value of production and exports lost due to industrial stoppages.

This matter is under consideration in my Department. There are many problems in designing satisfactory studies, and if my hon. Friend has specific suggestions I would be glad to take them into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the Welsh share of employed persons and the Welsh share of unemployed persons, respectively, expressed as a percentage of the total British numbers for each year since 1950.

The following table shows the percentages that employees in employment in Wales form of those in Great Britain and the percentages that the average numbers registered as unemployed in Wales form of the average registered unemployed in Great Britain:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will state the average number of unemployed in Wales in each of the years since 1950.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what percentage of persons in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, are classified as self-employed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he allowed the members of the South African hockey team to enter this country to play at Wolverhampton.

The members of the team were admitted consistently with normal immigration practice, and in accordance with the instructions to immigration officers set out in draft form in Cmnd. 3830.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how Miss Sandra Betts of Chatham was allowed to leave the United Kingdom following her disappearance from the Kent County Council Training Centre, Strood,

The estimated numbers of employers and self-employed in mid-1967, expressed as a percentage of the home population aged 15 and over, were 4·1 per cent. for England, 3·5 per cent. for Scotland and 5·0 per cent. for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what has been the average annual number of persons employed in Wales in each year since 1964 in construction and distributive trades, respectively, and in miscellaneous services such as hotels, catering establishments and motor repair garages.

Employment estimates for Wales, analysed industrially, are available for each mid-year. Following is the information from mid-1964:Rochester, on 17th December last without showing a valid passport and the usual travel documents.

No particulars are kept of people who are not subject to immigration control, and there is therefore no record showing when or how Miss Betts left the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain from the chief constable a report as to how many Commonwealth immigrants have applied to join the Bedfordshire Police Force and how many have been accepted.

Whilst six have applied over the past five years, I regret that none reached the standard of acceptance.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will refer the price increase in table wines in the Palace of Westminster to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

No, but I have looked into the matter, and I am satisfied that these increases were justified.

asked the Postmaster-General what action he is taking to encourage the production for home and export markets of the centralised desk electrical and telephone system designed by a company whose name has been sent to him.

My Department has had discussions with this company. There is insufficient technical information about the system yet to enable an examination to be made.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make a statement on the number of new telephone kiosks and the number of new private subscribers that have been connected in the urban district council's areas of Basildon and Brentwood since March 1966.

The numbers of new telephone kiosks and private lines installed were:

asked the Postmaster-General what are the average costs to public funds of the establishment of a sub-post office.

£500 a year.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the precise distances to the four post offices within a mile of the shops on Peel Common Estate, Rowner, calculated from the same point and taking into account the fact that persons wishing to draw pensions are not able to travel directly but must use existing rights of way.

The route distances to the four post offices are:

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that there is a shortage of smokeless fuels in the Yorkshire area; and what steps he is taking to ensure further supplies.

There are shortages of particular kinds of smokeless fuels in some areas, but generally supplies are adequate. Local availability is a matter for producers and distributors, but if my hon. Friend has evidence of serious difficulties, perhaps he will let me know.

asked the Minister of Power why the price of smokeless fuels has been allowed to rise to approximately 50 per cent. higher than the price of coal; and if he will make a statement.

The differences in price between coal and smokeless fuels are about the same today as five years ago.

asked the Minister of Power if he will make a further statement regarding his discussions with Standard Oil of California on their plan to site a refinery on the Clyde; and how long these discussions have been taking place.