asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list in alphabetical order all the committees, boards and councils whose members in whole or part he appoints.

Central Committee on Awards to Inventors.

Pensions Commutation Board.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many Government jobs have been transferred to the development areas in 1968 from London; and what is his estimate of the number of jobs that will be transferred in the next three years.

1,320 and 2,830 respectively. These figures include one move from Watford. The second figure would be increased to 3,660 if a move to Edinburgh, just outside the Scottish Development Area, was included.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish details of the method by which pension transfer values are calculated, and transfers effected, for the purpose of protecting the rights of men changing employment between the Civil Service and British Rail.

The details are contained in The Superannuation (Civil Service and Public Transport Services) Transfer Rules 1968 (S.I. 1968 No. 841), which were made on 21st May, 1968. The relationship between the transfer value and service in the Civil Service is determined by reference to the Local Government transfer value tables, which are set out in S.I. 1954 No. 1212. I am sending copies of these documents to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the date of the forthcoming Canberra Conference; and which Ministers from his Department will be participating.

At the invitation of the Australian Government, the forthcoming Commonwealth Five-Power Conference on Far East defence is being held in Canberra on 19th and 20th June, and I expect to represent Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West has received no reply or acknowledgement to his letter of the 24th March and his reminder of the 18th April addressed to the Ministry of Defence, London Road, Stanmore, concerning Captain J. Tracy, 477680, Royal Corps of Transport, of Huddersfield.

A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 29th April. The delay is regretted but the hon. Member would have received an acknowledgement had he followed the normal procedure of approaching a Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will arrange for the Medical School of the Royal Free Hospital to be rebuilt in Hampstead when the hospital is moved to this area, instead of remaining in Hunter Street, in view of the difficulties which would occur for the students having to travel between the medical school and the hospital.

New accommodation for the clinical departments of the Royal Free Hospital Medical School is being built in association with the new hospital at Hampstead. The Royal Commission on Medical Education recommended that pre-clinical teaching should be located with other university science departments. It also proposed that the Royal Free Hospital Medical School should be combined with University College Hospital Medical School, and that the pre-clinical departments for both schools should be associated with University College. These proposals are

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request the Universities Central Council on Admissions to make an analysis, by subject and country of origin, of the fall by one-fifth of applications for admission by overseas students to United Kingdom universities in October 1968, as compared with the previous year.

Table 2 of the Fifth and Sixth Reports of the Universities Central Council on Admissions gives the subjects of first preference of overseas candidates applying through the Council for undergraduate-level courses in 1967 and 1968 respectively. I should not feel justified in asking the Council whether it would be prepared to take on the extra work of analysing the countries of origin of the candidates. According to the Reports, the number of being currently explored by the University Grants Committee and London University in consultation with the colleges concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the total number of overseas students studying in United Kingdom universities in each academic year 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, and the estimate for 1968–69, showing separately the corresponding numbers of Commonwealth students within the totals.

The numbers of Commonwealth and foreign full-time students at United Kingdom universities from the academic year 1964–65 onwards are as follows:overseas students admitted to undergraduate-level courses increased from under 2,100 in 1967 to over 2,500 in 1968. The percentage of overseas candidates who were accepted, of those applying through the Council, rose from 23·6 per cent. to 25·9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local authority areas from which he has applications for exempted district status; if he will name the areas for which exempted district status has been granted since 1st January, 1968; if he will estimate the additional cost to educational resources in each of these areas; and whether he will make a decision on any outstanding applications before the publication of the Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government.

Following is a list of the 12 county districts whose councils lodged applications for directions constituting the districts Excepted Districts for the purposes of Part III of the First Schedule to the Education Act, 1944 during the period 23rd July, 1968 to 22nd January, 1969, in accordance with Section 52 of the Local Government Act, 1958. I have no power to withhold a direction when an application is made by an area which has a prescriptive right to Excepted District status, but I have suggested to the councils of these areas that they should allow their applications to be held in suspense until the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England is available and five councils have agreed to do so.I have not attempted to estimate the additional cost to the education service of establishing these areas as Excepted Districts, since this depends on the local situation in each case, and the staffing adjustment which may be made when the new arrangements have taken effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial aid he proposes to give to the British Olympic Association for the purpose of sending the British Olympic teams to the Winter and Summer Olympics in 1968.

The total amount of Government grant to be paid to the British Olympic Association in respect of the 1968 Olympics is at present under consideration in the light of the association's audited accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those non-county boroughs with populations of over 40,000 that have more than two per cent. immigrant school children as at the latest available date.

I regret that this information could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now give details about the Arts Council's national inquiry into British orchestras, including its membership and terms of reference.

The terms of reference of the inquiry will be as follows:

To consider and make recommendations for the development and financing of the professional orchestral resources of Great Britain, with particular reference to

1. public concert-giving, especially outside London,

2. broadcasting, television and recording,

3. opera and ballet requirements,

4. training of young musicians, and

5. the relationship of contemporary repertoire and the living composer to financial considerations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what representations she has received from the Road Haulage Association against a three-tier levy based on operator-sizes for the Road Haulage Industry Training Board; and what reply she has sent.

The Association has written to my right hon. Friend expressing concern that the latest levy proposals from the Road Transport Industry Training Board do not provide for differential rates of levy for different sectors of the road transport industry. A reply will be sent shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how much was spent by the former Ministry of Labour on health education during the last full year before responsibility for this work was transferred to the Health Education Council.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will consider issuing a Green Paper on the Youth Employment Service to enable wider discussion on the consultations and advice she has received based on the Albemarle Report.

There will be full consultations with all the interested organisations before any decisions are reached on this question; and I will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what percentage of firms now employ the required proportion of disabled people; what steps are being taken with regard to the remainder; and how many employable disabled people are at present unemployed.

The percentage of firms with 20 or more employees which employed the required proportion of registered disabled persons on 31st May, 1968, the date of the latest count, was 46·3 per cent. Employers with less than their quota are not committing an offence but are subject to restrictions on the engagement of fit workers. They are contacted regularly to remind them of their quota obligations, and action is taken as the circumstances warrant where failure to comply with the provisions of the Act is revealed.On 10th March, 1969, 69,758 registered disabled persons were registered as unemployed of whom 59,984 were considered to be capable of ordinary employment and 9,774 were considered unlikely to be capable of employment except under special conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to prevent the exploitation of women engaged in outwork at home; what investigations have been made by her Department regarding the rates of pay for such work; and if she will make a statement.

Statutory minima are fixed by wages councils for home-workers who come within their field of activity, and as part of their general enforcement duties wages inspectors examine the records of payments made by employers to such workers. Where necessary, the inspectors visit homeworkers at their homes to obtain additional information. All complaints concerning payment of less than the statutory minima are investigated.The activities of the wages inspectorate have disclosed little recent evidence of infractions as regards homeworkers, but the statement in Report No. 110 by the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the clothing industry that a sample survey had shown evidence of pay below the minimum rates among homeworkers employed in the hat trade in the Luton area is being investigated. The Board's suggestion that the present arrangements for registering homeworkers should be reviewed is being followed up.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps she intends taking to prevent danger to part-time workers working at home for factories and workshops; if she will seek powers to investigate the financial hardship experienced by such workers in buying equipment on hire purchase for work purposes; and if she will make a statement.

The Government's proposals for new safety, health and welfare legislation, which were circulated to interested organisations in December, 1967, indicated specifically that premises used only as dwellings and by outworkers living there would be excluded. No evidence is available to suggest that hire purchase of equipment for outwork is causing widespread financial hardship among people working at home. Possible infringements of the Hire Purchase Regulations are matters for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to investigate.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she is now in a position to assess the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the productivity plan proposed for employees of Smiths Industries.

No. The company is providing further information to enable my Department to assess the agreement against the requirements of incomes policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, if Rolls-Royce has yet completed the process begun in January of submitting the agreement on the pay for clerical staff so that it might be assessed against the requirements of incomes policy; what has led to the delays; and if she will make a statement.

Although Rolls-Royce notified my Department that a pay settlement covering clerical staff had been agreed in January, 1969 the company found it necessary to conduct further negotiations on productivity improvements. On 16th April the company was able to report that negotiations had been finally concluded. The Company has now been informed that the Department would not object to the implementation of this agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what date she received details of the pay agreement between Electrical and Musical Industries and the technical and design staff at their Hayes and Feltham factories; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising therefrom.

Details of this pay agreement were received on 24th March, 1969. The estimated increase in rates and earnings is about 5 per cent.; this was accompanied by a revision of the salary structure designed to bring improvements in efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will now evaluate the percentage increase in the productivity of boilermakers, shipwrights, and blacksmiths employed by the Tyne Shipbuilding Consortium since the pay increase implemented on 15th November, 1968.

My Department is expecting to receive a progress report on the operation of this agreement in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she has concluded the consideration of representations made to her by the affected parties concerning her published proposal to defer the agreement between the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland and the Electrical Electronic and Telecommunications/Plumbers Trade Union; and if she will make a statement.

At this stage, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) on 21st April, 1969.—[Vol. 782, c. 30.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what recent settlements have been concluded involving electricians and other exhibition workers; and what are the estimated percentage increases in rates, earnings and productivity arising therefrom.

On 7th February, 1969 the National Joint Council for the Exhibition Industry reached agreement for increases of 4d. and 3d. per hour respectively for craftsmen and labourers engaged on standfitting, plus a 10s. per day productivity bonus, and on 28th February, 1969 the employers' side of the National Exhibition Electrical Joint Industrial Council made a similar offer for electricians. Owing to the difficulty of evaluating the increased productivity which would arise, both the agreement for standfitters and the offer to electricians were referred on 18th March, 1969 to the National Board for Prices and Incomes for examination and report, with a direction preventing implementation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what agreement has now been reached concerning a pay settlement for the 2,000 ancillary workers employed by Swan Hunter; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising therefrom.

My Department has recently been notified of the details of this agreement and it is now being examined in the light of incomes policy requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what date she was informed of the pay claim by members of the Electrical and Plumbing Trades Union now on strike at Sun Printers of Watford; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the claim.

On 8th April, 1969. The claim would increase earnings by an average of about 22½ per cent. Negotiations are continuing. The other information for which the hon. Gentleman asked is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if an agreement has now been reached on a bonus scheme for workers at the Hawker Siddeley plant at Woodford, Cheshire; and what percentage increase has been agreed in respect of rates.

A bonus scheme has now been agreed. A 3½ per cent. increase has been agreed in respect of rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she has now completed her study of the recent settlement between Swan Hunter and the woodworkers employed in its five yards on the Tyne; and if she will indicate the estimated percentage rise in earnings and productivity arising from the settlement.

It is estimated that earnings will rise by about 4·2 per cent. per annum. It is expected that this will be more than offset by savings from icreased productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what date she was notified of the pay increase requested by employees of Pryce Berger; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from this claim.

The company informed my Department on 29th April that a claim had been made. It is not possible, however, to give the detailed information requested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if, in the light of the report by the Donovan Commission and the recent comments in the National Board for Prices and Incomes Report number 110, she will now make a statement on Government policy towards wages councils; and whether she will seek to implement this policy in the forthcoming legislation on industrial relations.

I have nothing to add to the Reply I gave to the hon. Member for Holland with Boston (Mr. Body) on 31st March.—[Vol. 781, c. 5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, whether she will publish the alternative seasonally adjusted figures for unemployment.

No. Methods of seasonally adjusting the unemployment series are under review and I do not wish to anticipate the conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) if she has considered the estimate, a copy of which has been sent to her, that the all-age median salary for secretaries and shorthand typists in London has risen by 9·4 per cent. in the year ended 28th February; how many increases in proposed secretarial salaries in London have been notified to her; what percentage in earnings and rates they involved; and by what means she assesses and authenticates increases in productivity;(2) if she is satisfied that the incomes policy is being observed in relation to secretarial salaries in London; and if she will make a statement.

The sample survey, to which the hon. Member refers, makes the point that the increase for the

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list the unemployment percentage figures for Nuneaton, Tamworth, Coventry and Coleshill employment exchange areas for each month from 1st January, 1964, to the latest convenient date.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why she will not agree to appointing Mr. Clive Jenkins as a National Industrial Disputes Officer to settle industrial strikes.

My hon. Friend will recall that Mr. Clive Jenkins's intervention occurred in the particular context of the recent B.O.A.C. pilots' dispute, in which he acted as mediator at the suggestion of the trade union side of the National Joint Council for Civil Air Transport, which was accepted by B.O.A.C.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what date Her Majesty's Government was asked by the United States authorities to investigate the case of Dr. A. E. Laurence;(2) if he will obtain from the Chief Constable a report stating on what date the search warrant was granted authorising a search of premises at Seven Sisters Road, St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight, belonging to Dr. A. E. Laurence;(3) in addition to the search carried out on 21st April at Seven Sisters Road, St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight, why a previous search was carried out at that address on 14th April;(4) in which searches of premises belonging to Dr. A. E. Laurence were members of the Special Branch accompanied by United States agents.

Dr. Laurence's case was not investigated at the request of the United States authorities, and no United States agents accompanied Metropolitan police officers on the searches of his premises. The police obtained a search warrant relating to the premises at Seven Sisters Road, St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight, on 14th April. A visit to the premises was made on that day with the consent and in the presence of the agent for the premises. The garage and two wardrobes, which were locked, were not searched on this occasion, but were searched on a further visit made on 21st April; Dr. Laurence had by then been informed of the existence of the search warrant and had provided the necessary keys.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why a telephone message to the police by Dr. Laurence's solicitor, details of which have been forwarded by the hon. Member for Lambeth, Brixton, made at 7.15 a.m. on 19th April that he was available to assist, was not given to Dr. Laurence.

I am informed that Dr. Laurence's solicitor spoke on the telephone to a Streatham C.I.D. officer who passed the message to Kenley police station. The message was given to the officer in charge of the investigation when he came to the station at 10.10 a.m. who passed the message on to Dr. Laurence when he returned to his house at 11.20 a.m. The officer had explained to Dr. Laurence the previous evening that he could get into touch with a solicitor if he wished.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether firemen are required by his regulations in the normal course of their duty to answer emergency calls for help other than fire fighting.

A fire authority is empowered by Section 3(1)(e) of the Fire Services Act, 1947 to employ its brigade for purposes other than fire-fighting purposes for which it appears to the authority to be suitable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will show in the OFFICIAL REPORT the reasons for his decision not to extend the visitors' visas granted to Mr. Surindes Mohan Bansal and Mr. Satya Narain Bansal, brothers of Mr. Pursotham Lal Bansal of Huddersfield.

Mr. Surinder Mohan Bansal, aged 28, and Mr. Satya Narain Bansal, aged 21, were refused entry certificates for visits to the United Kingdom, because it was suspected that they intended to seek permanent residence. This refusal was withdrawn when firm assurances were given by their brother, Mr. P. L. Bansal, that the two men wished to come only for a brief family re-union, and would not seek to stay here longer than the period of any visit authorised for them. Mr. S. M. and Mr. S. N. Bansal were accordingly admitted on 4th August, 1968 for a six months' stay as visitors. Despite the assurances given on their behalf, they attempted to extend their stay. Within a short period after arriving here, one obtained an offer of employment and the other enrolled for a course of study.In reply to repeated representations on their behalf, I have made it clear that I am not prepared to acquiesce in any breach of the immigration control or of the undertakings that were given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to bring up to date the instructions to immigration officers relating to the entry of Commonwealth citizens, last published in August, 1967.

I intend to present to Parliament as soon as possible a revised set of Instructions to Immigration Officers bringing up to date those published in August, 1966, and incorporating amendments subsequently made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why, in the administration of immigration control, he differentiates between the dependent parents of aliens and the dependent parents of Commonwealth citizens;(2) why, in the administration of immigration control, he differentiates between Commonwealth citizens who wish to enter Great Britain to marry and aliens who wish to come here for the same purpose.

Because of the differences in the patterns of immigration by aliens and Commonwealth citizens.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will give an estimate of the man-hours and money spent by the police in the most recent period of 12 months for which figures are available in endeavouring to trace offenders against Section 66 of the Post Office Act, 1953;(2) how many persons have been convicted of offences under Section 66 of the Post Office Act, 1953 in each of the years from 1963 to 1968, inclusive;(3) how many complaints of offences under Section 66 of the Post Office Act, 1953 were reported in 1963 and in the most recent period of 12 months for which figures are available.

Offences under Section 66 of the Post Office Act, 1953, are not recorded separately in the criminal statistics. Nor is there a separate record of complaints relating to that section. I regret that information to enable estimates to be made of man-hours and money spent by the police on enforcement of the section is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consult local authorities and fire services about arrangements for dealing with outbreaks of fire in multi-storey buildings.

The arrangements made by fire authorities in England and Wales for fighting fires and for enforcing, or giving advice on, fire precautions in buildings of all kinds are already the subject of continuous consultation and review through the machinery of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, on which all sections of the fire service are represented. If my hon. Friend has any particular problem in mind and will let me have details, I shall be glad to give him what further information I can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will obtain reports from the chief constables concerned and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the existing manpower level and the full required manpower level for each of the police authorities covering the 20 largest cities and county boroughs in England and Wales.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young men under 21 years of age are now held on remand in Winson Green Prison; and what was the date when the longest detained of these was first held in Winson Green Prison.

On 25th April, 1969, one young man was awaiting trial. He had been detained at Birmingham prison since 5th April. Thirteen who had been convicted were awaiting sentence, four of them since 24th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why young men under 21 years of age are detained in Winson Green Prison rather than in Brockhill Remand Home.

The accommodation for young men at Brockhill remand centre is full, but most of the young men under 21 in Birmingham prison are not on remand, but have been sentenced to borstal training or imprisonment and are awaiting transfer to a borstal allocation centre or a young prisoners' centre.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees are now in Brockhill Remand Home; and how many male detainees the home was designed to accommodate.

On 25th April, 1969, 118. Brockhill remand centre was designed to provide accommodation, including hospital accommodation, for 115 boys.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to ensure the safety of those taking part in charity walks.

I have been asked to reply.I learnt with regret of the recent accident involving young people on a charity walk in Sheffield, but I do not consider that legislation to control these walks would be justified. I am, however, writing further to my hon. Friend on this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Metropolitan policemen have returned from Anguilla to rejoin the Metropolitan police force; and if he will make a statement.

36. 16 are due to return this week.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have so far taken steps to make their public buildings accessible to the disabled; and whether he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those local authorities which have made most and those which have made least progress in this respect.

I regret this information is not available, as my right hon. Friend has not thought it right to ask local authorities to make returns about it. But they have been advised whenever they are designing new public buildings to ensure that the needs of the disabled are taken into account, and I have no reason to doubt that they are following this advice.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress has been made in reducing the level of detergent river foam to the level estimated by his predecessor in 1964; and if he will make a statement.

The incidence of foaming in rivers has been greatly reduced since 1964, though I cannot trace any estimate by my right hon. Friend's predecessor then of the level it was expected to achieve and it has become apparent that the problems are more complex than was thought five years ago. Foaming on some rivers still gives cause for concern, and the Standing Technical Committee on Synthetic Detergents has the matter under review. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of its Tenth Report, published in February.

asked the Postmaster-General when he intends to publish the results of the survey on the two-tier postal service which he instituted in November, 1968.

The report is being published today as a departmental paper. Copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give an estimate of the man-hours and money spent by his Department in the most recent period of 12 months for which figures are available in endeavouring to trace offenders against Section 66 of the Post Office Act, 1953.

No records are kept, but sample inquiries indicate that Post Office costs are between £50,000 and £100,000 annually.

asked the Postmaster-General what changes he proposes in the values of the current definitive issue of postage stamps; and when the new range will be on sale, consequent upon the introduction of decimal coinage.

A new series of definitive postage stamps with decimal currency values will be issued on or before 15th February, 1971. It is not yet possible to provide details of the values.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that a postcard from the Ministry of Transport in Southwark Street, London, S.E.1, addressed to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, at the House of Commons, London, S.W.1, posted on 18th April was not delivered until 22nd April; and what is the average time for delivery of a communication posted in one London borough to an adjoining borough, and for delivery of mail to an address within the same borough as that in which the mail is posted;

If my hon. Friend will let me have the postcard and cover of the Parliamentary proceedings in question I will have inquiries made. First class letters posted in London for London addresses should be delivered by the next working day and second class letters within two working days; these intervals applied to 4d. and 3d. mail until 15th September, 1968.

asked the Postmaster-General what statistics he has on the number of letters and parcels which the public have reported missing to his Department during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

The number of letters and parcels reported missing during 1968 which were not subsequently traced were:

asked the Postmaster-General if he will list in alphabetical order all the committees, boards and councils whose members in whole or part he appoints.

• Advisory Committee under first Schedule to Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1949 (Authority to Persons to Operate Radio Stations).
• Frequency Advisory Committee.
• Independent Television Authority.
• Local Broadcasting Councils (Brighton, Durham, Leeds, Leicester, Merseyside, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent).
• Mobile Radio Committee.
• Post Office Users Council.
• Radio Interference Advisory Committee.
• Stamp Advisory Committee.
• Television Advisory Committee.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now give permission for the establishment of a sub-post office on or near the Whitehall Estate, North Sea Lane, Cleethorpes, where 600 new houses have been built in recent years.

The area is adequately served by Humberston sub-post office. I see no justification for another office.

asked the Postmaster-General what survey he has made of the sale of Trimphones; how many have been returned to the manufacturers as unsuitable; what has been the total number delivered to the telephone service by the manufacturers; and how many were in use at the latest available date.

Several surveys have been made. No Trimphones have been returned to the manufacturer as unsuitable. 250,000 have been delivered; 90,000 are in use.

asked the Minister of Power if he will list in alphabetical order all the committees, boards and councils whose members in whole or part he appoints.

I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the total amount of office space in the City of Leeds at the latest convenient date occupied by Government Departments; how much has been occupied or taken on rental within the last four years; what are the total rents payable; and what negotiations are pending for further office accommodation and for what purposes.

The total area of office space in Leeds occupied by Government Departments other than the Post Office is about 670,000 sq. ft., of which about 240,000 sq. ft. was occupied or rented within the last four years. The rent payable is about £300,000 a year.Negotiations are in hand or pending for a further 44,000 sq. ft., for Inland Revenue staff, who will eventually work at the Schedule E Centre to be built at Shipley, and for an integrated local office of the Department of Health and Social Security; together with a small amount of space for the Yorkshire and Humberside Planning Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in alphabetical order all the committees, boards and councils whose members in whole or part he appoints.

I am sending the list to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how much was spent by the former Ministry of Health on health education during the last full year before responsibility for this work was transferred to the Health Education Council;(2) how much was spent by the former Ministry of Social Security on health education during the last full year before responsibility for this work was transferred to the Health Education Council;(3) how many persons are at present employed whole-time by the Health Education Council;(4) what financial grant will be made to the Health Education Council for the year 1969–70.

The cost of health education materials produced by the Ministry of Health in 1967–68 was about £128,000. The Ministry of Social Security carried out no health education. The estimates for 1969–70 provide for a total of up to £223,000 to be paid to the Health Education Council by my Department, the Welsh Office and the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Northern Ireland. The Council at present has a total a 33 whole-time staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present level of average net earnings for general dental practitioners who undertake National Health Service dentistry in England and Wales, after meeting practice expenses.

The changes to the Scale of Fees which came into effect on 1st April, 1969 were designed to produce with effect from 1st January the average net income of £3,590 per annum recommended by the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals used in the National Health Service cease to issue rubber stamps for the use of general practitioners; and if he will ban the use of these stamps on Form E.C.10.

I am not at present aware that such rubber stamps are being used; but if my hon. Friend has any evidence of their issue or use I should be grateful if he would let me have it so that I can make inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all licences for which a charge is made by his Department, indicating the current charge, showing for the most recent convenient year the number of licences issued, the gross revenue from the licences, the total administrative expenditure in respect of each category of licence and the average administrative cost per licence in respect of each category of licence.

A charge of £2 2s. 6d. is made for licences issued to teachers of anatomy. Eleven new licences were issued in 1968 producing a gross revenue of £23 7s. 6d. The administrative costs were insignificant.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the present proposals to add to the number of beds, and for structural alterations, at Ongar War Memorial Hospital.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the occupancy of beds at the Ongar War Memorial Hospital during the first three months of 1969; and what increase this represents during the last year.

16·66 or 73·6 per cent. of available beds; the corresponding figures for 1968 were 14·41 (65·5 per cent.).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the monthly average of treatments given by the physiotherapist at the Ongar War Memorial Hospital.

In 1968 attendances for individual treatments average 415 per month.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of maintaining a patient at Ongar War Memorial Hospital; and what is the cost at other hospitals within the same group.

The costs for inpatients during 1967–68 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of St. Mary's Hospital, Burghill, in view of his policy not to replace existing buildings for mental illness by new ones on the same site.

St. Mary's Hospital will continue to provide a hospital psychiatric service for some years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why a nurse at the Children's Convalescent Home at Hornsea, Yorkshire, listened in to a mother's conversation with her son, with the object of making a report to the sister; and why the sister gave the mother the report to read when she prematurely took her son away from the Home;(2) what action is to be taken at the Children's Convalescent Home at Hornsea, Yorkshire, to stop children being sworn at, having things thrown at them, and, if they happen to do something wrong, having to sit on the cold pot of the toilet.

My hon. Friend has sent me two letters containing these allegations. With his permission I will refer them for investigation by the Committee of Inquiry which is being set up by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is

Yes. This allegation will be investigated by the Committee of Inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the number of nurses who have this year walked out of the Children's Convalescent Home at Hornsea, Yorkshire, on the grounds of the treatment of children by the sister.

One state enrolled nurse and three nursing auxiliaries have left the hospital during 1969 but none gave this reason for leaving.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much chromite was imported into the United Kingdom in 1965 and 1968, respectively; from what countries of origin; and at what price.

Chromite is not separately distinguished in the trade statistics but figures of imports of cromium ore (chromite or chrome iron ore) and concentrates are given below; the trade statistics are compiled on the basis of country of consignment and not on country of origin.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industrial companies whose headquarters are in the United Kingdom have subsidiary companies in the European Economic Community; and if he will list the principal ones.

About 500. Among the principal companies with subsidiaries in the European Economic Community are:—

• British-American Tobacco Company.
• British Leyland Motor Corporation.
• Bowater Paper Corporation.
• Coats Patons.
• Courtaulds.
• The Dunlop Company.
• Electrical and Musical Industries.
• Glaxo Group.
• General Electric and English Electric Companies.
• Imperial Chemical Industries.
• International Computers.
• The Metal Box Company.
• The Ocean Steam Ship Company.
• The Rank Organisation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now place before Parliament an order under the Hovercraft Act, 1968 giving local authorities control over the siting of hoverports as defined in Section 4(1) of the Act.

No. Local authorities already have power to control the siting of hoverports under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1962 where a material change of use of land is involved or building or engineering operations are involved.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for publish alongside the monthly trade figures of imports and exports a running 12-month average of the visible balance of trade, to give a more accurate perspective and offset the effect of the random variations of monthly figures.

I am writing to the hon. Member to explain why this proposal is not acceptable. The use of the average suggested is less illuminating than other ways of presenting the statistics.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the fact that Purchase Tax is charged on garments and accessories manufactured for protection against accidents at home and in industry, whether he will conduct an inquiry into a possible basis on which such garments and accessories can be exempted from the tax.