asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the undertaking given by him to the farmers of Shropshire and Cheshire concerning the pound for pound contribution to be made by Her Majesty's Government to the appeal for foot-and-mouth compensation, if he will now make a statement on his reasons for excluding self-benefiting contributions from the scheme.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 7th May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to compel or encourage dairies to date the tops of their milk bottles.

The Milk (Special Designation) Regulations already require pasteurised milk to be capable of satisfying a keeping quality test on the morning following delivery to the consumer. This provision appears to meet the case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he will take steps to introduce a standard code of colouring of milk bottle tops which would signify and guarantee the quality of the milk contents.

The milk distributive industry adopted a voluntary colour code in November, 1967. As at present advised I am not satisfied that there is a sufficient case for the prescription of a colour code by means of regulations. The consumer of milk already has the protection of the Food and Drugs Act and of the specific labelling requirements of the Milk (Great Britain) Order, 1967, as amended and the Milk and Dairies (Channel Islands and South Devon Milk) Regulations, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial provisions are being made to facilitate the transfer of responsibility for educating mentally handicapped children to his Department; what advice he is giving to local education authorities about the transfer of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. Detailed questions of finance and of advice to local education authorities will be for consideration in due course.—[Vol. 783, c. 128.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent he expects that the implementation of the decisions on university dons' pay will lead to an increase in the numbers teaching in universities compared to those engaged in research.

I can make no such estimate because the great majority of academic staff combine teaching with research.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the discretionary payments to grades below professor and the distinction awards to professors will be pensionable.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has now been informed of Haringey Council's new proposal for educational reorganisation; whether he has approved it; and whether he will make a statement.

I have told the Authority, which sought my comments on its proposed "banding" arrangements that I should like further information about the scheme. This it has promised to send me as soon as it is available. Proposals of this kind do not require my approval but I shall not hesitate to express my views when I receive the more detailed information for which I have asked.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the Government's acceptance of some of the proposals of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the pay of university teachers, he will now refer schoolteachers' salaries to the Board.

No.

TOTAL NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AND PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AT 14TH APRIL 1969 IN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREAS IN LANARKSHIRE
			Men 18 and over	Boys under 18	Women 18 and over	Girls under 18	Total	Percentage rate*
Airdrie	…	…	639	30	238	13	920	4·5
Bellshill	…	…	308	12	171	7	458
Blantyre	…	…	333	13	44	7	397
Cambuslang		…	216	5	41	12	274
Carluke	…	…	72	3	32	3	110
Coatbridge	…	…	882	26	407	35	1,350
East Kilbride		…	189	15	83	4	291
Hamilton	…	…	817	16	356	11	1,200
Larkhall	…	…	261	9	139	8	417
Motherwell		…	488	29	263	13	793
Uddingston		…	301	8	102	3	414
Wishaw	…	…	592	20	338	22	972
Lanark	…	…	289	12	107	6	17	5·0
Lesmahagow		…	285	2	37	6	330	12·1
Shotts	…	…	218	2	137	3	360	5·5
* Percentage rates of unemployment are calculated by expressing the total numbers registered as unemployed as percentages of the estimated numbers of employees, employed and unemployed. Percentage rates can be calculated for the whole of the North Lanarkshire travel-to-work area but not separately for its constituent parts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the total known expenditure for the most recent year for which figures are available on Government training centres.

Net expenditure for the financial year 1967–68 was £10,686,000. This figure includes £2,192,000 in respect of premises and other services provided by the Ministry of Public Building and Works, and also some expenditure on the Industrial Rehabilitation Units which are located on the same sites as Government Training Centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many people are retrained in Government

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many males and females over and under 18 years of age, respectively, were registering for employment in each employment exchange in Lanarkshire at the most recent convenient date; and what these figures represent as a percentage of the insurable population.

Following is the information:training centres per annum; what is their average period of retraining; and what is the average cost per person.

The numbers who completed courses in Government Training Centres during each of the last five years were:

1964	4,410
1965	6,723
1966	8,781
1967	10,620
1968	12,040

The numbers will continue to increase as more training places become available. The average period of retraining is about six months and the average cost per person, inclusive of administrative expenses, approximately £750.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will give a breakdown of those passing through Government training centres over the last year for which figures are available, by original occupation, occupation for which they have been retrained, and age.

An analysis of trainees by original occupation is not readily available and could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time. The following tables show the numbers who completed courses during 1968, together with the occupations for which they were retrained; and the ages of those under training on 19th June, 1968:

NUMBER OF PERSONS COMPLETING COURSES IN GOVERNMENT TRAINING CENTRES DURING THF TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 9TH DECEMBER, 1968
Construction
Bricklaying	1,120
Carpentry and joinery	1,607
Contractor's plant—repair and maintenance	491
Electrical installation and maintenance	195
Heating and ventilating fitting	294
House painting and decorating	84
Plastering	250
Plumbing	480
Slating and tiling	22
Street masonry and paving	88
Woodcutting machining	129
Engineering
Capstan setting/operating	1,023
Centre lathe turning	636
Draughtsmanship	180
Electronic wiring and circuit testing	13
Fitting—general	414
Fitting—jig and tool	124
Instrument fitting and machining	242
Instrument maintenance	109
Milling setting/operating	536
Precision grinding	232
Sheet metal working	158
Welding—electric arc	795
Welding—oxy-acetylene	91
Engineering (blind persons)	91
Miscellaneous
Agricultural machinery—repair and Maintenance	190
Furniture—cabinet making	17
Hairdressing (men's)	331
Heavy vehicle—repair and maintenance	36
Motor vehicle—body building	27
Motor vehicle—body repairing	40
Motor vehicle—repair and maintenance	1,067
Motor vehicle—spray painting	60
Radio and TV servicing	450
Scientific glassblowing	17
Screen process printing	37
Tailoring (retail bespoke)	45
Typewriter repairing	94
Watch and clock repairing	66
Canteen cooking	75
Storekeeping	84
TOTAL	12,040

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list by economic region all Government training centres giving, for the last three years for which figures are available, details for each of the annual cost and of the number of places, number of those retrained, and numbers of staff.

Because of the length of the reply and the complicated nature of the table of figures, I am writing to the hon. Member and placing a copy of the information in the library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what plans she has for increasing the number of places in Government training centres.

It is planned to open 13 more Government Training Centres by early 1971, and some existing Centres are to be expanded. As a result over 3,500 additional training places will become available within the next two years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in revenue in 1969–70 and in a full year of disallowing for tax purposes all loan interest exempted from the provisions of his Budget proposals.

About £15 million—on the footing that annual interest on old loans would still be given tax relief for 1969–70—and £240 million respectively, if interest charges paid by companies continued to get relief from corporation tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in revenue in 1969–70 and in a full-year of disallowing for tax purposes loan interest on land and buildings other than one owner-occupied house up to a maximum of £20,000.

The information on which to base an estimate is not available, since it is not possible to estimate the amount of interest which applies to houses in particular price ranges.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the aggregate value of investment allowances to private industry in each of the regions of the United Kingdom for each financial year from 1960–61 to 1964–65.

The information on which to base these estimates is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the aggregate value of investment allowances, in development districts and development areas, in each region of the United Kingdom for each financial year from 1960–61 to 1967–68.

The information on which to base these esimates is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the aggregate value of free depreciation allowed to private industry in development areas in each of the regions of the United Kingdom for the financial years 1963–64, 1964–65 and 1965–66.

The information on which to base these estimates is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of granting income tax relief to blind persons in respect of the maintenance costs of their guide dogs.

The cost to the Revenue would be small.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will forecast figures for income from employment, other personal incomes, retained profits and company taxation to supplement the figures given in Table 3 of the Financial Statement 1969–70.

No. The scope of the figures to which the hon. Member refers was very carefully considered before publication

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now give figures corresponding to Table 3 of the Financial Statement 1969–70 expressed in £ million at 1963 prices seasonably adjusted.

No. The rebasing of the figures involves a substantial amount of work, which is now in progress, on the re-estimation of forecasting relationships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far Taxation and Miscellaneous Receipts in Table 12 of the Financial Statement for 1969–70 are consistent with the forecasts in Table 3; and if he will specify the reasons for any discrepancies.

The two tables are fully consistent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures for the last six available six-monthly priods for retained profits and corporation tax which correspond to the National Blue Book gross domestic product figures, as against those which correspond to the gross national product figures.

I regret that information in this form is not available. Companies pay dividends, interest and tax out of a common fund, which includes both income arising from their activities included in the gross domestic product and also income from abroad included in the gross national product. It is not, therefore, possible to distinguish the source of retained profits. Similarly, corporation tax is payable both on domestic income and on income from abroad, and separate figures allocating the tax to the two categories are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the balance of payments deficits and surpluses for the years from 1946 to date.

Estimates for the years 1952–68 of the current balance, and of the balance on the combined current and long-term capital accounts, were given in table 1 of the 1968 "Pink Book" and in Economic Trends for March, 1969. Estimates of the current balance for the years 1946–51 were given in the table on page 75 of the 1968 "Pink Book" but, but, as explained there, the balance on long-term capital account was not separately identified before 1952.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if car component firms are among those which have responded to the Government-sponsored publicity campaign advertising the British Railways workshops at Inverurie.

It would not be proper to reveal the nature of the inquiries in respect of industrial development at Inverrurie which are being handled in complete confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the radio shelter hut in the Lochnegar area of Aberdeenshire used and voluntarily manned by local mountain rescue services, has now been assessed for rating purposes.

This is a matter for the local assessor, who is required by statute to value all the lands and heritages situated in his area. Local authorities may reduce or remit rates leviable in respect of lands and heritages occupied for nonprofit making charitable or recreational purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the Government are seeking to procure transferability of pension rights for men changing employment who are covered by public sector schemes, including Members of the House of Commons; and why they are only seeking to procure preservation for men covered by private occupational schemes.

The Government are in favour of the transfer of pension rights where this can be arranged, whether in the public or the private sector, and naturally this is reflected so far as possible in the arrangements made between public sector schemes. But they are satisfied that it would not be feasible to make the offer of transferability a universal requirement on change of employment; and their legislative proposals in Chapter 6 of the White Paper on "National Superannuation and Social Insurance" (Cmnd. 3883) do not therefore go beyond requiring the offer of preservation, though this would in no way preclude a transfer value being offered as an alternative.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that the special scale of supplementary benefits for blind persons has only been increased from 15s. a week in 1948 to 24s. 6d. a week at the present time, if he will now take steps to restore this special allowance to the 1948 value.

Blind persons receiving a supplementary pension or allowance have, in common with other beneficiaries, received four separate increases in their guaranteed income since October, 1964, and they will share in the further increase in supplementary benefits which is proposed for this autumn.The great majority of blind persons have also received the "long-term addition" of 9s. which was introduced with the new supplementary benefits scheme in November, 1966, and was increased to 10s. in October of last year. As a result, the real value of their income is now substantially higher than it was when the Government took office even though the margin by which a blind person's supplementary pension or allowance exceeds the corresponding benefits paid to sighted persons has not been increased over the same period.Where, exceptionally, a person has special expenses arising from blindness which exceed the margin provided, the Supplementary Benefits Commission can use its discretionary powers to increase his pension or allowance by the amount required.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to meet the shortage of metric size medicine bottles available for chemists in Barrow-in-Furness.

Chemists obtain bottles through normal commercial sources and I understand that further supplies should become available in Barrow-in-Furness very shortly. Meanwhile, pharmacists may dispense the prescribed quantity of medicine in remaining Imperial measure bottles. The Executive Council are keeping the position under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now take steps to require that cigarette packets include a factual statement of their contents' risk to health.

I cannot at present add to my reply on 4th November to my hon. Friends the Members for Falmouth and Camborne (Dr. John Dunwoody), and Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon).—[Vol. 772, c. 462–464.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to make all local authorities who function as registrars of births, marriages and deaths responsible for the appointment and payment of all deputies and assistants to registration officers.

Yes, together with other improvements in the registration service when opportunity offers.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will set up a Departmental inquiry into the general problem of planned obsolescence in office machinery; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the expression "planned obsolescence" relates to an alleged practice by manufacturers of restricting the supply of spares in order to make office machines obsolescent before their time. I have no evidence of such a practice. If the hon. Member will send me more information, I will have the matter looked into.

asked the Minister of Technology (1) whether he will refer back to the Computer Aided Design Committee and to the appropriate subcommittee or working party the reasons why five out of the ten recommendations of the committee have not been adopted by industry; and if he will ask for comments and alternative recommendations;(2) if he will publish the reasons given to him explaining why five out of the 10 recommendations so far received from the Computer Aided Design Committee have not been adopted by the industries concerned.

The five recommendations were contained in the report of the Pipe-work Design Working Party. This report, after acceptance by the C.A.D. Committee, was discussed at a general meeting in January, 1969, to which representatives of the whole chemical plant industry were invited. The five recommendations in question were concerned with work of a more advanced nature than the parts of the report which dealt with design techniques capable of immediate application in the industry. They did not at the time arouse sufficient interest to warrant the placing of contracts by the Ministry of Technology. The discussions were reported back to the C.A.D. Committee and the Committee and the Ministry of Technology are considering the appropriate action to be taken.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total cost so far to public funds of his Department's support for the two projects that have been placed with industry following recommendations of the Computer Aided Design Committee.

The total cost so far of the Department's support for the two projects concerned is £60,000 The two projects are:

1. A contract with I.C.L. for the operation of the Cambridge Centre.

2. A contract by N.E.L. with Elliot for two display units.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total cost to public funds of his Department's expenditure in the field of computer-aided design, including the work at Cambridge, in the latest convenient period of 12 months.

					Interest	Depreciation	Superannuation	Other Items
					£'s million	£'s million	£'s million	£'s million
Reactor Group, including Winfrith Dounreay, Risley and laboratories				…	3	5	0·6	0·4
Research Group including Harwell and Culham	…	…	…	…	2	3	0·6	0·4
Other sites	…	…	…	…	1	1	0·6	0·4
					6	9	1·8	1·2

asked the Minister of Technology what estimate his Department has made of the cost of each supersonic flight by Concorde in compensation for personal injury and damage to buildings and other property caused by sonic booms, in the light of the analysis of the results of the boom tests conducted in 1968.

Presumably the hon. Member is referring to the limited sonic bang exercise held in the summer of 1967, when Lightning aircraft were used. No valid extrapolation can be made since the characteristics of the Concorde and its operating conditions will be different. The answer will also depend on the regulations governing

The total Ministry of Technology expenditure in the field of computer aided design in the financial year ending 31st March, 1969 was approximately £1·5 million. Of this figure just over £1·1 million was in respect of capital expenditure associated with the Cambridge project and a further £40,000 in running expenses.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give a breakdown of the £6 million interest, £9 million depreciation, £2 million superannuation and £1 million of other items, including insurance, respectively, between each of the Atomic Energy Authority's establishments.

The Authority's accounts do not provide a detailed breakdown of the charges for depreciation and interest on a site basis. Approximate figures on a group basis are given below.commercial supersonic overflying and the routes flown. These have not yet been decided.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what increases of British trade there have been with Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa since the imposition of sanctions on Rhodesia; and whether any of this trade is reaching Rhodesia indirectly.

Since the imposition of sanctions in 1965 our exports to the first three countries have increased by £4 million, £3½ million and £3½ million, respectively and our exports to South Africa in sterling terms have remained at about the same level. There is no way of knowing to what extent there may be some resale to Rhodesia of goods exported to these countries in conformity with our sanctions regulations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT showing the percentage of total value at

PERCENTAGE SHARE OF U.K. TRADE
					1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
Imports
Scheduled territories (Sterling Area)		…	…	…	32·9	31·3	29·9	27·4	28·4
Canada		…	…	…	8·0	8·0	7·1	7·1	6·5
Rhodesia		…	…	…	Not available	0·5	0·1	0·0	0·0
E.E.C.		…	…	…	16·5	17·3	18·6	19·6	19·8
E.F.T.A.		…	…	…	13·1	13·6	14·1	14·6	14·7
U.S.A.		…	…	…	11·4	11·7	12·1	12·5	13·3
Japan	…	…	…	…	1·3	1·4	1·3	1·4	1·5
C.M.E.A.*		…	…	…	4·3	4·7	4·9	4·7	4·7
South America†			…	…	4·8	4·5	4·4	4·2	3·6
Rest of the World			…	…	7·7	7·0	7·5	8·5	7·5
U.K. Exports
Scheduled territories (Sterling Area)		…	…	…	34·7	34·7	31·4	30·4	28·4
Canada		…	…	…	4·3	4·2	4·3	4·2	4·2
Rhodesia		…	…	…	Not available	0·7	0·0	0·0	0·0
E.E.C.		…	…	…	20·4	19·1	19·0	19·2	19·4
E.F.T.A.		…	…	…	14·1	14·1	14·7	15·1	13·9
U.S.A.		…	…	…	9·1	10·4	12·3	12·1	14·1
Japan	…	…	…	…	1·3	1·1	1·3	1·6	1·5
C.M.E.A.*		…	…	…	3·4	3·7	4·2	4·7	4·7
South America†			…	…	2·4	2·2	2·2	2·2	2·6
Rest of the World			…	…	10·3	9·8	10·6	10·5	11·2
* East Germany, U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Yugoslavia, China, People's Republic of Mongolia, North Korea, North Vietnam, Cuba, Albania (associate member).
† Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentine Republic.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will set up an inquiry in conjunction with the Consumer Council to consider whether the present opening hours of shops and banks are those best possible for the majority of consumers.

No. As part of their normal function the Council informs itself of consumer opinion, and makes whatever representations it thinks necessary to the responsible authorities. It commissioned a survey of private bank-

The following is the information: account holders' views at the end of 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give further details of the plans of the Hong Kong Government to construct a tunnel between Hong Kong and the mainland; and what assistance is being given by Her Majesty's Government to this project.

There is nothing I can add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 5th May, 1969, by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, but I would refer the hon. Member to the announcement by E.C.G.D. on 16th April, 1969, that the Department had agreed in principle to guarantee a loan up to a maximum of £14 million to be made by Lloyds Bank Ltd. to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Limited to help finance the construction of the proposed tunnel. The loan will bear interest at 5½ per cent. per annum and will be repayable over seven years from the estimated completion of the tunnel. As security for the loan, the shareholders in the Tunnel Company will severally guarantee repayment of advances made, and a floating charge over the company's assets will also be given.—[Vol. 783, c. 28–29.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement concerning the availability of investment grants for computer peripheral and ancillary equipment.

Hitherto grant has been payable on peripheral and ancillary equipment provided for use in a computing system only when the person using the equipment is also the owner or lessee of the central processing unit. This stipulation is now removed, and expenditure incurred in future by an eligible person in providing such equipment will, provided the other requirements of the investment grants scheme are satisfied, qualify for grant whether or not the user also owns or leases the central processing unit. In this way we shall, I believe, be providing a valuable additional incentive to the efficient use of computers.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the total estimated new commitments in 1969–70 in respect of new construction and major improvements for trunk roads and for principal roads and loans to highway authorities, respectively.

The provisional totals of new commitments for new road construction and improvements in England in 1969–70 are:

	£ million
Trunk Roads (including Motorways)	190
Principal Roads (Grants)	97
	287

We do not plan to authorise any new schemes to be financed by loans from the Roads Vote this year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give an assurance that the Concorde when making fully commercial flights from Heathrow will not be permitted to make supersonic bangs except over the sea.

In Section 19 of the Civil Aviation Act, 1968, the Government have taken powers to restrict or prohibit civil supersonic flying over the United Kingdom. No decision has yet been taken on the extent to which these powers should be used. Concorde cannot, however, attain supersonic speed until about 100 miles after take-off and must reduce to a subsonic speed about 100 miles before touch down.