asked the Minister of Technology what undertakings Her Majesty's Government have sought in relation to the Baglan Bay project by British Petroleum in South Wales; and what arrangements have been made to utilise British compressor drive turbines there, where possible.

No undertakings have been sought. I understand that the company, though alive to the desirability of utilising British equipment where possible, has not done so in the case of the compressor drive turbines.

asked the Minister of Technology what further study his Department has made of the uses of gaseous centrifuge techniques and their application to separating uranium 235 and 238 and plutonium 239 and 240; and to what extent in the British/Dutch/German agreement account was taken of the availability of nuclear weapons to each of the participating Governments.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has been conducting research on the centrifuge process and its application for many years. In our discussions with the Netherlands and German Governments it has been agreed that any agreement between us to exploit the process must incorporate mutual undertakings and safeguards provisions consistent with our respective policies and international obligations regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

asked the Minister of Technology what consultations he intends having with local authorities before the final decision is taken about the routes for Concorde test flights at supersonic speeds.

A number of local authorities have already made representations about Concorde's possible test routes. Their views and those of other interested bodies will be taken into account. But the choice of routes is necessarily limited by technical and safety requirements.

asked the Minister of Technology what action he proposes to take in view of the 25 per cent. drop in production of motor cars between March, 1968 and March, 1969.

None. It is estimated that the 25 per cent. fall in the weekly average production rate is entirely accounted for by losses caused by industrial disputes.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement on the proposed merger between C. A. Parsons Limited with Bruce Peebles Limited; and whether he has obtained an assurance that there will be no transfer from the Tyne to Edinburgh of the transformers section of C. A. Parsons.

We have no reason to oppose this merger, and sought assurance only that every effort would be made to maintain employment levels both on Tyneside and in Edinburgh.

asked the Minister of Technology what study his Department has made of the relative risks of rapid burning from alcohol and high octane petrol when used as racing car fuel; and what recommendations he has made in the interests of greater safety.

The burning of alcohol and petrol has been studied at the Fire Research Station. There are differences in the behaviour of these fuels, but on balance there is no reason to prefer one to the other in the interests of safety.

asked the Minister of Technology what representations he made in Moscow about the present adverse balance in British trade with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and what progress he made towards the securing of Soviet orders for British automative equipment for the new car plants, Toglialti and Ijevsk.

The purpose of my recent visit to the U.S.S.R. was not to discuss the current trading balance but to review the Anglo-Soviet Technological Agreement in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement. I took the opportunity to impress on the Soviet authorities how much British technology has to offer over a very wide field, including that of the automotive industry. These technological links with the U.S.S.R. will, certainly, contribute in a practical manner to the opening up of further opportunities for British industry in the development of Anglo-Soviet trade.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will now make a further statement about appointments to the Metrication Board.

In addition to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Director whose appointments I have already announced, I have now appointed as members of the Metrication Board:

• Mrs. Ailsa Stanley, J.P.
• Mr. Herbert J. Cruickshank, C.B.E.
• Mr. Alan G. Dawtry, C.B.E.
• Mr. Edward F. Knight.
• Professor M. L. McGlashan.
• Sir Thomas Padmore, G.C.B.
• Dr. F. Lincoln Ralphs.
• Mr. Mark Abrams.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent lay representation of patients is allowed when applications for discharge are made to the Mental Welfare Commission or to the sheriff under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act, 1960.

It is not the practice of the Mental Welfare Commission to investigate applications for discharge by formal hearings and the question of lay representation does not, therefore, arise. The Commission itself includes lay members. In the case of appeals to the sheriff, the appellant is almost invariably represented by a solicitor.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take steps to establish a Mental Health Review Tribunal to review the need for detention of mental patients in hospitals in Scotland.

Since there is already provision for review by the Mental Welfare Commission and by the sheriff, I see no need for a tribunal.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has now made of the number of houses to be completed in 1969.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 25th April.—[Vol. 782, c. 141–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the effect on rates of the Government's restriction to 3⅓ per cent. of the increase in reckonable expenditure of local authorities in 1969–70, in view of the financial commitments of local authorities which cannot be easily varied.

I do not accept that there need be a general increase in 1969–70 by comparison with 1968–69.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many individual cases of payment of betterment levy have so far been completed in Scotland; what is the total financial return to the Land Commission; and how many cases at present are under negotiation.

At 14th May, 1969, betterment levy had been assessed in 996 cases and collection had been completed in 685 of these. The total amount assessed was £433,389 of which £211,940 had been collected. A further 1,302 cases were under negotiation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many acres of land the Land Commission has now acquired in Scotland; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the location of such areas together with the acreages in each case and the purchase price of each area.

36·7 acres comprising 25 acres in Edinburgh, 7·5 acres at Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire and 4·2 acres at Menstrie, Clackmannanshire. In addition the Land Commission has contracted to purchase 120 acres at Alness and the conveyancing is expected to be completed within the next few days. It is not the practice to disclose particulars of prices paid in individual transactions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that the Land Commission returns to the individual a substantial part of losses in property values created by the community.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of sites in Scotland at present being negotiated with individual acreages for purchase by the Land Commission.

Thirteen sites in Scotland, totalling about 1,050 acres and varying in size from 2·8 to 434 acres, are at present the subject of compulsory purchase proceedings or negotiations with owners.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the cost to public funds of the Land Commission's operations in Scotland in the current year.

The direct cost of the Commission's operations in Scotland is £138,000. The only costs of services provided by other Departments which can be readily identified as attributable to the Commission's activities in Scotland amount to about £27,200.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received against the employment by Lanarkshire Education Authority of unqualified teachers after they were found unfit by the reference panels; and what reply has been sent.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from the Educational Institute of Scotland, the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association and the General Teaching Council. I have since met representatives of Lanarkshire Edu- cation Authority and have been given by the authority satisfactory assurances about its future procedure in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified and experienced teachers have now been dismissed and had notices of dismissal served upon them, respectively, for failure to register with the General Teaching Council, and for failing to reregister with the Council, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the resulting situation.

23 teachers were dismissed but of these three were reinstated when they subsequently registered. Seven are under notice of dismissal but of these I understand six have now registered and their notices will be withdrawn. These cases all arose from failure to register in 1968–69. I understand that no teachers have been given notice of dismissal as a result of failure to register in 1969–70.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers, previously registered with the General Teaching Council, have not re-registered; and if he will make a statement.

According to the statement made by the General Teaching Council on 20th May, 43,029 teachers had registered for the year commencing on 1st April. This exceeds the number of teachers employed in the schools, the only sector where registration is a condition of employment. Last year's experience suggests, however, that the figure of 43,029 includes teachers who are not so employed and who were therefore under no obligation to register. Since it is not known how many teachers there may be in this group the Council's figures do not indicate how many teachers in the schools have renewed their registration for the current year and how many have neglected to do so. I am therefore making inquiries of the education authorities, whose responsibility it is to satisfy themselves that they are not employing teachers in contravention of the Schools (Scotland) Code, and I shall make a further statement later.I am sure that the House will agree that it would be deplorable if, at this stage, teachers persisted in declining to register with the Council. Not only would they be disqualifying themselves for employment, but they would create a prejudicial atmosphere for the review of the constitution and functions of the Council which, at the request of the interested bodies, I have put in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified teachers have so far been dismissed for failing to register with the General Teaching Council.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present volume of traffic on the Great Western Road between Botanic Gardens and Shelly Road; what it is estimated it will be on the completion of the Clyde Expressway; and what it is estimated it will be on the completion of the northwest motorway and its associated link roads.

Glasgow Corporation estimate the volumes at 25,000 vehicles a day, 33,000 vehicles a day and at least 30,000 vehicles a day, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new jobs are expected to result from the proposed Chevron oil complex at Portencras, Ayrshire.

The company has indicated that, if this project goes ahead, about 2,000 men will be employed during the peak construction period and thereafter it will provide several hundred extra jobs in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many directorships of social work are now vacant; and what guidance he has given to local authorities regarding the qualifications of candidates for these posts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many directors of social work have now been appointed; and what are their qualifications.

I have been informed by 27 of the 52 local authorities and combined authorities concerned that they have appointed directors of social work. I have still to be informed by 25 authorities; most of these have advertised.The qualifications of those directors already appointed vary. On the question of acceptable qualifications, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 12th March.—[Vol. 779, c. 288–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for changing the medical arrangements in the outer isles of Orkney and Shetland; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the Orkney Executive Council and other interested bodies for their views on the concept of providing general medical services in 10 of the outer islands of Orkney by means of a flying doctor service. I shall give further consideration to the practicability and acceptability of such an arrangement in the light of their comments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now initiate legislation to allow local authorities to provide family planning facilities.

Local authorities have powers under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act, 1947, to provide family planning facilities where these are required on medical grounds. Section 15 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968, will give authorities an additional power to provide these services on social grounds. In deciding on a date for implementation of the Section, I shall have regard to the pressure on local authority resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of total murders in each of the last 10 years has involved a person, either victim or assailant, who was under the influence of alcohol.

It would not be appropriate for me to attempt an authoritative estimate of the degree of intoxication of murderers and victims of murders. I am, however, again grateful to the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology at Edinburgh University for a provisional assessment of Scottish murder cases which suggests that in the two years 1962 and 1963 either victims or offenders, or both, had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol in 7·3 per cent. of cases, and that either or both had consumed a lesser but significant amount in 21·9 per cent. of cases. The provisional assessment suggests that for the two years 1966 and 1967 the comparable figures were 23·5 per cent. and 26·5 per cent. Estimates are not available for other years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for linking the roads in Glen Muick and Glen Esk; and what is the estimated cost of the six-mile link.

None. No grant would be payable on such a road, and I have made no estimate of cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what programmes for improvement of the education system he has authorised education authorities to postpone in order to enable them to comply with the ceilings he has imposed on increases in expenditure by local authorities.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Scottish fish merchants and their associations about the White Fish Authority's proposed statutory minimum prices scheme for Scotland and Northern Ireland; and what reply he has sent to each.

At this stage in the statutory procedure representations require to be made to the White Fish Authority. I have received a copy of one such representation and it has been formally acknowledged.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the effects in Scotland of the proposed increase in fuel duty; and what reply he has sent.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent representations he has received about the dumping of dried milk in the United Kingdom; and what reply he has sent.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 5th February to the hon. Member for Bodmin (Mr. Bessell). The Board of Trade has not received in recent years any antidumping application in respect of dried milk.—[Vol. 777, c. 102–3.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now relax the present hire-purchase regulations relating to motor cars in view of the 25 per cent. drop in production of motor cars between March, 1968, and March, 1969.

No. The drop in production to which my hon. Friend refers was attributable to strikes in March, 1969. Average weekly production in January and February, 1969, was higher than in the corresponding months of 1968.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he now expects to decide on the action to be taken to check the large scale dumping of cheddar cheese.

As my right hon. Friend told the House on 2nd April, he is awaiting the outcome of the discussions which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is having with the countries concerned about the voluntary restraint of their exports of cheese to the United Kingdom. My right hon. Friend is continuing discussions and he will make a statement about their outcome as soon as he can.—[Vol. 781, c. 111–12.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on his survey of firms in Sunderland with headquarters outside the North-East; and upon what grounds they have informed him that they will not take part in local drives to employ more people.

We have not undertaken any such survey of firms in Sunderland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the results of his inquiries into the feasibility of physical import controls; and if he will institute a further study of means by which these could be made effective without consumer controls involving the issue of ration books.

We are making no such inquiries and we see no need for the study suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to increase the import duty on a pack of cards, which at present stands at ½d. per pack, in view of the fact that British exporters have to pay duties up to 100 per cent. on this item in certain cases.

No. As a result of the Kennedy Round, under which other countries reduced their duties on many of our exports, the duty is bound against any increase, and will be reduced. Apart from certain less-developed countries, other countries in general have duties of much less than 100 per cent. on packs of cards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total amount and value of beef imported from Yugoslavia in each of the last five years; and what were the respective amounts of boned, semi-boned and carcase meat.

The following is the information:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount and value of bones and hides for industrial purposes imported from countries where foot-and-mouth disease is endemic in each of the last five years.

Imports of bones and hides from countries from which imports of meat were temporarily suspended on 4th December, 1967, were:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received the report of the Mono- polies Commission on the supply and export of rods for cigarette filter tips; and when it will be available to Parliament.

I have received the report, and hope to be able to publish it during July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why Her Majesty's Government have no officially sponsored stand at the Milan Trade Fair; and what steps he took to ensure that the posters exhibited by the Central Office of Information portrayed an accurate picture of modern Britain.

The International Samples Fair at Milan is a general fair at which some 250 British firms were represented. The Board of Trade supported an official information stand and a joint venture of the jewellery trade organised by the London Chamber of Commerce. The theme of the information stand showed in Milan, which has an air pollution problem, was how modern Britain was successfully tackling this problem.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will hold consultations with local authorities before the final decision is taken regarding restriction of the commercial airline operations of the Concorde and other supersonic aircraft.

No decision to allow commercial supersonic flights overland would be taken without the fullest consultation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration has been given to creating a single air traffic control authority responsible for both civil and military aircraft.

The National Air Traffic Control Service, a joint civil-military organisation, was set up in December, 1962, to introduce a complete integration of air traffic control planning, and to develop and operate a common system of control for both civil and military traffic. I am not clear what else the hon. Gentleman may have in mind.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the latest fare proposals put forward by the International Air Transport Association and submitted to him; to what extent he proposes to approve those proposals on behalf of Her Majesty's Government; and how the proposed contract bulk inclusive tour fares compare with current inclusive tour fares under the limitation of Provision 1.

After taking the views of other Governments, the Board of Trade has approved some fares on which Formal I.A.T.A. agreement has been reached and, pending further clarification, has, in all other cases, given provisional approval to the fares being charged, all of which have been published by the airlines. Where they apply, contract bulk inclusive tour fares are lower than current fares; the contract bulk inclusive tour minimum prices will be the control prices under Provision 1.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will impose restrictions in connection with the new special regulations area granted to Luton Airport in order to minimise the stacking of aircraft over the north and west of Luton and over Dunstable, and to limit the expansion of the use of the airport.

Proposals for a special form of controlled airspace in the vicinity of Luton Airport have been circulated to members of the Civil Aviation Control Advisory Committee, on which the major air users are represented, and are under consideration.The present proposals do not involve the stacking of aircraft over the north and west of Luton and over Dunstable, but in any event the number of aircraft which might have to be held waiting to land at any time would be small in number even at busiest periods. There is no reason to believe that the air traffic situation at Luton cannot be dealt with by suitable methods of air traffic control.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what orders have been given to Her Majesty's forces in Malaysia in view of the disturbances there; and whether he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's forces have not been involved in any way in the recent disturbances in Malaysia.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange for the Royal Navy to provide for officers a correspondence course similar to that provided by the Royal Air Force Individual Studies School.

The seagoing duties of naval officers make it difficult to insist on the completion of such correspondence courses as a pre-requisite for selection for staff training.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the British early potato crop as it is developing and what volume of imports of early potatoes is expected, and when they will arrive.

The early potato crop has been delayed by the weather but marketings should begin at the turn of the month. Imports of new potatoes are likely to be at least 40,000 tons loss than last year, and nearly all should have arrived by mid-June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from meat traders and meat importers on his proposed implementation of some of the recommendations of the First Report of the Northumberland Committee.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from the National Federation of Meat Traders' Associations and these are being considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will extend the ban on carcase meat from Argentina following the adoption of the Northumberland Report to hides and bones imported for industrial purposes.

No. The Committee did not recommend such a course. The risk lies in bones in chilled and frozen meat on which my right hon. Friend is taking action, as the Committee recommended.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that New Zealand lamb imported into Great Britain is stained blue by its blue wrapping; and what plans he has to protect British consumers of lamb from the relevant dangers.

There can on occasions be a transference to the meat of the dye, used for grade or other marks on the wrapping material, when the meat is thawing out.It is an offence under the Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1966 to import or sell any meat having in it or on it any added colouring matter, otherwise than for the purpose of marking; and only colouring matters permitted by the Regulations may be used for marking.Enforcement of the Regulations is a matter for port health authorities as regards importation, and otherwise for food and drugs authorities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he is making to assist river authorities to extend the coverage of their flood warning service to the public.

Subject to the approval of Parliament I propose to introduce a new specific grant of 50 per cent. of the capital cost of approved flood warning systems installed by river authorities after 1st January, 1969. The necessary legislation will be laid before the House at a suitable opportunity.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to authorise the acceptance of Northern Ireland bank notes as legal tender in any part of the United Kingdom.

Except in wartime bank notes other than those issued by the Bank of England have never been legal tender. I see no reason to make a change.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of persons employed by the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise departments in the Bradford Employment Exchange area, giving figures for men, women, young persons and skilled manual workers, with separate details for Shipley.

The following is the information required:Exchange area: and no staff are employed at Shipley.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the 146 official forms available in Welsh at present and the 87 further forms to come into use on 1st June, respectively, are or will be available solely in Welsh; and how many have or will have an added English translation.

117 of the 146 official forms available in Welsh at present are solely in Welsh. The 87 forms of which a prescribed Welsh version will be available from 1st June are for use in magistrates' courts and juvenile courts. Clerks to courts may produce them solely in Welsh or bilingually, at their discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if the British Railways workshops at Inverurie have been considered as a possible location for an industrial retraining centre.

No. Government training centres can only be established successfully in relatively large centres of population where there is likely to be a continuing demand both for training places and for trainees who have completed their courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the total number employed in the electronics and telecommunications industries in Midlothian; and what are the projected figures up to 1972.

At mid-1967, the latest date for which figures are available, the estimated number of employees in employment in the electronics and telecommunications industries in Midlothian was 6,680. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 31st March, 1969, about forecasts of employment and unemployment.—[Vol. 781, c. 7.]

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the railway accident near Beattock Summit on 18th May; and if he will publish the findings of the inquiry by British Railways.

At about 06.15 on Sunday, 18th May, the 21.30 Euston-Inverness sleeping car express was struck in the rear by the 22.15 Euston-Glasgow sleeping car express near Beattock Summit. Prior to the collision, the former train had come to a halt due to the locomotive's failure, and the latter train was subsequently admitted into the section to assist it. During the subsequent operations the locomotive of the Euston-Glasgow train collided heavily with the rear coach of the Euston-Inverness train. The collison resulted in the rear coach becoming derailed and the locomotive damaged.It is with deep regret that I have to inform the House that the driver of the 22.15 Euston-Glasgow train died as a result of his injuries, and a number of passengers and railway servants on both trains suffered minor injuries.I have directed that an inquiry be held to determine the cause of the accident. The results of the inquiry will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will remove from the Metropolitan Police the exercise of discretion in prosecuting or refraining from prosecuting road users who wait in no-waiting streets;(2) by what authority the Metropolitan Police are given discretion in deciding whether or not to prosecute road users who wait in no-waiting streets.

With these, as with the generality of offences, it is entirely for the chief officer of police to decide whether to prosecute in a particular case. My right hon. Friend has no authority to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of known attempted suicides in England and Wales in each of the years from 1964 to 1968, inclusive.

Since the enactment of the Suicide Act, 1961, attempted suicide has ceased to constitute a criminal offence and no statistics of its incidence are collected by the police; neither, I understand, are they collected by hospitals or other authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his plans now for the use of Moor Court Prison.

I announced on 16th December, 1968, in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renée Short) that I was arranging for Moor Court to be closed as a female establishment. On 18th April, however, Hill Hall was burnt down, fortunately without loss of life. This reduced by 56 the places available for women prisoners suitable for open conditions, and I have therefore decided temporarily to reopen Moor Court as an open prison for women, pending a decision about the long term arrangements for open prison facilities for women in the South.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what modifications he proposes in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I are satisfied, after discussion with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, that a number of minor amendments should be made to the existing Scheme in the light of experience of its operation. The most important of these will reformulate the definition of offences which attract compensation and will strengthen the Board's hand to reject undeserving cases. The modified Scheme, which incorporates the existing concession for dependants of public servants which I announced on 14th May, 1968, will take effect at once, without prejudice to offers and determinations already made or to appeals from those determinations. It is reproduced below together with a summary of the main changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of geriatric beds per 1,000 people over 65 years of age in the Blackpool and Fylde area; and how this compares with the national average.

9·3 at present; it will rise to 9·9 when the 30-bedded unit, to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 12th May, is opened. The comparable present figure for England and Wales is 9·8. I regret that when replying to the hon. Member on 12th May the figure of 166 was inadvertently quoted for the number of beds in the recently opened ward at Wesham Park; the correct figure is 16.—[Vol. 783, c. 970–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why no capital expenditure was planned for 1968–69 and is planned for 1969–70 for extensions or improvement projects to the Ottery St. Mary Hospital:(2) why no capital expenditure was planned for 1968–69 and is planned for 1969–70 for extensions or improvement projects to Marlpits Hospital, Honiton, Devon.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Questions on 19th May.—[Vol. 784, c. 7–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will act on the industrial survey unit report on arthritis and rheumatism made to him by Professor John Duthie with a view to having them scheduled as industrial diseases.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the report, not made to my right hon. Friend, but published recently by The Arthritis and Rheumatism Council. Before a disease can be prescribed the conditions laid down by the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act must be satisfied. There is no evidence that the conditions are satisfied by these two complaints.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will make a statement on the supply of bricks in Scotland.

Brick production in Scotland in the winter months of 1968–69 was not high enough to provide an adequate stock from which to meet the increased demand in March and April particularly in the Central Belt. In this area, therefore, not all demands can currently be met from local brickworks and builders are obliged to go further afield within Scotland or south of the border for some supplies.Scottish brickmakers have advised me that this shortfall is not due to any general lack of capacity but to a loss of labour to other employment and to some additional loss of output from other causes. I am discussing with my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity and the Secretary of State for Scotland what can be done to help the industry overcome its difficulties and so enable production to be increased.I must stress that the excess of demand over production is currently being contained to within quite narrow limits; production for the first four months of this year being only about 6 per cent. below last year's record figure.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what Government research has been carried out into the development of fly-ash as an additive for binders in the manufacture of cement and for use in other industries.

Since the early 1950s the Building Research Station has helped the Central Electricity Generating Board to find the best ways of using pulverised fuel ash in building. I understand that the Road Research Laboratory has also made a contribution. Over 40 per cent. of the ash produced by power stations is now used in the construction industries.