asked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a statement on the results of the local radio experiment on Merseyside and on its prospects for the future.

I am reviewing the local radio experiment. When my review is complete, I will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many applications have been received from redundant miners within the West Wales area for redundancy payments under the 1965 Act; how many were disallowed; how many have made appeals; and how many of the appeals were allowed since the appointed day.

Applications for redundancy payments are made to employers, and employees whose applications are refused may decide that they do not wish to appeal. I do not know, therefore, how many applications are made or how many are refused by employers.Since the Redundancy Payments Act came into force the National Coal Board has made over 2,000 redundancy payments to coalmining employees in West Wales. Sixty-six employees have appealed to industrial tribunals; 14 of the appeals were allowed, 15 were disallowed, one is pending, and 36 were withdrawn after satisfactory settlement with the National Coal Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the average weekly earnings of those in employment in each of the regions and the average hourly rate paid to them.

Regional figures of average weekly and hourly earnings of adult men manual workers obtained from the regular half-yearly inquiry in October, 1968 were published in the Employment and Productivity Gazette in February.The new type of sample survey of earnings in September, 1968 covered employees in all occupations in all industries. The first results published in the

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number and details of the references now before the National Board for Prices and Incomes; the dates when the references were made and the reports are expected; and if she will indicate where outside consultants are being employed.

The 11 references at present with the National Board for Prices and Incomes, the dates on which they were made, and the expected dates of publication of the reports are listed below. There are also three questions which the board has been instructed to keep under continuous review—pay of the armed

							Date of reference to the N.B.P.I.	Expected date of Publication of Report
Salary Structures		…	…	…	…	…	22nd July, 1968	August, 1969
Productivity Agreements			…	…	…	…	25th November, 1968	July, 1969
Wages in the Electrical Contracting Industry						…	12th December, 1968	27th June, 1969
Man-made Fibre and Cotton Yarn Prices					…	…	19th February, 1969	Autumn, 1969*
Pay of Ground Staff at Aerodromes				…	…	…	10th April, 1969	Autumn, 1969
The Remuneration of Workers engaged in the porter-age, handling and checking of meat and poultry in the Smithfield Market, London, and in its transport from the Market		…	…	…	…	…	22nd April, 1969	Autumn, 1969
Beer Prices	…	…	…	…	…	…	24th April, 1969	Autumn, 1969
Overtime and Shift Working			…	…	…	…	29th April, 1969	Spring, 1970
Post Office Charges: Inland Parcel Post and Remittance Services		…	…	…	…	…	16th May, 1969	July, 1969
Coal Prices	…	…	…	…	…	…	22nd May, 1969	August, 1969
Pay of Pilots employed by British Overseas Airways Corporation	…	…	…	…	…	…	3rd June, 1969	Autumn, 1969
* Second Report; the First Report was published on 19th June, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will publish from information available to her from international sources a table showing the average annual increase in prices in Great Britain, France, West Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium and the United States of America between 1951 and 1964, between 1964 and the latest convenient date, and over the last convenient 12 months.

As the answer consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I must emphasise that owing to differences in concept, scope, methodology and presentation it cannot be assumed that figures for different countries are comparable.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many State-owned industries were set up in Wales in the year 1968–69; where they were located; and how many men are employed in them

I have been asked to reply.In addition to the normal activities of the nationalised industries, the Government established the decimal branch of the Royal Mint at Llantrisant in 1968–69 There are over 400 men employed there at present. Other decisions to disperse Government office work to Wales will, when fully implemented, provide over 10,000 jobs. Government assistance to private industry in the Principality amounted to more than £60 million in 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the national average teacher-pupil ratio in primary and secondary schools; and what is the ratio in Manchester, Salford and the North-West.

In January, 1968, the average numbers of pupils per teacher (including qualified and unqualified teachers, and the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers) were: England and Wales, 23·1; Manchester, 23·8; Salford, 23·9; and the North-West region, 24·1.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will specify the methods he uses to save long-term prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons from physical, mental and psychological degeneration and indicate the success or otherwise of his efforts to make and maintain such prisoners fit for return to free citizenship.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the supplementary question from the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Dudley Smith) on 19th June and to my reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker) on the same day.—[Vol. 785, c. 672 and 126.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to establish an intelligence test for citizens who are liable for jury service.

No. The Departmental Committee on Jury Service considered this proposal carefully and I find no reason to reject its conclusion that any form of intelligence test would be inappropriate and unacceptable in the British system of jury service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider establishing an emergency training college for the training of child care officers.

An emergency course for child care officers was started at the North Western Polytechnic, London, in 1968, and further courses are under consideration. It is more effective to assist established institutions to put on these courses than to set up a special establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue a circular to local authorities advising them to offer housing accommodation to child care officers.

I do not think this would be appropriate. The terms on which local authorities offer appointments to staff are not within my province.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the report of the Interdepartmental Committee on the law of Contempt as it affects Tribunals of Inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have now received the Report of the Committee and the House will be grateful to the Chairman, Lord Justice Salmon, and the members of the Committee for the work they have done on this review. The Report will be published this afternoon. The Committee conclude that the law of contempt applies to tribunals and recommend that it should continue to do so, but only from the point at which a tribunal is appointed; and, apart from attacks on the integrity of a member of the tribunal and conduct in the face of the tribunal, only in respect of anything said or done which is intended or obviously likely to interfere with the evidence of a potential witness.The Government's immediate view is that in principle the Committee's recommendations represent an acceptable limit to the operation of the law of contempt. My right hon. Friend and I shall consider the matter in greater detail, in particular whether legislation is appropriate, and a further statement will be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the recent National Institute for Economic and Social Research forecast of 630,000 unemployed by the end of 1969, an increase of 100,000 over 1968; and a further rise of 4,000 unemployed each month in 1970 and what new steps he is taking to prevent the fulfilment of these forecasts.

I regard the Institute's forecast as unduly pessimistic. It assumes a growth rate in the economy from the first half of this year to the first half of next year of little more than 2 per cent. As I explained in my Budget statement, I expect this figure to be nearly 3 per cent., and it could be significantly higher if exports do especially well.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the review of the decision to withdraw precision approach radar service has yet been completed.

In the light of our review so far I have concluded that it would be an additional advantage to secure an independent judgment on the problem. Professor D. W. Holder, F.R.S., Head of the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, has agreed to undertake an inquiry. He will be assisted by Captain M. H. Barrett, who is a Senior Captain in British European Airways and Sir Martin Ryle, F.R.S., Professor of Radio Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, acting as Assessors.The terms of reference will be:

asked the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in the last two years there have been violations of the regulations with regard to low flying at Gatwick; and on how many occasions disciplinary action has been taken.

Between July, 1967 and withdrawal of the PAR in February 1968 monitoring disclosed three infringements. None of these involved circumstances needing formal disciplinary action.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish the report of the inquiry into the Gatwick Airport disaster of 5th January, 1969.

This is a complex investigation, but the Chief Inspector of Accidents hopes to submit his report before the end of the year, after which it will be published without delay.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industries are at present paying levies to finance research activities under Orders made under Section 9 of the Industrial Organisation and Development Act, 1947; and which are they.

Three industries are at present paying levies to finance research activities under Orders made under Section 9 of the Industrial Organisation and Development Act, 1947. They are: the cutlery and stainless steel flatware industry; the iron casting industry; and the wool textile industry.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many appraisal certificates have so far been issued by the Agrément Board; and how many applications are currently under examination.

Thirty-five appraisal certificates have been issued so far: thirty-seven appraisals are in hand; and about sixty more are at a preliminary stage of negotiations.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many directly employed labour force operatives are employed at the depots of the Bournemouth area of his Department; and what percentage they represent of the overall strength of the directly employed labour.

The number is 1,111, which is about 3 per cent. of the total directly employed labour strength.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what were the classes of work which the First Mann Report recommended should be carried out by the directly employed labour force of his Department; and upon what criteria those recommendations were made.

The First Mann Committee Report is a confidential document which provided part only of the evidence on which I have based my D.E.L. policy. I do not propose to publish the Report or to divulge it piecemeal.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what was the total strength of his directly employed labour force on 31st December 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and at the latest convenient date; and how many of the men were craftsmen and how many were labourers.

The numbers are:—

31st December, 1963	40,597
31st December, 1964	39,451
31st December, 1965	38,351
31st December, 1966	37,452
31st December, 1967	36,847
31st December, 1968	36,025
1st June, 1969	34,926

No figures are available of the breakdown between craft and non-craft grades before 1968.Numbers of directly employed labour in craft and non-craft grades in 1968 and 1969 were:—

	Craft	Non-Craft
1st April, 1968	15,254	21,450 (including 2,997 Labourers)
1st April, 1969	15,161	20,359 (including 2,675 Labourers)

asked the Prime Minister if he will transfer the responsibilities for consumers' welfare to a special de- partment within the Board of Trade which would take over the responsibilities for food from the Ministry of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food.

No. I think that consumers' interests are best served by the present arrangements, under which the Board of Trade has a general responsibility for consumer protection but the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with its expert knowledge, has a special responsibility in relation to food.

asked the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds over the last year, or other convenient period, of the hot line between No. 10 Downing Street and the White House.

As I said in reply to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 27th July, 1967, it would not be in the public interest to give details.—[Vol. 751, c. 969.]

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint an interdepartmental council with additional scientific representatives to co-ordinate the attack on environmental pollution.

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint an interdepartmental council, with varied scientific representation, to co-ordinate policy to combat environmental pollution.

The Government are fully aware of the importance and urgency of this problem, and of the need to co-ordinate, in the most effective way possible, all measures of control of environmental pollution. The problem is already under close interdepartmental investigation, and has been recently considered by the Central Advisory Council for Science and Technology.

asked the Prime Minister what information is in the possession of the Government on the volume and nature of weapons, aircraft and tanks provided by the Union of Soviet Republic to Arab States since the Four-Power talks were started.

It would not be in the public interest to reveal all the information available to Her Majesty's Government on a matter of this kind. But I can assure my right hon. Friend that it is kept under very careful survey.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now publish as a White Paper or circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the Report of the Trades Union Congress General Council entitled "Programme for Action" to which the recent undertaking accepted by Her Majesty's Government refers and on which the Government's industrial relations policy is now based.

I understand that a copy of "Programme for Action" is in the Library of the House, and that the Trades Union Congress intends to re-publish it shortly as part of the report of the Special Congress on 5th June.On the Government's policy on industrial relations, I would refer the hon. Member to what I said in the House on 19th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he will take following the resolution passed at the meeting in Warsaw of the International Commission for the North-West Atlantic Fisheries seeking to ban salmon fishing outside national limits; and if he will make a statement.

Reasonable time must be allowed for member Governments of the Commission to signify their formal acceptance of the proposal, which is necessary before it takes legal effect. I shall keep the position under review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many new licences to export meat to the United Kingdom have been granted to meat plants in the Argentine Republic in the last 12 months;(2) how many meat plants in the Argentine Republic have had their licences to export meat to the United Kingdom withdrawn in the last 12 months; and what were the reasons for such withdrawal;(3) how many meat plants in the Argentine Republic are at present licensed to export meat to the United Kingdom; and how many of these plants are equipped with the necessary facilities for the boning of beef.

There are 27 meat plants in the Argentine Republic approved under the Imported Food Regulations, 1968, for export to the United Kingdom. They consist of three sheep establishments, from which supplies are not allowed to come in on animal health grounds; 15 beef establishments, of which one is a cannery only; and nine horse slaughterhouses which were brought within the regulations for the first time in the last 12 months; no other plants were newly approved in that period.During the last 12 months, two sheep and four beef establishments were removed from the approved list because of shortcomings in construction and hygiene.Thirteen of the 14 refrigerated beef plants are equipped with facilities for boning, and it is understood that the remaining one will soon be so equipped.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will now revise his economic planning documents in the light of the Government's deferment of the balance of payments surplus target since the Budget statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what revision he has now made of that section of his planning document, "The Task Ahead", dealing with the estimated trade returns, in view of the Government's deferment of the target for a surplus on the balance of payments since the Budget statement.

I would refer the hon. Members to my reply to Questions by the hon. Members for Banbury (Mr. Marten) and Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will commission a study of the effects of the regional employment premium on employment in the development areas.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Bebington (Mr. Brooks) and West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he will now give a precise estimate of the total cost to public funds of the 100,000 new jobs in development areas forecast by his Department.

The Exchequer cost of the regional employment premium is estimated at £100 million a year over the seven years from its introduction in 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what study he has made of the economic consequences of the existing road and rail communications between Bristol and Dorset.

Communications are among the important matters which are kept under study by the South West Economic Planning Council in advising Ministers on the economic development needs of the Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what proposals he has to encourage and stimulate local authorities and organisations in the North-West to increase their efforts in smoke control, land reclamation and urban renewal.

A great deal has already been done to encourage and stimulate local authorities to undertake work in these fields, and the Government's policy of assistance in all three cases is well established. Increased assistance for the reclamation of derelict land, arising from the Hunt Committee proposals, is new evidence of the Government's interest in the efforts of local authorities in this sphere.

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to what extent his Department's economic assessment to 1972, as contained in the publication "The Task Ahead", will have to be revised in the light of the official conclusion that incorrect trade and balance of payments figures have been issued since 1964; and whether he will make a statement.

While the under-recording does not affect our overall position or the need to maintain the policies set out in "The Task Ahead", it means that the identified visible account is stronger than was thought.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is to be recommended to take over the functions and responsibilities under the 1965 Constitution of the Governorship of Rhodesia after the resignation of the present incumbent.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who now performs the functions of Governor of Southern Rhodesia.

Sir Humphrey Gibbs has held office under the 1961 Constitution. The "1965 Constitution" is illegal. The Southern Rhodesia (Constitution) Order, 1965 made under the Southern Rhodesia Act, 1965, provides that the executive authority of Southern Rhodesia may be exercised on Her Majesty's behalf by a Secretary of State.Sir F. Bennett asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what authority or body in Rhodesia citizens of that country entitled to British passports will in future need to apply to obtain such passports or other relevant travel documents, including visas for British passports already in their possession.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made for the continued issue of British passports and other documents required by British subjects in Rhodesia.

After the closing of the British Residual Mission in Salisbury those in Rhodesia eligible for United Kingdom passports will be able to arrange the renewal and issue of such passports and obtain entry certificates or vouchers at the office of the British Consul in Pretoria.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Scotland how many teachers currently employed by the education authorities of the counties of East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian, respectively, have failed to re-register with the General Teaching Council since 1st April; and if he will give an undertaking that no action will be taken against them.

At 24th June the position was as set out below. As to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 25th June to the hon. Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur).—[Vol. 785, c. 277.]

Education Authority	Teachers in schools who have not re-registered
East Lothian	1
Midlothian	4
West Lothian	29

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total number of high-rise tower blocks which require strengthening following the Ronan Point disaster; how many are in each local authority area involved; what is the estimated cost to each local authority; and in how many cases it will be necessary to evacuate blocks already occupied.

Information has been supplied to me about 162 blocks, at various stages of construction, and located as shown below, in the category which authorities were advised to have appraised. Not all of these will require strengthening. Until the full results of appraisals are known and proposals for any necessary strengthening works have been made to me, I cannot give the other information requested.

	Number of Blocks
Aberdeen	4
Airdrie	3
Ayr	3
Barrhead	1
Clydebank	3
Coathridge	4
Cumbernauld New Town	15
Dumbarton	3
Dundee	3
Edinburgh	14
Falkirk	9
Glasgow	58
Greenock	14
Lanark County	12
Motherwell and Wishaw	9
Paisley	2
Port Glasgow	3
Saltcoats	2

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates the annual departmental reports will be published this year.

These reports have been published this month:

• Education in Scotland in 1968.
• Agriculture in Scotland; Report for 1968.
• Scottish Development Department; Report for 1968.

The following departmental reports for 1968 are expected to be published on the dates shown:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give the figures for the last 10 years of the weekly pay of a hospital nurse in comparison with the national average wage; the number of nurses in the National Health Service, in comparison with the total number required; and the

MOVEMENTS IN THE SALARY OF A STAFF NURSE IN A GENERAL HOSPITAL EXPRESSED IN WEEKLY TERMS TO NEAREST SHILLING
					At minimum of scale		At maximum of scale
					£	s.	£	s.
From 1st March, 1959	…	…	…	…	9	12	12	0
From 1st December, 1960		…	…	…	10	1	12	12
From 1st April, 1962	…	…	…	…	10	16	13	10
From 1st July, 1963	…	…	…	…	11	10	14	8
From 1st July, 1964	…	…	…	…	11	17	14	17
From 1st July, 1965	…	…	…	…	13	5	16	18
From 1st October, 1967		…	…	…	13	15	17	12
From 1st January, 1969		…	…	…	15	1	18	18
The dates given are those on which new salaries were introduced.

AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS (TO NEAREST SHILLING) AT OCTOBER EACH YEAR MANUFACTURING AND CERTAIN OTHER INDUSTRIES
		1959		1960		1961		1962		1963
		£	s.	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.
Men (aged 21 and over)	…	13	11	14	11	15	7	15	17	16	15
Women (aged 18 and over)	…	7	1	7	8	7	15	8	1	8	8
		1964		1965		7966		1967		1968
		£	s.	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.
Men (aged 21 and over)	…	18	2	19	12	20	6	21	8	23	0
Women (aged 18 and over)	…	8	19	9	12	10	1	10	11	11	6

NUMBER (IN TERMS OF TOTAL WHOLE-TIME EQUIVALENT) OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY STAFF IN NATIONAL HFALTH SF.RVICF HOSPITALS IN ENGLAND AND WALES AT 30TH SEPTEMBER
1959*	1960*	1961*	1962*	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
188,377	191,556	196,088	206,673	207,746	212,366	222,397	231,542	239,323	241,294
* Whole-time equivalent figures of part-time staff were not obtained in these years and the figures given are for whole-timers plus two-thirds of the number of part-timers.

INDEX OF STUDENT NURSES†
		1958–59	1959–60	1960–61	1961–62	1962–63
Admitted for the first time or after previous discontinuance of training	…	21,796	21,636	20,573	21,333	21,978
Withdrew on discontinuance of training		9,132	9,315	9,081	8,426	8,069
		1963–64	1964–65	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68
Admitted for the first time or after previous discontinuance of training	…	19,648	20,770	21,087	20,538	19,301
Withdrew on discontinuance of training		8,139	8,923	7,407	7,985	7,803
INDEX OF PUPIL NURSES†
		1958–59	1959–60	1960–61	1961–62	1962–63
Admitted for the first time or after previous discontinuance of training	…	4,006	4,191	4,236	4,498	5,893
Withdrew on discontinuance of training		1,633	1,982	1,882	1,798	1,957
		1963–64	1964–65	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68
Admitted for the first time or after previous discontinuance of training	…	5,884	7,131	8,787	10,487	11,756
Withdrew on discontinuance of training		2,166	2,333	2,791	3,314	4,226
† The figures are taken from annual reports of the General Nursing Council and include nurses training at hospitals outside the National Health Service.

The information available is in the following tables. Hospital authorities are responsible for determining their nursing staff needs, and information about vacancies is not available centrally. Information about the annual numbers of nurses recruited and leaving is not available for grades other than student and pupil nurse.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total number of accidents on the roads between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., in February, 1969. and February, 1968, respectively.

The total number of accidents between these hours is not readily available. The number of fatal and serious casualties was as follows:

	February
	1968 (29 days)	1969 (28 days)
7 a.m.—9 a.m.	774	743
4 p.m.—6 p.m.	1,028	956

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total number of accidents on the roads involving children on Mondays to Fridays between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., in February, 1969, and February, 1968, respectively.

The information is not readily available in the precise form requested, but the number of fatal and serious casualties to child pedestrians and pedal cyclists aged 5–14 was as follows:

	February: Mondays to Fridays
	1968 (21 days)	1969 (20 days)
7 a.m.—9 a.m.	82	52
4 p.m.—6 p.m.	230	216

asked the Minister of Transport on how many schemes on railway lines attracting grants and involving capital expenditure exceeding £25,000, or such lesser figure as he has determined, he has asked to see details from the Railways Board.

I am writing to my hon. Friend explaining the position.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated cost of the scheme to replace Falmouth Railway Station which he is presently considering.

Some £5,600.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy in the light of the Maud Report on the desirability of obtaining uniformity of local government structure in the whole of the Severnside area.

My policy is to reach decisions which are in the best interests of Wales and which have regard to the views of the Welsh local authorities concerned.