asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused by the requirement in the Post Office Guide that any insured package must bear a distinct impression of the same private device or mark of the sender thereof; and whether, in view of the impracticability of this provision, he will arrange for its withdrawal at an early date.

The sealing requirements for insured packets are prescribed by international agreement and we cannot withdraw them without breaching our obligations to other postal authorities. In any case, I have no reason to think that they give rise to undue inconvenience.

asked the Postmaster-General what studies are currently being undertaken concerning the problem of providing an emergency communications system for the housebound and elderly.

A Fellowship, endowed by the Post Office, was established in January 1968 at Essex University to carry out research into such communication needs. A report is expected in 1970.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will arrange a simple means of transferring money from a Post Office savings account to a Giro account and vice versa.

For small sums the system is simple but large sums take longer as they may involve the need to safeguard against fraud.

asked the Postmaster-General how many Commonwealth immigrants are employed in the postal service.

A substantial number, but we do not keep separate records of them.

asked the Postmaster-General why he proposes to transfer the Post Office pensions section from Edinburgh to Chesterfield.

Only a small proportion of pensions work is done in Edinburgh; it will be more efficient and economical to move it to Chesterfield where all similar work for the Post Office is done.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a further statement on the installation of the proposed L.A.C.E.S. computer at London Airport.

asked the Postmaster-General when he now expects to announce the placing of a firm order for the London Airport computer complex for handling freight.

Not yet.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will withdraw rule K6 of the Post Office Staff Handbook.

No. This rule seeks only to deter staff approaches to hon. Members before the Departmental machinery for remedying personal grievances has been exhausted.

asked the Postmaster-General what representations his Department have received for the provision of sub-post office facilities on the Bucknell Avenue Estate, Hull; and what reply has been sent.

Representations made recently by Newland Ward Labour Party have not yet been finally answered. We are currently reviewing the matter and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will send a circular to local authorities drawing attention to the possibility of collecting rates by standing order on Post Office Giro accounts.

My officials have discussed the services available through Giro with most organisations of the public sector and new approaches reminding authorities of these facilities are being arranged.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consult with the Minister of Transport with a view to using the Post Office Giro for the payment by 10 or 12 monthly instalments of private car tax.

My officials are in regular contact with those of the Ministry of Transport about the use of Giro transfers for the payment of vehicle excise duty. I will bear this proposal in mind as discussions continue.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, as a means of encouraging the use of the Giro system, he will discuss with the authorities concerned the payments of all pensions, sick and welfare payments of local authorities, nationalised industries, and civil servants through the Giro.

My officials have discussed the services available through Giro with most organisations of the public sector and new approaches reminding authorities of these facilities are being arranged.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent Post Office pensions are now paid through the Giro system.

A few pensioners are already being paid by Giro transfer. From 1st October, all other pensioners will be paid by Girocheque.

asked the Post-master-General whether he will give for the most convenient stated period the number of accidents that have affected his Department, indicating the proportion of the costs of compensation and replacement met by his Department and the local authorities, respectively.

In the financial year 1968–69, the Post Office paid compensation in respect of 880 accidents involving personal injury, and 9,880 involving damage to property. Accidents in which the Post Office and local authorities share the cost of damages to a third party are a remote contingency, and there is no readily available information.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will discuss with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, local authorities and the appropriate organisations representing builders the possibility of incorporating in new multiple buildings of the larger type a centralised system of postal collection and deliveries within the buildings with a direct service to General Post Office sorting offices.

A number of developers are already helping us by providing a mail room or nest boxes near to the entrance of multi-storey buildings. We should welcome opportunities to extend these arrangements.

asked the Postmaster-General how many prosecutions have taken place in the county of Midlothian during the last 12 months for the evasion of wireless and television licence fees; and what was the average fine imposed on those found guilty of the offence.

612 during the year ended 31st March, 1969. The average fine was £5 3s.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the United Kingdom has at any time made use of the procedures prescribed in Article 8 of the Copenhagen European Broadcasting Convention for the establishment of medium frequency broadcasting services.

Yes, in respect only of frequencies allocated in the plan for the use of the United Kingdom.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) by what means he proposes to ensure that the ultra high frequency-only type of television receiver generally available in future will operate on the Post Office very high frequency system of television relay; and whether he will provide modification of such receivers or conversion equipment free of charge to the subscribers;(2) whether he will take steps to ensure satisfactory and interference-free reception of all programmes carried by the Post Office very high frequency system of television relay to all aerial receivers connected thereto at no extra cost to the subscriber.

I am considering the most satisfactory arrangements by which users of receivers tunable only to ultrahigh frequency television may receive the very-high frequency signals used in the Post Office system.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will introduce legislation to transfer to the British Broadcasting Corporation the responsibility for collecting the revenue from annual licence fees.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General if, with a view to exercising his powers under Section 19 of the Television Act, he will inquire into the terms and costs of arrangements made by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Authority with the organisations, agents and commentators for the televising and broadcasting of sports events; and if he will publish the results of such an inquiry.

No. These are matters of day-to-day arrangement by the broadcasting authorities and responsibility rests with the B.B.C. and the I.T.A.

asked the Postmaster-General how many new sales and rentals of television sets in Scotland have been notified to the Post Office since January 1968 by television dealers in accordance with Part I of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1967.

252,825 to 31st May this year.

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate has been made of the number of owners of car radios in Scotland and in England and Wales respectively, who are evading payment of the licence fee; and what steps he is taking to eliminate this abuse.

We estimate 2 million. I am considering a number of proposals to deter evasion.

asked the Postmaster-General at what time the cheap rate for telephone calls begins at weekends.

At 6 p.m. on Fridays until 8 a.m. on Mondays, although on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. a higher rate applies which is still, however, ⅓ lower than the weekday rate.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of new subscribers throughout the country have to wait 12 months or more to have a telephone service connected.

Statistics in the form requested are not available. At present, 86 per cent. of all requests for telephones are met on demand. At 31st March, 1969, when the last quarterly analysis was made, there were 87,500 on the waiting list of whom 12,300 had been waiting over 12 months.

asked the Postmaster-General what action he proposes to take to rectify the shortage of telephones in King's Lynn; and whether he will make a statement regarding delivery dates for the necessary equipment.

A major extension to the exchange. All the equipment has been delivered, and should be installed before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will make a statement about the progress being made on the registration of fishermen in the country as a whole and in the port of Hull in particular.

I understand that this matter has been considered by the Holland-Martin Committee of Inquiry into Trawler Safety set up by my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade. As he indicated in his reply to my hon. Friend yesterday, he expects publication towards the end of July when he will make a preliminary statement.—[Vol. 786, c. 107.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity by what percentage prices and wages have risen in each year since October 1964 to the latest convenient date.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the ratio of vacancies to persons unemployed in Wales and England respectively.

At June 1969 the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled to every hundred persons registered as wholly unemployed in Wales and in England were 26·7 and 77·3 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what are the respective percentages of registered unemployed persons in Wales and England, separately, who are stopped temporarily, school leavers and wholly unemployed.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the increase in the number of men employed in England in June 1969 as compared with June 1963; and what was the decrease in Wales in the same period.

Estimates for June 1969 are not yet available. Between June 1963 and June 1968, the estimated numbers of male employees in employment in England and in Wales decreased by 245,000 and 42,000, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of cases reported to her of company directors increasing their salaries in excess of the Government's prices and incomes policy; in how many cases she took action and with what results; and in what instances she referred these cases to the National Board for Prices and Incomes and with what results.

Since March 1968, my right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to a dozen or so instances of increases in the remuneration of directors and chairmen of companies. Information was obtained from the firm about one case in the summer of last year; in the light of the reference of the whole question of top salaries to the National Board for Prices and Incomes this case was not pursued further. Since the Board reported on top salaries, information about increases has been sought from five further companies. In two cases, it has been decided in the light of the company's reply to take no further action. The Department is still in correspondence with the other companies concerned. None of these cases has been referred to the N.B.P.I.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the fact that the annual output of drama students from recognised and unrecognised schools who are seeking work as professional performers is more than three times the number that the entertainment industry can absorb, if he will institute an inquiry into the matter.

No. My Department has no direct responsibility for these schools which are independent establishments for professional training in drama.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the amounts of money spent on educational buildings in the West Riding County Council area for the years 1962 to 1964, 1964 to 1966, 1966 to 1968, respectively, and the estimated figure for 1968 to 1969.

For the two financial years in each period £7·8 million, £8·2 million and £10·4 million respectively; for 1968–69 £5·3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools there are in Burton Latimer, Northants; how many have been opened since 1945; and how many he estimates will be opened during the next five years.

Three; none; and one respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, how many schoolchildren there are in Burton Latimer, Northants; approximately what has been the increase since 1945; and approximately how many he estimates there will be in 1974.

483 attend the local primary schools and 269 secondary schools in Kettering. These figures are respectively 197 and 158 higher than those for 1945. I estimate that by 1974 they may increase to about 650 and 400.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the intake of students into Welsh colleges of education in 1948, 1958, and 1968, respectively.

The total numbers of students entering colleges of education in Wales in 1948, 1958 and 1968 were 1,064, 1,347 and 2,172 respectively. The 1968 figure is provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about the planned redesignation of Portsmouth College of Technology as a Polytechnic.

The Portsmouth Polytechnic will come into operation on 1st September.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which London borough changes in ward boundaries occurred after a public inquiry by an Assistant Commissioner of the Boundaries Commission.

In the London boroughs of Barking, Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Southwark and Wandsworth, and in the City of Westminster.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will examine further the case of the student arrested in Grosvenor Square on 17th March, 1968, in the light of the additional evidence, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for High Peak, with a view to reconsidering his decision not to recommend Her Majesty to exercise Her prerogative.

The evidence sent to me by my hon Friend has already been carefully considered and I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 12th June to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr. Woof).—[Vol. 784, c. 288.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now seek to amend the Obscene Publications Acts in view of the nature and extent of some of the publications now openly available to the general public on the bookstalls of London and the provinces.

No. My right hon. Friend has no proposals in mind for the amendment of the Obscene Publications Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of boys and girls, respectively, now in approved schools have been placed there although they have committed no offence.

On 30th April, 6·3 per cent. of the boys and 71·8 per cent. of the girls in approved schools in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of boys and girls, respectively, who have passed through approved schools have thereafter been committed to Borstal institutions during the last 10 years.

This information is not readily available, but the following tables contain figures showing for the years 1955 to 1964 the percentages of boys and girls who, within three years of their release from an approved school, were sentenced to borstal training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many constituencies are required in the area comprising Scotland, the North-East, Yorkshire, the North-West and Wales, and the area comprising the West Midlands, the East Midlands, East Anglia, the South-West and the South-East, respectively, on the basis of equality of electorates throughout; and what is the present number of constituencies in each of these two divisions of Great Britain.

The hypothetical figures asked for, based on a notional electoral quota of 58,824, are 252 and 361 respectively. The present figures are 274 and 344 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen were on duty at the Lawrie Hall, Romford, on 16th June at a meeting organised by the United Front; how many arrests were made; how many injuries were sustained either by police or demonstrators; and what was the cost to public funds.

56; 16; 4 officers and one demonstrator; no additional cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will ensure that detailed separate records are kept in future of Commonwealth female citizens who seek entry into the United Kingdom claiming to be the second, third or fourth wife of an immigrant already resident in this country;(2) what is the nature of the records kept regarding the admission of wives by polygamous marriage upon which he bases his conclusions about the number admitted.

My conclusions are based on the observations and experience of the Immigration Service, and I am satisfied that the maintenance of separate records would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the concern among members of the staff of London Transport about the number of recent assaults on them by passengers; and whether he will now arrange for fresh consultations to take place between the Metropolitan Police, the management of London Transport and the unions to seek more effective ways of dealing with this problem.

Yes; I share the concern which is felt about this form of violence, and I arranged recently for the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and representatives of the employers and unions to consider what might be done. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis will gladly consider further suggestions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the practice of the immigration officers to admit the polygamous wives of United Kingdom citizens who have emigrated, have contracted polygamous marriages abroad, and then return with their wives.

A person domiciled in the United Kingdom is not capable of contracting a valid polygamous marriage and an immigration officer would bear this in mind in examining any claim to admission as the polygamous wife of a returning resident.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new remand homes have been set up in each of the last 10 years; and how many new places for boys and girls, respectively, have been created in each of these years.

The numbers of new remand homes and replacement remand homes opened in England and Wales in each of the years 1959 to 1968 and the numbers of places provided, are given in Tables 1(a) and (b). Table 2 gives details of available places in all remand homes for the same period, showing the net gains and losses in places for the same period each year. This

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for the creation of new remand homes have been submitted by local authorities in each of the last three years; and how many have been approved.

Two in 1966, one in 1967 and one in 1968. All were approved. Two replace previous remand homes, and two provide new accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the sum of £4,070,279 of outstanding fines were for motoring offences; and if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory for courts to sentence to a term of imprisonment persons found guilty of a motoring offence and fined, who subsequently fail to pay such a fine.

Of the total of £4,070,279, £2,316,307 was the amount recorded as being payable to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in respect of certain motoring offences. Parliament recently enacted provisions designed to reduce the incidence of imprisonment as a means of fine enforcement; my right hon. Friend does not contemplate fresh legislation to reverse the position, or to differentiate in this respect between motoring and other offences.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Rhodesia.

I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 24th June.—[Vol. 785, c. 1218–27.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Anglo-Canadian relations.

Relations between this country and Canada are, as always, particularly close. In January, valuable bilateral discussions were held with Mr. Trudeau in London and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is looking forward to visiting Canada in September.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make representations to the Chinese Government for the release of Captain Peter M. Will, who is a constituent of the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire and has been detained without trial in China since 23rd May, 1968.

Repeated representations have been made to the Chinese authorities on Captain Will's behalf both in London and Peking. The last occasion in London was on 19th May. In addition our Mission in Peking raises the case with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs every four to six weeks.

asked the Minister of Technology what official visits have been made within the last convenient period by Ministers or senior officials of his department to Woomera, Australia.

Since 1st January, 1968, official visits to Woomera by members of the Department have been made by my predecessor, the Secretary (Aviation), the Deputy Secretary (B), the Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, the Controller and the Deputy Controller of Guided Weapons, the U.K. Trials Director, the Assistant Secretary in charge of joint project finance and by the directors of major projects using the range.

asked the Minister of Technology what evaluation he has made of the Skylark and Black Arrow projects at Woomera, Australia.

The Skylark sounding rocket project is part of the scientific research programme financed by the Science Research Council and evaluation of the experimental results of the project is made by the Council. Such Black Arrow project evaluation as is necessary at Woomera is done by a resident project officer supplemented by visiting teams from the United Kingdom as appropriate.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a further statement on the equipment employed at the demonstration of coastal pollution clearance at Pevensey on Wednesday, 18th June.

The demonstration was not intended to be an exhibition of the most modern machinery but an indication of how orthodox equipment could easily and cheaply be adapted for beach cleaning. For example the knapsack sprayer chosen was typical of those in current horticultural use.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will invite the Prime Minister of New Zealand to come to this country for discussions on future problems facing the two countries.

I had discussions with the Prime Minister of New Zealand during the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meeting in London in January. There are no plans for a meeting between Mr. Holyoake and myself in the immediate future, but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met Mr. Holyoake at the Five Power Conference in Canberra on 19th and 20th June.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on his official visit to Aberfan on Friday, 20th June.

The main purpose of my visit to Aberfan on 20th June was to open the new Ynysowen Schools which have replaced the schools destroyed in the disaster. I also visited the cemetery and the Memorial Garden which has been laid out on the site of the old school.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange to meet President Pompidou, with a view to discussing the progress of the Channel Tunnel.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Wingfield Digby) on 24th June.—[Vol. 785, c. 1215–16.]

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to Rumania.

I have no plans to do so, Sir. When visiting Rumania last September, my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary invited the Rumanian Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to visit this country. Arrangements are under discussion.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany has now approved a supplementary budget of two million Deutsche mark for AngloGerman youth exchanges for young persons from industry, commerce and the trade unions provided Her Majesty's Government was prepared to make a comparable contribution; and if he will make a statement about the Government's intention in this matter.

I am informed that an all-party motion was approved by the Bundestag on 13th June requesting the Federal Government of Germany to take steps to increase youth exchanges with Britain.Any approach on this made by the Federal Government would of course be given careful consideration.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will extend an invitation to President Nixon to visit London during his forthcoming visit to Rumania.

I would naturally be very glad to welcome President Nixon to London again but do not think it right to ask him to extend his already lengthy overseas tour. As I have informed the House I am looking forward to taking up the President's invitation to visit Washington in the course of the year.

asked the Prime Minister to what exent he has had consultations with the Prime Ministers of other Commonwealth countries on Rhodesia arising from the results of the so-called referendum of the illegal régime.

We have been and remain in continual touch with other Commonwealth Governments about the situation in Rhodesia.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will take an early opportunity of visiting the London Borough of Newham and visit the various tower blocks in this Borough; and if he will discuss with the local authority the question of the costs involved in strengthening these.

As my hon. Friend is aware, I hope to visit Newham in November. The matters referred to in my hon. Friend's Question are being dealt with by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the methods his Department adopts to notify the public that any arrears of National Insurance contributions must be paid within a period of six years and that otherwise their benefits, especially pensions rights, will be affected.

Insured persons in this country are in general required to pay National Insurance contributions weekly as liability arises. They are informed of any arrears of contributions, but normally no special steps are taken to inform them of the six-year time limit for contributions to count for benefit. For people such as students, those excepted from liability on grounds of small income, persons detained in legal custody and certain persons abroad, who have the right to pay contributions although they are not obliged to do so, leaflets explaining their position and drawing attention to the time limits for payment are available at all National Insurance Offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that there is no registrar empowered to carry out marriages in Gosport and that a population of 75,000 is made dependent on Fareham for this service; and if he will add these powers forthwith to those of the Gosport District Registrar.

This is primarily a matter for the Hampshire County Council. I accept their view that a better service is provided by having a full-time Superintendent Registrar at an office accessible from all parts of the area than having several part-time officers at scattered points.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the transfer of the United Kingdom's contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation strategic nuclear deterrent from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy.

Responsibility for the United Kingdom's contribution to N.A.T.O.'s strategic nuclear deterrent forces was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy on 30th June, 1969. Our Polaris force is now able to undertake this task and it is no longer necessary to keep aircraft of the V-Bomber force at immediate readiness. Apart from those aircraft which have replaced the Canberras in the strike rôle in support of C.E.N.T.O., the Vulcan aircraft remain assigned to N.A.T.O, but will now be available for operations in the tactical rôle. I should like to pay tribute to the way in which the officers and men concerned at all levels in the Royal Air Force have discharged their arduous responsibilities for the last twelve years, and to express full confidence in their successors in the Royal Navy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the amount of subsidy payments made to Brighton Corporation in respect of houses provided by it under the Housing Acts in each of the years 1962 to date.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of overseas lending to the private sector.

It is provisionally estimated that the private sector (excluding the banks) was a net lender to the overseas sector during 1968 to the extent of some £245 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will have an official survey made of the number of French people who pay regular visits to Great Britain to purchase merchandise and make this information available to Members of Parliament.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what advice he has given to the Humber Pilot Scheme Cutter Company in the light of the effect of official trade dispute on the company's vessels;(2) what steps he is taking to ensure adequate pilotage facilities in the Humber Estuary in view of the continuation of the dispute between the Humber Pilot Scheme Cutter Company and the Transport and General Workers Union.

I am aware of the difficulties which the official strike of some members of the crew of the Pilot Cutter "Frank Atkinson" have caused to the pilotage service in the Humber. However, adequate pilotage services are being maintained. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity has offered the conciliation services of her Department to the parties to the dispute.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is satisfied that the presence of the Humber Pilot Scheme Cutter Company's vessel "The Frank Atkinson" in the Humber Estuary does not constitute a hazard to shipping or to the vessel herself; and if he will make a statement;(2) what were the circumstances in which "The Frank Atkinson" ran aground near Spurn Point on the night of Friday, 27th June.

Board of Trade surveyors have been in contact with the master of "The Frank Atkinson" on the best method of mooring the vessel. I have ordered inquiries to be made into this question and also into the circumstances in which the vessel ran aground.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the increase in noise as measured in decibels at maximum and minimum times of activity at London Airport over the period 1959 to 1969.

With the rapid growth of jet traffic the average noisiness of the aircraft using Heathrow has increased by some 5 perceived noise decibels since 1959 when taking off and some 6 PNdB when landing. At busy periods the number of aircraft is about twice what it was in 1959, which increases the disturbance in terms of the Noise and Number Index by some 4·5 NNI. The overall effect is thus an increase in average disturbance of some 10 NNI. We do not collect data for periods of minimum activity.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the decrease in numbers of wool producers in Wales in the course of the past year; and what steps he plans to take to give assistance in this field.

The number of registered wool producers in Wales fell by 947—about 4½per cent.—in the year to 21st June, 1969. As indicated in this year's Annual Review White Paper (Cmnd. 3965) the assistance given to wool production is considered each year in the light of all relevant factors, including the level of support on fat lambs and hill sheep and the requirements of general production policy. As the hon. Member knows, substantial incentives have been given to sheep production in recent years and the guaranteed price for wool has been left unchanged despite the low level of market prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the total United Kingdom expenditure on motorways and dual carriageways has been or will have been spent in each of the years from 1960 to 1970 in the six western counties of Wales, namely, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire, Merioneth, Caernarvonshire and Anglesey.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 17th October, 1968, when he asked a similar Question related to Wales as a whole and to the years 1967–70.—[Vol. 770, c. 148.]