asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) how many people over 55 years of age have been made redundant during each year since the inception of the Redundancy Payments Scheme; and what percentage have remained unemployed for more than three months;(2) how many workpeople in receipt of redundancy payments are subsequently unemployed for a period of more than three to four weeks;(3) how many people since the inception of the Redundancy Payments Scheme have had to remove from their employment exchange area to obtain work after being declared redundant.

I have no figures to show how many people over 55 have been made redundant, but I can give the following approximate figures for people aged 50 and over who have received redundancy payments:

1966	59,400
1967	101,690
1968	110,890

I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the first Question, and in the second and third Questions, is not available. Sample enquiries which are in progress should, however, provide indications of the duration of unemployment following redundancy and of the movement of redundant employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she is now in a position to estimate the percentage increase in rates, earnings, and productivity arising from the productivity plan proposed for employees of Smiths Industries; and how many weeks elapsed between notification and confirmation of the settlement.

The agreement covering employees of Smiths Industries, Witney, was signed by the parties on 14th April, 1969, and a copy sent to my Department on 23rd April. The company provided further information on 8th and 19th May; on 20th May my Department informed the company that the Government would not object to the implementation of the agreement. I cannot provide the details requested in the first part of the question as, under the provisions of Cmnd. 2808, the information must be regarded as confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the claim of Port of London lockmen who have recently engaged in strike action.

A provisional claim has been made on behalf of lockmen employed by the Port of London Authority, of whom those in the India and Millwall dock were on unofficial strike from 30th June to 3rd July, that they should be placed in a higher grade in the new structure proposed by the Authority in its Marine Services Division. Details are not yet available of the effect on existing rates, earnings and productivity of the Authority's proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she has now received a progress report on the operation of the pay and productivity agreement of 15th November, 1968, concering boilermakers, shipwrights and blacksmiths employed by the Tyne Shipbuilding Consortium; and what has been the estimated percentage increase in productivity since that date.

The company and the union recently began negotiations on changes in the bonus payments scheme and these negotiations are not yet formally concluded. In due course, I understand that the revised scheme will be notified to my Department, but in view of these developments the company is not submitting a progress report on the operation of the original agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she has concluded her examination of the incomes policy aspects of the recent settlement concerning independent television technicians; and with what results.

Yes. The independent television companies have been advised that, in view of the productivity improvements involved, we would not seek to intervene further.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what date she was informed of the pay settlement concerning 2,000 ancillary workers employed by Swan Hunter; on what date the settlement was confirmed; and what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising therefrom.

The settlement was notified to my Department on 14th April, 1969, and the decision not to oppose implementation was sent to the company on 7th May, 1969. The immediate increase in rates amounts to 12·3 per cent. in return for a wide measure of flexibility between crafts and mobility of labour between yards; a greatly simplified wage structure—242 grades have been reduced to 4; and increased productivity. There is in addition a bonus incentive scheme, and therefore the percentage increase in earnings and productivity will depend upon the performance of the workers concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will now state what has been the outcome of the discussions she has had concerning the recommendations of the National Board for Prices and Incomes concerning the pay of Imperial Chemical Industries white collar staff; and what estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity is expected to arise from the settlement in question.

The Government decided that they were unable to depart from the conclusions of the Board's Report by agreeing to the payment in full of the I.C.I. salary award.A standstill could have been applied to prevent payment before the end of November, 1969, but the company has given an assurance to withhold payment of the balance due under the settlement until that date.The full settlement was expected to increase salary levels and job maxima by about 6 per cent., with a similar effect on earnings, and was based on a forecast of a further 9 per cent. increase in staff productivity during 1969. For the reasons stated in its Report the Board concluded that a salary increase in excess of 3½ per cent. would not be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the policy advocated by Her Majesty's Government as to the total amount from which the first tranches of special drawing rights should be created.

We favour early activation of the S.D.R. scheme at a rate sufficent to make a significant contribution to improving the long-term stability of the international monetary system.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he proposes to issue to the public on the administration of Clause 18 of the Finance Bill, the interest disallowance provisions of which are effective from 30th June.

Guidance will be issued after the Finance Bill becomes law.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations and inquiries his Department has had from members of the public regarding the administration of Clause 18 of the Finance Bill.

About 250 up to 30th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to public funds to date of the staffing and other administrative expenses attributable to the United Kingdom of the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee.

The Commonwealth Sanctions Committee is serviced by the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is not possible to calculate what proportion of the United Kingdom's annual contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat's budget is attributable to the activities of the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total cost to public funds of providing to foreign nationals through official information media copies of non-commercial British newspapers and magazines.

The cost of trade and technical periodicals and newspapers—including the Financial Times and the Economist—with freight costs, will be £46,100 in the current financial year. Of this sum, the Financial Times will account for £655 and the Economist £8,675 Expenditure is also involved in connection with exceptional distributions of trade and technical periodicals displayed at trade fairs. These figures do not include trade and industrial periodicals and newspapers put out under the Board of Trade Wrapper Scheme whereby printed matter is supplied free by publishers and the distribution costs are borne by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many copies of Country Life, Field, Yachting Monthly, Illustrated London News, and Punch, respectively, are provided to foreign nationals through official channels and what is the total cost to public funds.

The following numbers of copies of each issue of the periodicals listed were distributed overseas through official channels during the financial year 1968–69:

Country Life	162
Field	26
Yachting Monthly	3
Illustrated London News	1,674
Punch	294

The cost of these periodicals plus the freight charges for despatching them was £13,402, or 11·67 per cent. of our total expenditure on periodicals for distribution overseas. Of this sum £4,687 was expended by the British Council, who were responsible for handling the following number of copies of the totals given above:

Country Life	86
Field	5
Illustrated London News	596
Punch	142

The remainder of the periodicals were distributed through the Central Office of Information.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the additional cost to date to public funds of extra consular and other staff and activities connected with the enforcement of sanctions against Rhodesia.

The information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort. No extra staff, however, has been recruited by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the enforcement of sanctions against Rhodesia apart from one additional Consular Officer at Beira, whose temporary employment has now ceased.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Chinese Government to gain the release of Captain Peter M. Will who has been detained without trial in China since 23rd May, 1968, when he was taken from his ship by the Red Guards at the port of Tangku.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member- for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Manuel) on 3rd July.—[Vol. 786, c. 131–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government have taken on Resolution 69(6) adopted on 7th March. 1969, by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and relating to cinema and the protection of youth.

Although the United Kingdom is not a party to the Resolution, the report referred to in it has been made available to the public. The hon. Member will be aware that an annual grant is made from the British Film Fund, with the approval of the Board of Trade, to the Children's Film Foundation, which makes films especially for children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted in the last three years for infringements of the Pet Animals Act, 1951; and with what results.

The figures for the years 1966–68 inclusive are:

• 1966: prosecuted 3. convicted 3.
• 1967: prosecuted 6, convicted 6.
• 1968: prosecuted 6, convicted 5.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prior particulars were required and obtained by his immigration officers as to the marital status of those male Commonwealth citizens already settled in the United Kingdom before permitting the 1,916 female Commonwealth citizens to enter this country in 1968, as well as the further 858 admitted in the first five months of 1969, on the grounds that they were joining their husbands or fiancés already resident here.

The immigration officer would look for evidence that the man was married to the passenger, or was free to marry her, as the case might be. Where he was not so satisfied, admission would be refused. Women coming for marriage are admitted for a limited period, and are subsequently permitted to remain here permanently only if they produce evidence that the marriage has taken place.The figures referred to by the hon. and gallant Member relate solely to women coming as fiancées.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to children's authorities about the use of the ward of court procedure to protect young girls from undesirable associations.

No. Local authorities are well aware of this procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy about the provision of residential accommodation for young girls in need of care and protection; and what amounts are contained in the estimates for this purpose in the year 1969–70.

My policy in relation to the approved schools, and that of local authorities in relation to children in their care, is to maintain a wide range of establishments, together with arrangements for observation and assessment, such that a child can be placed in the establishment best fitted to meet his or her individual needs and circumstances. At present there are legal obstacles to the full development of this policy, and their removal is an important objective of the Children and Young Persons Bill now before Parliament. Since establishments are not provided exclusively for girls who have been found by a juvenile court to be in need of care and protection, the cost of accommodating them cannot be separately calculated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to provide that local authorities who take out fit person orders in respect of young girls because of their association with men of bad record, should obtain injunctions against the men continuing to make contact with those girls rather than commit the girls to an institution wherever practicable.

When a girl is committed by a juvenile court to the care of a local authority as a fit person, it is the authority's duty, amongst others, to provide for the girl's accommodation and care in the manner which appears to it best suited to her individual needs and circumstances, taken as a whole. Only the responsible authority is in a position to judge whether, in a particular case, the needs of the child can best be met by seeking an injunction against third parties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases during 1968 young girls who were the subject of a fit person order were fostered, and in how many cases they were committed to an institution; and what is his policy on this matter.

I regret that the returns from local authorities about children in care (Cmnd. 3893 of January, 1969) do not provide this information. There can be no general policy; it is for the responsible authority to judge, in the light of each girl's individual needs and circumstances, how best to provide for her accommodation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities in England and Wales continue to dispose of their household and trade refuse by tipping or other means without first recovering metal, glass, paper and textiles from it.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities in England and Wales arrange for their sewage to be treated together with household and trade refuse and made into compost; what is the value of the compost obtained; and what steps are being taken to extend this practice.

I regret that neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, nor I have this information, and it could only be assembled at substantial expense. I understand, however, that only a few local authorities follow the practice. In its report on The Use of Towns' Wastes in Agriculture, published in 1954, the Natural Resources (Technical) Committee concluded that composting of household refuse and liquid sewage sludge by local authorities appeared to be generally uneconomic, and no information which has appeared since, has led Departments to take the opposite view. But I understand that the subject will be considered by the working parties which are examining refuse disposal and sewage disposal.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to advise local authorities in present or future smokeless zones to install or arrange for the installation of the new apparatus for burning smoke-producing fuel in a smokeless manner.

The local authorities have received copies of my Departmental circular No. 29/69 of 2nd April last and of the Order to which it refers. This Order, made under Section 11 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, authorises the installation in smoke control areas of the National Coal Board's "Housewarmer", a domestic room-heater, burning washed coal singles smokelessly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will institute an investigation into the patent device on stopping explosions in buildings, details of which have been sent to him, with a view to obviating the necessity of large capital expenditure on strengthening tower blocks resulting from the Ronan Point disaster.

My right hon. Friend has arranged for this device to be examined.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's action following the Land Mission to Swaziland in February and March, 1969.

The Land Mission submitted its report in March and this is now being studied by both Governments.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will authorise the postmaster at Llangadog to replace the words "Post Office" on the board above the entrance with their equivalent in the Welsh language.

No, but the Sub-Postmaster may if he wishes show the words in both languages and with equal prominence.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what part of his total Departmental expenses during the financial year 1968–69 was spent on helping to construct, to run or to maintain Government research establishments, showing the total expenditure on each establishment separately.

About £19 million at more than 170 establishments. My Ministry's accounts were not kept in a way which recorded all types of expenditure against every establishment. To produce an estimate of expenditure at each establishment would entail excessive labour.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many of the 408 ancient monuments recommended for scheduling by the Ancient Monuments Board for England during 1968 have been scheduled by him for preservation; and if he will publish a list in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

All these monuments have now been scheduled or given equivalent interim protection.As scheduling is not legally binding on the Crown priority has been given to the sites in private ownership and all of these are included in the 329 monuments so far scheduled. The remaining 79 are Crown property and the authorities concerned have been notified. However, as a precaution against any future change of ownership I hope shortly to complete the scheduling of these also.As the list is a very lengthy one I am writing to the hon. Member to give him the details.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works to what extent he plans, in connection with buildings for which he is responsible, to encourage the use of the new apparatus for burning smoke-producing fuel in a smokeless manner.

I believe that my hon. Friend has in mind certain domestic appliances. My Ministry is mainly concerned with non-domestic requirements but consideration will be given to new domestic appliances, as they become available, in suitable cases in competition with other forms of heating.

asked the Minister of Power how many tons of coal were brought from England to Welsh power stations in the year 1968–69.

329,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Power what amount of electricity was exported from Wales to England in the year 1968–69.

The quantity of electricity supplied into the C.E.G.B. system by power stations in Wales and Monmouth in 1968–69 exceeded the amount consumed there by 2,764 million kilowatt hours.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities in Scotland continue to dispose of their household and trade refuse by tipping or other means without first recovering metal, glass, paper and textiles from it.

I do not have this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities in Scotland arrange for their sewage to be treated together with household and trade refuse and made into compost; what is the value of the compost obtained; and what steps are being taken to extend this practice.

I understand that four local authorities treat refuse in this way, and that proceeds from the sale of compost amounts to about £10,000 annually. The most suitable method of refuse disposal depends on local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the progress of the programme of hospital building in Scot-

(a) SCHEMES COSTING OVER £50,000 COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1969
							Estimated Cost
							£
North-Eastern Region
Fraserburgh Hospital	…	…	General hospital—74 beds and supporting facilities				505,000(1)
Kingseat Hospital, Newmachar		…	Geriatric assessment unit	…	…	…	101,000
Eastern Region
Ashludie Hospital, Monifeith	…	…	Geriatric pavilion—70 beds		…	…	160,000(2)
Dundee Dental Hospital and School		…	Extension	…	…	…	968,000(3)
South-Eastern Region
Western General Hospital, Edinburgh			Additional linear accelerator		…	…	80,000
			Temporary laboratory	…	…	…	179,000(4)
			Nuffield transplantation surgery unit—6 beds				244,000(5)
Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh		…	Replacement of boiler plant		…	…	74,000
Central Laundry, Kirkcaldy	…	…	—				306,000
Bangour Hospital, West Lothian		…	Burns unit—12 beds	…	…	…	66,000
Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy	…	…	Residential accommodation for married medical staff				67,000(6)
Lynebank Hospital, Dunfermline		…	New mental deficiency hospital—420 beds and supporting facilities				2,247,000
Gogarburn Hospital, Edinburgh		…	Alterations to kitchen block		…	…	66,000
Roodlands Hospital, Haddington		…	Replacement of boiler and ancillary plant				53,000
Glenlomond Hospital, Kinross		…	Renewal of boiler plant	…	…	…	74,000

During the year from 1st April, 1968, to 31st March, 1969, it is estimated that work to the value of £14·4 million was carried out on hospital building in Scotland at the expense of the National Health Service (Scotland) Vote: this figure compares with £12·0 million in 1966–67 and £13·7 million in 1967–68.The units provided during the year in new or converted buildings include 1,224 beds and a variety of other hospital facilities. The value of these completed schemes was £9,441,000.The total cost of all schemes in progress on 31st March, 1969, by type of development, is made up as follows:

	Estimated Cost
	£
New Hospitals	34,452,000
Additional beds in existing hospitals	5,905,000
Other ward improvements	1,300,000
Operating Theatres	1,199,000
X-ray and radiotherapy departments	380,000
Out-patient and casualty departments	675,000
Other medical departments	3,669,000
Laundries, kitchen and engineering works	5,800,000
Other departments	2,089,000
	55,469,000

Further particulars of schemes costing over £50,000 (

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present volume of trade between the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia; and whether he will take steps to reach a long term agreement for the development of trade between the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia.

The figures for trade with Czechoslovakia appear on page 287 of the May edition of the Overseas Trade Accounts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to require those manufacturers who offer their goods for sale together with coupons for the purchase of other articles, simultaneously to abolish the giving of coupons and effect a reduction in the price of the goods originally offered with coupons.

Since there are many alternative forms of promotional expenditure which manufacturers are free to adopt, it would not be practicable to ensure price reductions on goods which might otherwise have been offered with coupons. Nor would it necessarily be to the shopper's advantage to ban coupon offers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, which advance factories are at present completed and unoccupied; how long has each remain unoccupied; and what additional steps are now to be taken to fill them.

At the end of June, 1969, unoccupied Board of Trade advance factories numbered 29. These represented 1 per cent. of all Board of Trade factory space. We continue to seek suitable occupants. The unoccupied advance factories were:

	Period unoccupied since completion (months)
England
Ashington No. 2	23
Aycliffe No. 2	10
Sunderland No. 2	23
Team Valley No. 3	12
*Teesside No. 1	31
Workington No. 2	17
*Cleator Moor No. 3	0
Knowsley No. 2	10
†Camborne No. 1	12
*Wadebridge	4
Scotland
Aberdeen No. 1	23
Chapelhall	10
Donibristle No. 3	10
Dumfries	8
Elgin	3
Kilwinning No. 2	19
Kilwinning No. 3	12
Leven No. 2	23
Pt. Glasgow	33
Sanquhar No. 3	20
Wales,
Amlwch	1
Ammanford No. 2	1
†KenfigNo. 1	19
Llanelli	0
Llwchwr	2
†Maesteg No. 2	4
Merthyr Tydfil No. 3	2
†Pontardawe No. 2	0
†Rhondda No. 3	0
* Allocated but not occupied at 30th June 1969.
† Applications being considered.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many inquiries were received from industrialists for factory space in the Carmarthen constituency in the years ended October, 1965, and 1968, respectively; how many resulted in the establishment of new industry; and how many men and women they employ.

No record is available about inquiries for particular areas. The number of occasions on which locations in the Carmarthen constituency have been suggested to industrialists is:

Year ended October
1965	1968
2	45

As a result of these suggestions one advance factory has been let. In addition one industrial development certificate was issued in the year ended October, 1965, and two certificates in the year ended October, 1968. Altogether the firms concerned estimated that these projects would provide jobs for 70 men and 38 women when fully manned.

asked the Minister of Transport (I) if he will further consider the proposal to classify Heaton Moor Road, Stockport, as a principal roadway;(2) on what grounds Heaton Moor Road, Stockport, was scheduled as a feeder road in relationship to the roadway system in the northern Stockport area; and what reply he has given to representations on this matter;(3) what action he proposes to take for the improvement and reconstruction of Heaton Moor Road, Stockport, in view of the dangerous condition to pedestrians and other road-users, and the liability to flooding of various stretches of the carriageway, about which the hon. Member for Stockport, North has written to him.

My hon. Friend will by now have received the reply to his representations, dated 1st July, which explained why Heaton Moor Road cannot be classified as principal road and why, in any event, its maintenance, including resurfacing and reconstruction, is a matter for Stockport County Borough Council, as highway authority. I am not aware that this road has been scheduled as a feeder road. We informed the Council on 8th April that its function was not higher than that of a district distributor and we have had no representations in that regard.

asked the Minister of Transport how many collisions have occurred involving the safety fence along the central reservation of the M4 motorway since it was erected between the end of the elevated section and London Airport last year; and with what results.

Twenty-two during the year ended 31st March, 1969. Of these, 13 caused damage only; 8 caused slight personal injury and one severe injury.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list all those models of British cars in current pro- duction which comply completely with the new United States Government Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, details of which are in his possession.

Only those versions produced specially for export to the United States of America comply completely with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Cars sold on the home market must comply with British regulations.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents for the latest convenient period were caused by articulated trailer type lorries jackknifing; and what representations he has received that the licensing of such vehicles should be more closely controlled.

This information is not available. But on the basis of earlier studies in particular areas, it is estimated that of 859 accidents involving articulated vehicles in February and March this year, about 10 per cent. may have had jackknifing as a contributory cause.I have received no representations that the use of articulated vehicles should be more closely controlled, but trials are being carried out of devices which we hope will much reduce the phenomenom of jack-knifing.