asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the fact that psychosis are the largest single group of illnesses causing long-term incapacity, what percentage of sufferers have been claiming benefit for over one year.

On 3rd June, 1967, some 95,000 persons who were sick by reason of psychoneurosis or psychosis were claiming sickness benefit and contribution credits. Nearly 60 per cent. of them had been incapacitated for more than a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why a 12-page foolscap questionnaire is required for the 1969 Test Census; and under what method the choice of those selected to answer the 1969 Test Census was made.

One of the objects of the test was to discover whether the booklet form of schedule would be more convenient than a single sheet. Preliminary assessment suggests that it is unlikely to be used in the census. Six whole areas were selected for the test, different enough from one another to represent a wide range of circumstances. Additionally, in a multi-stage stratified random sample of addresses throughout England and Scotland some 2,000 householders were invited to complete the schedule and discuss any difficulties with trained interviewers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, following the report of the Royal Commission on the reform of local government, he will now make a statement on the implementation of the Seebohm Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now make a statement on the Seebohm Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the recommendations of the Seebohm Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to make a further statement regarding the implementation of the proposals contained in the Seebohm Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now announce the Government's plans for action based on the recommendations of the Seebohm Report.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has told the House in reply to a supplementary question from my hon. Friend the Member for Norwood (Mr. John Fraser) on 3rd July, the Government hope to make an interim statement on the Seebohm Report before the Summer Recess.—[Vol. 786, c. 641–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made with his investigation into individual cases amongst disabled people affected by the wage stop following the publication of the 1967 White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to complete his review of wage-stop cases where there is an element of disability.

Local offices have now identified wage-stopped supplementary benefit claimants where there is an element of disability. This completes the first stage of the review. The second stage, involving detailed examination of individual cases, cannot begin before the beginning of August as the staff will be fully occupied, in addition to their normal duties, in bringing into effect the proposals for increases in benefit now before Parliament. It will thereafter be completed as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to extend the constant attendance allowance to those who do not at present qualify.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to provide grants to enable more of the severely disabled to live at home.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to introduce legislation which will include a proposal to introduce an attendance allowance for the severely disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now give details of the Government's proposals to introduce a new attendance allowance for the very severely disabled, including housewives, during the autumn.

We have already announced our intention of introducing next Session a Bill giving effect to our proposals for earnings-related social security. Among them is one for an attendance allowance for very severely disabled people, including housewives.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he intends to take to ensure that self-employed building workers do not claim unemployment benefit while they are in work.

We have no reason to think that fraud of this kind is widespread or that the existing arrangements are inadequate to deal with it. As the hon. Member knows, the general question of sub-contracting in the building industry is under consideration following the Phelps Brown Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give an assurance that the rate for insurance contributions will be 6¾ per cent. of earnings in April, 1972.

Discussions on the proposals made in the White Paper last January are continuing and the Government have yet to announce their detailed proposals on social insurance benefits and the national health service contribution. At present, therefore it would be premature to give any firm assurance about the precise rate of contribution to be included in the Bill next session.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will publish the White Paper on short-term social security benefits which is to follow Command Paper No. 3883.

I hope to make the further announcement promised in Command Paper 3883 before the Summer Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his regulations permit application forms for supplementary benefit for the family of a man on strike to be filled in by the striker himself although he is debarred from receiving benefit; and what steps his Department takes afterwards to check that such claims were bona fide.

The Ministry of Social Security Act [Section 4(2)] provides that where a man has dependants living with him only he is entitled to benefit; the fact that the man is on strike and not therefore entitled to benefit for his own personal requirements is therefore irrelevant. Apart from this, it is easier for the man to give the necessary information about his family commitments. Statements made by strikers are subject to the same verification as those made by other supplementary benefit claimants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the improved type of invalid tricycles for haemophiliacs qualifying for a vehicle have been issued to date.

The first of the improved vehicles was delivered recently and others will follow quite soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many widows of retirement pensioners were refused pensions in the years 1967 and 1968 by reason of the age barrier; and what were the resultant savings to public funds.

The precise information is not available. It is estimated that each year about 440 widows of men over pensionable age do not qualify for a succeeding benefit, following the widows allowance paid during the first 26 weeks of widowhood, because they are under age 50 and without children. The cost of paying pensions to these widows would be about £100,000 a year, assuming that they do not draw sickness or unemployment benefit under the special provisions giving such widows title to these benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment has been made of the results of the Departmental entitlement campaign; and what changes will be made in drawing the attention of the public to their rights in relation to social benefits.

Ways of drawing the attention of the public to the social security benefits to which they are entitled are under constant review. The entitlement campaign was an experiment in this field and its results, though not in themselves conclusive, will be taken into account in considering different methods and techniques for use in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider providing for the use of disabled people, in co-operation with local health authorities, a simple guide to financial and other services provided by Government agencies and those provided by voluntary bodies in local areas for such disabled persons.

The various cash benefits of the social security schemes are detailed in "Everybody's Guide to Social Security", a new edition of which is in preparation and will be published in the autumn.A single guide dealing with local services provided throughout the country would not be feasible, but my Department has always encouraged local authorities to produce handbooks about their services and how to use them. I am glad to say that many authorities do this.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services from which date the recently proposed increase in charges for National Health Service spectacles and false teeth will be effective.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the Regulations, which I shall be laying before the House tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, as a means of expediting payments of social security benefits, particularly to the aged and chronic sick and with a view to assisting the expansion of the Giro system, he will consider using this method of payment of benefits thus obviating the necessity for payment books, and for recipients having to travel at frequent intervals to collect their benefits at post offices.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to him on 2nd December by the then Minister of State for Social Services on this same point. Giro cheques were introduced in place of postal drafts on 3rd March.—[Vol, 774, 225–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to make the death grant available only in those circumstances where the relations or executors cannot afford the cost of the funeral.

No. To apply a means test to this grant, for which contributions have been paid over the years, would undermine the contributory principle on which entitlement to national insurance benefit is based.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider his decision not to allow Miss M. Neville, a constituent of the hon. Member for Dearne Valley, to pay her national insurance arrears of contributions for the period she was nursing her sick and elderly parents in Ireland.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that there are no grounds for reconsidering this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why Members of Parliament are classified as self-employed for national insurance purposes.

The reason is that they are not employed under a contract of service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the amount paid out in supplementary benefits in the year 1967 to women separated from their husbands.

I regret that this information is not available. But a sample inquiry in November, 1967, suggested that expenditure on supplementary benefit for separated wives staying at home to care for children was at the annual rate of something like £30 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men between 65–70 years of age and women between 60–65 years of age, who are continuing to work, are having their State retirement pensions reduced under the earnings rule applied to such retirement pensioners.

At the last inquiry, in June, 1968, there were about 12,500 men and about 3,500 women who, having retired, had taken work and were having their pensions reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost in 1969–70 to the National Insurance Fund of abolishing the Earnings Rule applied to men aged 65–70 years of age and women 60–65 years who continue in work.

As explained in Appendix I of the Government's White Paper on National Superannuation and Social Insurance (Cmnd. 3883) if the earnings rule is abolished then the retirement condition, which the earnings rule supports also falls. This would increase the scheme's expenditure by £115 million a year initially at present rates of benefit and by £130 million a year at the proposed November, 1969, rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a further statement on the Government's plans to improve the pensions position of widows.

No. The Government's proposals are clearly stated in the White Paper on National Superannuation and Social Insurance published in January of this year and as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in the debate which followed publication, we would like to hear an informed and vigorous discussion of the proposals in that paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he anticipates receiving and publishing the results of the social survey concerning the problems of long-term disablement, which was announced in October, 1967.

The results are being tabulated and a draft report should be completed next year. We shall consider later this year whether it is possible to publish information in sections as work progresses.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the social security provisions for the chronic disabled mental patient in the community; and what plans he has to improve these provisions.

There is already provision for sick and disabled people whatever the nature of their incapacity, through National Insurance sickness benefit and retirement pension as well as the supplementary benefits scheme, and these benefits are being increased in November. Our future plans for earnings-related long-term sickness benefit and retirement pension, and for a new attendance allowance for very severely disabled people, will be brought before the House in a Bill next Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prosecutions have been made in 1968 against persons drawing unemployment benefit whilst working; and how many of these people were employed on labour-only sub-contracting.

598 prosecutions were undertaken in 1968 for obtaining unemployment benefit while working. No analysis is available of the occupations of the offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for raising nursing standards in the care of the elderly in the mental hospitals.

In many of these hospitals the nursing is already good. We intend to promote good practice by better provision for the training of staff, diversion of more resources to long stay hospitals, and other measures, including the establishment of a Hospital Advisory Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware that many social workers in training are unable to have the experience of a student placement in a psychiatric hospital for lack of a senior psychiatric social worker to teach them; and if he will therefore take steps to increase the number of such senior workers.

Yes; and I hope that a recent revision of the Whitley Council agreement which includes changes in the grading structure will enable hospital authorities to appoint more student supervisors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost per patient in a mental hospital compared with the cost for outpatient facilities and community care.

The average costs in 1967–68 at hospitals for the mentally ill were £14 10s. 7d. per in-patient week and £2 12s. 4d. per out-patient attendance, and at hospitals for the subnormal £12 5s. 7d. per in-patient week. The average cost per week in local authority residential accommodation for the mentally disordered was about £8 4s. 0d., while the cost of attendance at training centres and day centres averaged about £1 15s. 0d. per day.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects work to begin on a children's isolation unit at Bedford Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

The regional board has no plans for building a new unit in the near future, but special facilities for the isolation of children are included in the long term plans for Bedford General Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for providing residential accommodation for nurses in place of nurses' homes.

For some years it has been the policy that resident hospital staff, including nurses, should be housed in flats of the normal kind found outside hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the daily average shortage of blood bank reserves in hospitals in England and Wales; and whether he will initiate a new nationwide campaign to recruit more blood donors.

Generally the National Blood Transfusion Service meets the increasing needs of hospitals, but local difficulties occur from time to time, particularly over holiday periods and during epidemics. More donors are constantly required and regional transfusion centres arrange local publicity throughout the year with the help of material produced by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for the suitable accommodation of chronically ill elderly married couples in hospital which would avoid their being separated from each other.

Modern thinking certainly favours geriatric hospitals and units including both sexes. When old hospitals are upgraded or replaced we usually provide facilities which allow male and female patients to meet and to cater for the rare occasions when husband and wife are in hospital at the same time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how long during the last three years the out-patients dispensing department at the Central Middlesex Hospital has been closed; what additional cost of prescribing the

Consultant Post	Date Advertised		Number of Applicants	Appointment made	Remarks
Durham and North-West Durham	August	1964	2	No	Post combined with post at Sunderland and South Shields
	May,	1965	none	No
	Jan.,	1966	none	No
Sunderland and South Shields	Oct.,	1964	1	No	Post combined with post at Durham
	Nov.,	1964	1	No
	Aug.,	1966	2	No
Combined Durham, Sunderland and South Shields Post	Dec.,	1966	none	No
	May,	1968	7	No
	Oct.,	1968	7	Yes
Newcastle	June,	1966	1	No
	July,	1966	none	No
	Sept.,	1966	1	Yes
Tees-side	Nov.,	1966	1	No
	Jan.,	1967	1	No
	May,	1967	2	Yes
Tees-side and Hartlepool	Sept.,	1967	6	Yes
East and West Cumberland	July,	1966	none	No
	Aug.,	1966	1	No
	Aug.,	1966	none	No
	Nov.,	1966	none	No
	Jan.,	1967	1	No
	July,	1968	4	Yes

Twelve weeks during 11 of which out-patient dispensing was carried out in the main hospital pharmacy. Figures of cost are not readily available. The closures were due to shortage of staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will issue a directive to regional hospital boards to examine and speed up final settlements of building contracts.

I am not aware that any directive is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Service how many vacancies have been advertised by the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board for ear, nose and throat consultants during the past five years; how many applications were received in each case; and in what hospital districts the Board failed to attract applicants.

Six posts have been advertised on, in all, 22 occasions. Two of the posts were amalgamated into one; that post, and the remaining four, have all been filled. The information about the individual posts is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many vacancies there are in the hospital service for ear, nose and throat consultants; what is the required establishment for each regional board; and what estimate of the supply of consultants has been made during the past five years.

Thirty-one in England and Wales at 30th September last year, but 26 of these posts were occupied by locums, whole-time or part-time. There is no required establishment for each regional board. The latest estimate of the annual number of senior registrars who will be trained to consultant level in the next two or three years is 18.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to enable student and pupil nurses over the age of 21 years to qualify for the £1 a week grant in order to achieve equality for all student and pupil nurses and remove the discrimination against late entrants to the nursing profession.

This is a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that the planned provision for geriatric beds by 1981 in the Southend and South Essex Hospital Groups is for a total of 598, that the number required based on the latest population projection figures will be 908; whether he is taking this deficit into account in the current revision of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board's Hospital Plan; and when he expects that revision to be completed.

I accept that improvement of the geriatric services in this area is a pressing need. I shall be paying particular attention to this in examining the Board's building programme, but improvement may not be limited to new building; the Board is considering in what way a neighbouring group, where there is a surplus of geriatric beds, can assist the South Essex Group.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent delay in treatment to National Health Service patients requiring routine treatment is occurring as a result of pressure on hospital departments dealing with transplant surgery.

Information is not available but the scale of activity in transplantation is not such as to be likely at present to cause a quantifiable delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors from overseas are currently employed in the hospital service.

7,606 in England and Wales at 30th September, 1968, excluding locums.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of hospital beds, at the latest convenient date, is occupied by psychiatric patients.

On average daily occupation of beds in 1968:

	Per cent.
Mental illness patients	31·2
Subnormality patients	15·1
All psychiatric patients	46·3

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that many local health authorities are not informed by the catchment area hospitals of the numbers and location of the patients returning to their community; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this situation.

Hospital authorities have been advised that, normally, local health authorities should be informed of a patient's discharge if he agrees. I have no reason to think that this advice is disregarded. I am continuing to urge the closest co-operation between hospitals and local health and welfare authorities in the provision and planning of services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses are now in training to become enrolled nurses in psychiatric hospitals.

There were 2,310 pupil nurses in psychiatric hospitals at 31st March, 1969, and 61 in psychiatric units and psychiatric wards in other hospitals at 30th September, 1968, the latest date for which this latter information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of admissions to mental hospitals under short-term compulsory powers was under Section 29 of the Mental Health Act in 1968; and if he will give corresponding figures for 1966 and 1967.

55 per cent. in 1968; 59 per cent. in 1966 and 53 per cent. in 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many officially paid organisers of volunteers there are in psychiatric hospitals and mental health divisions of local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Complete information is not available centrally, but at least ten psychiatric hospitals are known by my Department to have made such appointments. Advice which I shall shortly be issuing to hospital authorities on voluntary work in hospitals includes guidance on the appointment of paid organisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware of the problem of the methylated spirits drinker; and whether he will take steps to make provisions for ensuring his treatment.

Yes. Last year advice was given to health service authorities on the organisation of services for the treatment of alcoholism, but I am advised that medical treatment offers little prospect of success unless voluntarily accepted.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision is made by his Department for community care of the vagrant mentally-sick person for whom local authorities refuse to accept financial responsibility.

Responsibility for community care of the mentally ill rests with local health authorities. It is for the authorities concerned to decide which of them should accept responsibility in cases of doubt, but if my hon. Friend has in mind any case in which care has not been provided and will let me have details I will certainly make inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he is taking to provide effective integration between the hospitals, general practitioners and local authority mental health services.

I am continuing to urge on all concerned the various ways of effecting close co-ordination in planning and providing mental health services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in order that there should be an integrated service for the mentally ill, whether he will seek to ensure that all mental hospital management committees and the health committees of the local communities from which patients are admitted have an element of common membership.

The Act requires that hospital management committees shall include persons appointed after consultation with local health authorities and executive councils for the area concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies his Department has undertaken to assess the relationship between the mental relapse rate and the scope of community care.

Among the relevant studies are a local study undertaken by my Department with the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board and Nottingham University; studies by the Medical Research Council Social Psychiatry Unit, to which the Department contributes, and by the Medical Research Council Clinical Psychiatry Unit with the co-operation of the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board; and studies by the Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital and by the National Institute for Social Work Training.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will obtain details from the World Health Organisation of the steps being taken to prevent health hazards due to possible contamination of lunar probes by extraterrestial organisms; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the World Health Organisation is keeping this matter under review but, in view of the precautions taken by national authorities and the existence of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space established several years ago by the United Nations has not thought it necessary to take steps of the kind mentioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has considered the report by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, a copy of which has been sent to him, on mental illness in four London boroughs, showing that certain areas have pockets of high concentration of mentally ill; and if he will sponsor similar studies in each local authority area when planning community care.

I have read the report with interest and am considering its implications for my Department's research programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many voluntary organisations are actively engaged in supplementing local authority mental health services; and what is the total grant they receive from public funds.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make new regulations which will require dental practitioners to ask patients prior to treatment whether this is to be given under the National Health Service.

I have no power to impose such a requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to improve the design and the weight of artificial limbs.

Work is in progress in redesigning artificial legs on the principle of modular assembly. The need for lightness combined with strength and safety is well in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he estimates there will be a reduction in the time taken to repair artificial limbs.

About half of all repairs are completed within a day or two, and further reductions in repair time will follow as local workshops become increasingly able to undertake major repairs, and with the introduction of modular assembly limbs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is aware that from 22nd August, 1968, Ryton Urban District Council have several times made representations to Durham Executive Council of the National Health Service about the operation of the Emergency Medical Treatment Service throughout the administrative area; and if he will investigate this matter and instruct the Durham Executive Council to make arrangements for cooperation in the interests of the general public within Ryton Urban District;(2) if he is aware that constituents within Ryton Urban District have drawn up a petition to his Department about the inadequate service rendered by the panel group of doctors within the administrative area, involving absence from duty, and about the unsatisfactory operation of the Emergency Medical Treatment Service, involving delays by doctors responding to telephone calls on urgent cases; what reply has been sent; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of these representations and understand that the Durham Executive Council have replied to points raised by the urban district council, to whom the petition was addressed. My right hon. Friend has no power to intervene in decisions by executive councils to grant family doctors consent to use a deputising service, but he considers that in the circumstances of this case the executive council's decision was reasonable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to publish the result of the survey of immigrant births in 58 local authorities; and why local authorities who wish to publish their results have been advised not to do so.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, South (Mr. Ronald Bell) on 19th June. Local authorities have been advised that it is for them to decide whether they wish to publish their results.—[Vol. 785, c. 143.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that patients in rural areas may have their prescriptions dispensed by qualified pharmacists.

A patient who would have difficulty in getting to a pharmacy is in certain circumstances entitled to ask his doctor to supply him with medicines; but he remains free if he wishes to obtain them from a chemist in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, before licensing certain private nursing homes as suitable for abortions, he consulted professional associations representing pathologists, anaesthetists and gynaecologists in order to ensure that they were satisfied with the facilities available for blood transfusion; if he has examined the correspondence sent to him by the hon. Member for Tynemouth from the consultant pathologist from Guy's Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

My approval has been given in the light of the individual circumstances of each home and on the basis of advice received from the consultant advisers to my Department on the arrangements necessary for the supply of blood in emergencies.The Answer to the second part of the Question is "Yes". Under the National Health Service Act 1946 I may make supplies of blood available to medical practitioners who require them in case of emergency. Such supplies are accordingly provided through hospital boards to doctors in private nursing homes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for longer National Health Service elastic stockings to be available for wearers of mini-skirts.

The size of elastic hosiery is governed by medical needs and the patient's measurements. I am not aware of complaints about the length of elastic stockings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent patients discharged from mental hospitals, who are of no fixed abode, have difficulty in obtaining financial assistance for hostel or other accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any difficulties of this kind, but if my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind and will let me have details I shall be pleased to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hostel places for the mentally sub-normal in both junior and senior categories are to be made available by local health authorities in the course of the next 10 years; and if he is satisfied that this figure will be sufficient to meet the potential need.

Local authority plans for the development of their services in England and Wales do not extend beyond 1976. By then they plan for 2,706 hostel places for mentally sub-normal children and 8,854 for adults. While the full extent of the need is difficult to assess it is clear that a great many more places than these will be required.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information has been published by his Department to assist relatives of mentally-sick patients to understand the nature of the illness and the supporting services which the patient is likely to require on discharge from hospital.

None. Relatives of mentally ill patients can best be informed about these matters by a doctor, nurse or social worker.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish statistics for the boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham of psychiatric patients and nursing staffs arising from the data which has recently been sent to him;(2) what are the admission rates per 100,000 population all units, to the most recent date for which figures are available, for the boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham;(3) what was the number of resident psychiatric patients at 31st December, 1968, per 1,000 population for the catchment area of Bexley and Lewisham;(4) what was the percentage of beds in psychiatric hospitals and units of various sizes to the most recent date for the boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are the admission rates of psychiatric patients per 100,000 population to the most recent date for which figures are available for the Borough of Haringey;(2) of the total number of beds for the London Borough of Haringey, what is the percentage in psychiatric hospitals and units to the most recent date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the parliamentary constituency area of Epping during the years 1960, 1964 and 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the parliamentary constituency area of Goole during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the parliamentary constituency area of Coventry, South, and the city of Coventry during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the parliamentary constituency area of Hampstead and the London Borough of Camden during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964; and how many are receiving community care.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the parliamentary constituency area of Nottingham. South, and the city of Nottingham during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the county of Nottinghamshire during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964; and how many are receiving community care.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the city of Bradford during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the county borough of Warrington for the years 1960, 1964 and 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the London Borough of Barking during the years 1960, 1964 and 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of mentally ill patients discharged into the county borough of Warley during the year 1968 as compared with 1960 and 1964.

The information requested is not available at present. The possibility of tabulating information about patients by area of residence in future is now being considered as part of a general review of our mental health statistics.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a progress report on the vehicle-testing station at Livingston New Town, West Lothian.

In the first six months of the operation of the scheme for the plating and testing of goods vehicles which ended on 31st May, the Ministry's goods vehicle testing station at Livingston conducted 3,432 tests, of which 877 (26 per cent.) were failed. The ratio of passes to failures was slightly (3 per cent.) higher than the national average.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has completed his review of the effect of British Standard Time on road accidents; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 19th June in reply to Questions from the hon. Members for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) and Londonderry (Mr. Chichester-Clark).—[Vol. 785, c. 687–9.]

asked the Minister of Transport what further measures he plans to take to reduce the noise and noxious fumes caused by motor cyclists on British roads and to prevent the damage being caused to road users and to adjacent residents thereby.

There is no evidence that noise or fumes from motor cycles cause damage. The noise regulations made last year are only a first step and will be reviewed with the organisations concerned in due course.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the delay in granting loan consent for the proposed transit shed at Flathouse Quay, Landport, Portsmouth, which has resulted in increased costs of more than £1,000.

The application made by the City of Portsmouth was dealt with as a matter of routine, and my Department knew nothing about the expiry date for acceptance of the original tender until after the tender was withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Transport what recent representations have been made to him for compulsory passenger liability of people using motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

I have already accepted the desirability of making passenger liability insurance compulsory and I announced in the House on 10th March that I hope to introduce legislation as soon as there is a suitable opportunity. I have received a number of letters supporting this decision.—[Vol. 779, c. 960.]

asked the Minister of Transport how many trains were derailed in the first six months of 1969; and what were the comparable figures in the first six months of each of the previous four years.

The provisional figure for train derailments in the first six months of 1969 is 200. The comparable figures for the same period in 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968 are 118, 134, 150, 171 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport what discussions he has had with the Central Transport Consultative Committee regarding the modernisation of British Railways rolling stock in relation to recent accidents with a view to the avoidance of future accidents causing injury to persons and loss of life.

None. The British Railways Board has a statutory duty to maintain adequate safety standards. It is in regular touch with my Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways in keeping all aspects of the safety problem under review. I do not think the Central Transport Consultative Committee is the right body to consider particular safety matters.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the results of the preliminary inquiry into the rail accident at Marylebone Station on Monday, 30th June.

An Inspecting Officer of Railways visited the scene of the accident shortly after it occurred. From the information he was able to give, which included the results of a test of the brakes which had shown that they were functioning normally, I decided that it was unnecessary for me to order a public inquiry.The Railways Board is of course holding a domestic inquiry.

asked the Minister of Transport how many miles of motorway, dual carriageway and other roads have been completed in each year since 1960; and how many additional miles are expected to be completed before the end of 1970.

Details of motorways and dual-carriageway trunk roads completed in England since 1960 are as follows:—

	Motorways (Calendar year) miles	Trunk Roads Dual Carriageways (Financial year) miles
1960	45	54
1961	21	50
1962	50	56
1963	95	56
1964	8	65
1965	75	54
1966	49	48
1967	78	84
1968	30	41
Additional by end 1970	140 (approx.)	120 (approx.)

The additional miles include schemes expected to be completed up to December, 1970, and these may be subject to minor unforeseen delays.Similar details in respect of other roads are not readily available.

asked the Minister of Transport, having regard to the need to reduce the danger of wet road skidding on newly constructed motorways, if he will give details of the evidence in his possession on the relative advantages and disadvantages of concrete roads against asphalt roads; and what reports have been made by the Road Research Laboratory on all aspects of this matter.

The requisite skidding resistance can be provided by roads constructed of either asphalt or concrete. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the two materials hinge mainly on the respective overall costs of initial construction and subsequent upkeep. The results of an assessment of these costs are contained in Road Research Laboratory Report LR.256.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in bringing British traffic signs and markings into conformity with the United Nations Convention on Road Signs and Signals agreed at Vienna last year; and if he will indicate the major changes that have to be made in the British system.

No major changes are imposed by the Convention. Our signs already largely accord with those of Continental Europe, which formed one of the bases of the Convention. There are however some differences between our practice and that allowed, for example the precise form of advance "Stop" sign and our use of give way markings. On some of these points it may be necessary to enter reservations when ratifying the Convention but in general it is hoped to make as few reservations as possible. The Convention allows a 15-year chang-over period.A European Agreement is being prepared to supplement the Convention. It is too early to say what further changes to our system might be necessary, and desirable, if we are to be able to conform to that Agreement also.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps have been taken to implement the recommendation of the United Nations Convention on Road Signs and Signals that road markings should be reflectorised if the density of traffic so requires.

This recommendation is already met by the detailed advice given to all highway authorities in Chapter 5 of the Traffic Signs Manual.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange for repairs to be carried out to the subsidence on the southbound carriageway of the MI motorway approximately one mile north of Exit 15; and if he will arrange for warning signs to be erected until these repairs are completed.

My Agent Authority has arranged for repairs to be carried out. Warning signs have been erected.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet M. Maurice Schumann.

As my right hon. Friend said in reply to the hon. Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Wingfield Digby) on 23rd June, he has as yet no specific plans.—[Vol. 785, c. 182.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to implement Resolution (69) 1 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Noise Abatement.

The responsible Departments had already adopted some of the measures proposed in that Resolution before it was passed. They are now studying the others.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will arrange to defray the expenses of British subjects in Rhodesia who have to resort to Her Majesty's Embassy or consular officials in Pretoria because of the closing of the United Kingdom Residual Mission in Salisbury.

No. The closing of a United Kingdom post in one part of the world is never ground for meeting the expenses of British subjects in their resort to another.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to organise and attend a conference of coloured persons and their sympathisers in Rhodesia in order to elicit their views on the recent attempted constitutional changes there.

I am afraid that this would not be practicable. But, as my right hon. Friend said in the House on 24th June, I have no doubt that the immense weight of African opinion is against these constitutional proposals.—[Vol. 785, c. 1224.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have, during each of the last 10 years, been given travel visas to migrate to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand, respectively; and how many of these migrants have, from each of these countries, returned to Great Britain.

Visas are not required by British subjects travelling to the Commonwealth of Australia—including Tasmania—or New Zealand.It has not been possible to arrive at a precise figure relating to the departure of British settlers from Australia. However, information available to the Australian Government indicates that the departure rate is between 9 per cent.-16 per cent. No similar estimate is available for New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have, during each of the last 10 years, been granted travel visas to visit Spain, Portugal, Greece and the Republic of South Africa, respectively.

In general, and for some years past, visas have not been required by British subjects travelling to these countries. When such visas have been required they have been granted by the Consular representatives of the countries concerned and no statistics are held in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further information he has received on the dangers of starvation in Biafra; what assessment has been submitted to Her Majesty's Government by the International Committee of the Red Cross; and if he will make a further statement on the present situation on relief supplies.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the amount to be spent in 1969–70 by the Medical Research Council on research into mental illness; and what proportion of the total budget this represents.

Approximately £726,000 on research into mental illness and £425,000 on related psychological studies. Together these sums represent 8·1 per cent. of the Council's total estimated recurrent expenditure for the financial year 1969–70. In addition, the programme of basic research in the biological sciences which is being carried out with the Council's support is likely to advance relevant knowledge.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the results so far of research by the Clinical Psychiatry Research Unit of the Medical Research Council on the valuation of a community mental health service, in which factors determining admission to mental hospital, the effects on the family of caring for mentally-ill patients and the outcome after two years are being assessed.

A number of papers by the staff of the unit have already been published in accordance with the normal practice, in the medical and scientific journals. I am arranging for the relevant references to be sent to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the budget for 1968–69 of the neuro-psychiatric research unit of the Medical Research Council.

Expenditure (all recurrent) in the financial year 1968–69 was £108,379.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much Government expenditure is involved in the study of psychiatric illness; and whether he intends to increase this amount in the next three years.

It is not possible to give the total sum. In 1969–70 the Medical Research Council expect to spend about £1·151 million and the Health Departments £130,000; but further Government funds, which cannot be isolated, will be spent in this field by the universities, medical schools and hospital boards. The proportion of research expenditure to be devoted to any particular subject in the next three years is a matter for the scientific judgment of the bodies concerned and cannot be accurately determined in advance.

asked the Minister of Power what plans he has for discussions with the National Union of Mineworkers in the light of his recent announcement dealing with graduated pensions.

The National Union of Mineworkers were informed of the Government proposals through the National Coal Board (in accordance with normal procedure on pension matters). As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services told the House on 10th June—[Vol. 784, c. 1240]—there is still ample time for consultation on matters affecting members of contracted out pensions schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to provide for the retraining of pensionless widows and widows receiving 30s. per week to enable them to take up productive work in industry and commerce.

Pensionless widows and widows receiving 30s. per week have the same right to be considered for training under the Government vocational training scheme as other women or men. Where retraining is needed in their cases, however, it is usually carried out by industry itself, with the assistance where appropriate of grants from the Industrial Training Boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the amount of time from work lost because of industrial disputes in 1968 in each of her Department's regions in Great Britain expressed as the number of working days lost and as days lost per thousand employees.

Following is the information available:

STOPPAGES OF WORK DUE TO INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES IN 1968 BY REGIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN
Region	Working days lost	Working days lost per 1,000 employees in employment
London and South Eastern*	460,000	90
Eastern and Southern*	303,000
South Western	167,000	125
West Midlands	881,000	400
East Midlands	162,000	125
Yorkshire and Humberside	276,000	125
North Western	1,154,000	400
Northern	291,000	225
Scotland	638,000	300
Wales	266,000	275
*Separate estimates for employees in employment are not yet available for these two regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated percentage increase in rates, earnings and productivity arising from the pay claim by members of the chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, who have recently been working to rule; and if she will make a statement.