asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give an assurance that the increases in salaries granted in recent months to persons in the highest grades in various forms of Government service have been or will be vetted by his Department to ensure that they fall within the Government's incomes policy.

I can assure my hon. Friend that all such increases for which the Government are responsible have been authorised only after the most careful consideration of the incomes policy aspects.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions are currently operating or proposed on imports of meat from the Argentine provinces of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego; and whether distinctions are observed between imports from these provinces and from the remainder of the Argentine and from Brazil and Uruguay.

Since 1st October, 1969, any supplies of unprocessed meat from the Argentine Province of Santa Cruz and Territory of Tierra del Fuego, like those from the remainder of the Argentine and from Brazil have been restricted to boneless beef produced under the revised veterinary conditions which my right hon. Friend announced on 22nd October, 1968. Processed meat can be imported from any of these sources. No imports of processed or unprocessed meat have been permitted from Uruguay since 14th June, 1969.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of imports of boned meat from South America contained lymph glands; and what is the expected trend in imports of boned meat from this market with and without lymph glands, respectively.

No meat can be imported from South America without lymph glands because my right hon. Friend has not extended recognition of any South American Official Certificate, under the Imported Food Regulations, to permit this.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what numbers he has increased the veterinary staff in South American countries to ensure adequate standards of public health inspection of meat exported to the United Kingdom; and what is the estimated annual cost of such increases.

In the light of the Northumberland Committee's advice my right hon. Friend has decided to increase the complement of veterinary staff in South America from 2 to 3. The total annual cost is estimated at £13,500.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the increase in the amount of cakes and confectionery which are sold wrapped in shops and multiple stores, if he will take steps to provide that these wrapped articles of food are dated in the same way as certain wrapped bacon, with a view to protecting the public from purchasing stale cakes and confectionery.

No. The public is protected from purchasing stale food, including cakes and confectionery, by the general provisions of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955. Manufacturers may indicate the date by which the food should be consumed but it would not be right to make this a compulsory requirement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps are being taken to prevent the over-fishing of salmon in the North Atlantic.

I have nothing to add at present to my reply to the question from the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mr. Gordon Campbell) on 16th October.—[Vol. 788, c. 130.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of university graduates with first degrees at the latest available date; and what were the corresponding figures for 1914, 1939, 1950 and 1964.

The number of students awarded first degrees at universities in Great Britain was as follows:—

Academic year	First degrees awarded
1919–20	3,091
1938–39	9,311
1949–50	17,821
1963–64	25,954
1967–68	41,687

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many complaints have been received by his Department from students or their parents about refusals by local education authorities to include in their grants reimbursement of expenses incurred by students on field work carried out as an essential preliminary to courses in social administration.

I know of none.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what expansion is possible in the next 12 months of the facilities for training blind persons as telephonists.

The present facilities are related to the demand for training and to employment opportunities. The extent and scope of the training will be reviewed when the Royal National Institute for the Blind has completed its current survey into the employment of blind telephonists.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether the building of the new Government training centre in Monmouthshire is on schedule; what is the completion date; and what will be the intake of trainees upon completion.

Planning work is on schedule and it is hoped to start training by the end of 1970. When the centre is fully operational the number of training places will be about 150.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what will be the basis of Government incomes policy after 1969; and what will be the norm for wages increases.

A White Paper on the productivity, prices and incomes policy after the end of 1969 will be published later in the year after consultation with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the salary scales payable to private secretaries to Treasury officials in the assistant secretary grade.

Such secretaries are paid on the Personal Secretary scale of £826 to £1,120 plus £125 inner London weighting.In addition, allowances for typing, shorthand and audio proficiency may be payable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the process of concluding arrangements to guarantee official sterling reserves of the countries of the sterling area to whom these arrangements were offered has resulted in any such agreements in addition to those already notified to Parliament.

Yes, since I told the House on 13th February of agreements reached with a number of the smaller sterling holders in the sterling area, on lines similar to the agreements concluded with the major holders which were presented to Parliament last autumn, agreements have been concluded with the following further countries:

• Botswana;
• Western Samoa;
• St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla;
• British Soloman Islands Protectorate;
• British Virgin Islands;
• Cayman Islands;
• Falkland Islands and Dependencies;
• Montserrat;
• St. Helena;
• British Caribbean Currency Board;
• East African Currency Board.—[Vol. 777 c. 385–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution, in money or in kind, Her Majesty's Government propose to make in response to the Tunisian Flood Disaster Appeal, having regard to the loss of life and damage to homes and buildings that has been sustained.

Her Majesty's Government have already made a considerable contribution to flood relief in Tunisia. Two thousand blankets, two large marquees and eighty 180-lb. tents have been flown out at our expense in two consignments. In addition Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires has made a cash contribution of £200 to the Tunis Diplomatic Corps' Relief Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the results of the proposals of Her Majesty's Government to obtain economies in United Nations expenditure.

Her Majesty's Government have made clear their concern at the continuing increase in the United Nations budget and their desire that the funds voted should be used with the maximum efficiency. The Secretary General has stated that, in drawing up his budget proposals for 1970, which are now under debate in the General Assembly, he has had regard to the concern voiced by some member Governments—including Her Majesty's Government—at the growth of the budget in recent years, and to the call for a survey of manpower utilisation and deployment, which is now being made in the Secretariat.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is aware of concern among journalists on the proposals contained in Chapter VIII of the Duncan Report; and whether he will give an assurance that there will be full discussion with the National Union of Journalists before firm plans are formulated.

The General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists wrote to my right hon. Friend on 11th September, setting out the grounds for anxiety felt by the members of his Union over the recommendations in Chapter VIII of the Report of the Review Committee on Overseas Representation—the Duncan Report. If the National Union of Journalists, or any other similar organisation, wish to send me any additional points, I shall be happy to ensure that they will be taken fully into account by the Government when reaching decisions on the recommendations contained in the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will seek to amend the regulations whereby local authorities have responsibility for placing foster children, in view of the recent case of a foster child, Michael Allen, placed with Mrs. Helena Valek;(2) if he will amend the regulations concerning the fostering of children so as to require a detailed statement of inquiries made by the local authority in each case to be submitted to his Department, in view of the case of the foster child, Michael Allen, placed in the care of Mrs. Helena Valek.

I am informed that this case is the subject of criminal proceedings and I cannot comment while it is sub judice.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on the progress of the work of the United Kingdom National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and of her Department, in connection with the international campaign to help developing countries with the problem of illiteracy.

The policy of the United Kingdom National Commission for U.N.E.S.C.O. has been to allow the initial U.N.E.S.C.O. World Literacy Experimental Campaign pilot projects time to get under way, while making known to U.N.E.S.C.O. our readiness to assist in providing field experts and training seminars and with the evaluation of projects. The first of these U.N.E.S.C.O. projects is only two years old and some have yet to begin. The lessons just emerging were reported last month at the 83rd Session of the Executive Board of U.N.E.S.C.O.Last year the National Commission sought to arouse public opinion on Literacy Day—8th September, 1968—by launching a literacy month. A circular was sent to schools, non-governmental organisations, libraries, universities and newspapers; and literature and display materials were supplied on request. As a result of Press releases by the National Commission the problem of illiteracy was aired in national, provincial, professional and church newspapers. The sound radio featured two items on the subject and a panel of speakers met requests from professional and voluntary organisations. Several schools and libraries organised exhibitions. On 3rd October the Archbishop of York preached in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields in support of U.N.E.S.C.O.s literacy work.A conference on the evaluation of experimental literacy projects was held early in 1969 at the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University. It was attended by representatives of universities and institutes as well as by observers from overseas and from U.N.E.S.C.O. In August U.N.E.S.C.O. organised at the University of London Institute of Education under the direction of a British expert, a training course for evaluators of functional literacy projects.My Department views literacy in the context of wide education for social and economic development, with special reference to the rural areas of developing countries and to the formal and informal education of adults. Britain's willingness to help other Commonwealth countries over literacy and cognate problems has been made clear at two successive Commonwealth Education Conferences. Bilaterally our assistance has been given through the provision of training and the supply of key personnel, with equipment where necessary, to overseas training institutions and Government departments, and through the building up of knowledge of educational aids.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many residential telephones were installed in Scotland in the last five years; and how many applications are still on the waiting list at the most recent convenient date.

These are matters for the Post Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice and assistance his department is giving to Edinburgh Corporation on the matter of public health during the strike of dustmen in the city.

The Corporation has not asked for any advice or assistance from my Department, and I do not doubt its ability to deal with the immediate situation themselves.

asked the Minister of Technology whether, in view of the recent set-backs at the Magnox nuclear power stations, he will now revert to a 20-year depreciation period in estimating the costs of the advanced gas-cooled reactors.

As my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd) was informed in the answer given to him on 13th October, the C.E.G.B. has given an assurance that the A.G.R. stations will not be affected.—[Vol. 778, c. 381.]

asked the Minister of Technology what research he is undertaking into means for effecting a reduction of atmospheric pollution by exhaust from internal combustion engines; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the research.

Much of the research in this field is necessarily done by the manufacturers, but both the Ministry's Warren Spring Laboratory, and the Motor Industry Research Association, which receives a grant from the Ministry, carry out work needed for setting standards. Warren Spring Laboratory is principally concerned with surveys of pollution and M.I.R.A. with assisting its members to meet present and possible future social and statutory obligations.

asked the Minister of Technology when, taking into account the delays to the prototype fast breeder reactor mentioned in paragraphs 159 and 160 of the Atomic Energy Authority's Annual Report for 1968–69, he now expects the first commercial-scale reactor of this kind to be in operation.

The delay is due to difficulties encountered in welding the biological shield roof and is not connected with the fast reactor system. The prototype is expected to be completed at the end of 1972 and it is estimated that a commercial fast reactor could be ordered to come into operation towards the end of the 1970s.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take on the recent report of the Public Accounts Committee that his Department lost over £7 million by failing to charge economic fees for bankruptcy and winding-up proceedings.

The fees were increased on 1st May, 1969. They will be reviewed again in 1970, and at regular intervals thereafter, with the object of keeping the net cost to public funds as low as possible without discouraging the use of the official insolvency services.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now announce the result of the project feasibility study of alternative routes north and south of Preston to link the M6 and the Fylde coast; and if he will make a statement.

We are expecting the final report on the project feasibility study during the next few weeks. We will announce a decision as soon as possible, after we have examined the recommendations made in the report.

asked the Minister of Transport what current plans he has for improving road communications between the West Midlands and the East Coast ports.

A large number of road schemes are already under construction, programmed and in preparation to improve road communications between the West Midlands and the East Coast ports. Further proposals for routes to be comprehensively improved are illustrated in the Green Paper, "Roads for the Future", published in March this year for public comment.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to approve the by-pass on the Market Harborough-Corby road A427 near Stoke Albany and Wilbarston; and what is the reason for the delay.

A revised and more expensive by-pass scheme proposed by the Northamptonshire County Council is among those under consideration for a place in the principal road preparation list. It has necessarily taken some time to consider the relative merits of the many schemes proposed by local authorities for inclusion in this list but we hope to announce before long the names of those selected.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of houses in Wales are without hot water, fixed baths and internal water closets.

The latest available figures were published in Table 2 of the Welsh House Condition Survey, 1968, published by H.M.S.O., Cardiff.

asked the Secetary of State for Defence if he is aware of many cases of low-flying, in some instances almost at ground level, by aircraft in rural districts of North Northumberland, in many cases severely frightening stock; and whether he will issue a directive to aircraft using this area for training that they should fly at the prescribed heights.

Low level flying training is carried out over North Northumberland and similar sparsely populated areas throughout the United Kingdom. For safety and operational reasons great care is exercised to maintain approved heights and to avoid centres of population and although, occasionally, some disturbance is inevitable, no claims for compensation for damage to livestock have been received from the area for over twelve months. Regulations concerning flying at the prescribed height are already promulgated and well understood.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many students attend the Duke of York's school at Dover; and how many have joined each of the Armed Services in the last three years and in the first nine months of 1969, respectively.

The Duke of York's Royal Military School is not a recruiting agency. Admission of a boy is normally a reward for his father's loyal service to the Crown. Special consideration is given to suitable boys whose fathers have died while in the Services. There are 432 boys at present. The numbers who have joined the Armed Services and the proportion of boys who joined the Armed Services out of all boys leaving are in academic years, as follows:

	RN	ARMY	RAF	Proportion% of all boys leaving
1965–66	1*	12	4	25%
1966–67		11	2	22%
1967–68		7	4	14%
1968–69	1	7	4	19%
*Royal Canadian Navy

In addition, about 4 boys a year join the Police and Merchant Navy and about 6 ex-pupils a year enter the Armed Services after spending some time in civilian employment or further education.