asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that there are many vehicles being driven on the roads today without current road worthy test certificates; and why he will not seek further powers to ensure that all vehicles due for road tests are actually tested.

We consider existing powers are adequate. The test certificate regulations are actively enforced and maximum penalties are already substantial.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give the reasons why he will not seek to make regulations to ensure that all vehicles liable to a road test should exhibit their current test certificate alongside their road fund licence, or for a joint road fund licence test certificate to be issued on licensing of the vehicle.

We are not satisfied that the costs of administration and enforcement would be justified by the results.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to introduce legislation to make compulsory the insurance of passengers in private motor cars and on motor cycles and scooters.

As soon as there is a suitable opportunity.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the latest estimate he has made of the financial contribution which his Department will be called upon to make towards the building of the primary road network proposed for London by the Greater London Council.

Planning is proceeding, subject to the appropriate statutory procedures, on the basis that my Department will commit about £200 million on principal and trunk road schemes for the primary network in London during the 5 to 8 year period beginning in 1971–72. I cannot say what funds are likely to be available beyond this period.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the planning and environmental aspects of the development of disused railway properties and sites.

It is Government policy to ensure the most beneficial use of such property in the public interest. The British Railways Board accordingly offer surplus land in the first instance to local authorities, who thus have a special opportunity, in addition to any afforded by their planning powers, to consider planning and environmental factors.

asked the Minister of Transport how many agreements have been made by private bus companies, acting under the Transport Act regulations, with local authorities in granting concessionary fares to pensioners; and if he will name the companies and areas involved.

Local authorities are free to make these arrangements with any bus company under the terms of the Transport Act, 1968. These powers are discretionary and their use is not reported to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport what further steps he has in mind to improve safety for pedestrians in Bordon on the A325 Petersfield-Farnham Road.

The A325 PetersfieldFarnham Road is a principal road and the responsibility of Hampshire County Council as the Highway Authority. I understand that the council is actively considering what safety measures are necessary in Bordon.

asked the Minister of Transport what delays to the motorway construction programme are being caused by a shortage of steel for bridges.

No delays have so far been experienced.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the continued dangers at the Cambridge junction on the A38, and whether, in view of recent accidents, he will now take steps to alter the crossing or to provide a safe crossing whether by the use of white lines, an island refuge or otherwise.

As the hon. Member knows, there are difficulties at this junction. Our Divisional Road Engineer is meeting local representatives shortly to try to reach agreement on effective measures.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations he has received from the North-West Economic Planning Council and North-West Transport Users' Consultative Committee about the proposal by British Railways to reduce severely the number of through services to and from Blackpool South Station and what reply he has sent.

We consulted both bodies about the Board's proposals to transfer most of the through services to Blackpool North Station. In accordance with normal practice their advice was given in confidence.

asked the Minister of Transport in how many cases the closure of a railway line or canal has enabled new roads to be built at reduced cost by avoiding the need for bridges; and whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the instances with the respective financial savings for 1967, 1968, and 1969.

We are aware of 67 cases in which schemes for the construction or improvement of trunk roads, including motorways, and prinicipal roads commenced since 1st January, 1967, cross closed railways or canals. The savings resultings from not having to build bridges cannot be allocated to specific years, since it is not known in which year the expense would have been incurred had it been necessary; nor can they be precisely estimated, but at a rough approximation they exceed £3 million. This information is not exhaustive.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to ensure that land surplus to requirements for the construction of the A3 motorway is made available by his Department to the Frimley and Camberley Urban District Council in time for them to use the site for the construction of houses required for staff at the new Frimley Park Hospital.

Under the provisions of the motorway contract the contractor has the use of this land until completion of the works, expected to be in mid-1971. It will not be surplus until then.

asked the Minister of Transport what decision he has communicated to the Railways Board about electrification of the main line northwards from Weaver Junction to Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the Answers given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) on 22nd October and 4th November.—[Vol. 788, c. 291–2; Vol. 790, c. 824–5.]

asked the Minister of Transport why, without awaiting the outcome of the discussions taking place between the Ashford, Hastings and New Romney Joint Committee with the Railways Board and the bus company, his letter of 22nd October, 1969, varied the conditions set out in the annex to the letter of 7th August, 1969, addressed to the Chief Secretary, British Railways Board; and if he will now withdraw his letter of 22nd October.

I varied the conditions of consent to this rail closure because I was satisfied that the National Bus Company's revised proposals for replacement bus services were better than those in the original conditions; and because I considered it undesirable for the necessary application to the Traffic Commissioners for a road service licence to be delayed any longer. The matter will now be for the Traffic Commissioners' consideration, and Local Authorities have statutory rights of representation to them.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will explain the circumstances in which he has approved the relaying of the fast rail line between Preston and Kirkham, which was taken up in 1965.

The Railways Board informs me that no such re-laying is proposed; the alignment of the existing tracks is being improved.

asked the Minister of Transport what special measures he is proposing to take to ensure that, should heavy falls of snow occur this winter, the main roads are kept clear.

None. Our normal winter arrangements are already in operation and should ensure that motorways and trunk roads are kept open or, if blocked through abnormally severe conditions, are re-opened with the minimum delay.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to compel local authorities to introduce concessionary fares for retired people.

No. The provision in the Transport Act, 1968, and the Transport (London) Act, 1969, extends considerably the powers of local authorities to help elderly people in this way. It meets a generally expressed desire to have wider discretionary powers.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take on the proposal submitted by the Greater London Council for a motorway project known as Ringway 2.

The Greater London Council's proposals for Ringway 2 will be considered as part of the Greater London Development Plan. The Council have indicated their intention to submit to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government further proposals for the section between Norbury and Falconwood in time for them to be considered as part of the Plan. This section is not at present included in the Plan.

asked the Minister of Transport what discussions he has had with the Greater London Council on their Ringway 2 project; and if he will make a statement.

The Greater London Council's plans for different parts of Ringway 2 have been discussed at official level from time to time as part of the normal processes of co-ordinating road plans in London. The Council's longterm primary road proposals will be considered as part of the Greater London Development Plan, though I am prepared meanwhile to approve individual schemes on their merits.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on progress made with the projected through-road from Shoreham Harbour to Newhaven Harbour; and what approach roads from it to Brighton coast roads are included in his plans.

Decisions on this and other roads in the area must await the results of the Brighton Transportation Study, which are now expected in the new year.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will expedite plans for lighting all the acute bends of the A62 trunk road over the Standedge Pass.

No. Road lighting for this length of road has been considered, but in accident prevention terms there are other trunk roads with a claim to earlier priority. A road improvement scheme to ease the bends is being prepared.

asked the Minister of Transport on what date he expects to announce the route of the A6 diversion within the boundaries of the Hazel Grove and Bramhall Urban District Council.

Alternative routes to bypass Hazel Grove are under consideration. An announcement cannot be made until these investigations have been completed and the outcome assessed in the light of the availability of funds.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to bring all regular river and harbour ferries under the control of the Traffic Commissioners.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to bring total cost to the Exchequer of the Greater London Council's London motorway projects, details of which are in his possession.

I have made no such estimate for the Greater London Council's motorway projects. Planning is proceeding subject to the appropriate statutory procedures, on the basis that during the 5–8 years beginning in 1971–72 my Department will commit about £200 million on the primary road network for London, whether or not these roads are built as motorways. This includes trunk roads for which I pay the whole cost and Greater London Council principal roads to which I contribute 75 per cent. of the cost. I cannot say what funds will be available beyond this 5–8 year period.

asked the Minister of Transport what is his Department's policy on the use of the outside lane in motorways; and whether lorries, vans and motor buses are entitled under regulations to use that lane in other than emergency conditions.

Goods vehicles of over 3 tons unladen weight and any vehicles drawing a trailer are excluded by Motorway Regulations from the outside lane of 3 lane motorways. This ban does not apply to motor buses.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the recent fatal accident on the railway bridge at Moore, Cheshire, whether he will take steps to improve the safety of the road at this point.

This road is a principal road for which Cheshire County Council is the highway authority. I understand that representatives of the Council attended a site meeting yesterday; when investigation is complete the County Council will no doubt consider whether steps to improve safety are required.

asked the Minister of Transport what reciprocal arrangements he is making with European countries to ensure that vehicles leaving the country in which they are registered, licensed and insured are adequately covered when travelling through other European countries.

There are already various Conventions and Agreements designed to facilitate tourism by affording mutual recognition of national documents relating to vehicles and drivers, but the enforcement of laws applicable in a particular country can only be a matter for the authorities of that country.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he intends to take to improve the circulation of motor traffic and the safety of pedestrians at the Hounsdown roundabout on the A35 in the parish of Eling.

As the hon. Member is aware, the Hampshire County Council are the highway authority for this principal road and it is for them to make plans for the improvement of traffic flows and the safety of pedestrians on it. No detailed scheme for the improvement of conditions at this roundabout has yet been submitted.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he proposes to accept the proposal of the Hampshire County Council that a 50 miles per hour speed restriction be imposed on the A35 from the Southampton City boundary to the beginning of the 40 miles per hour restriction in the village of Ashurst; and when he expects to reach a decision on this matter.

My right hon. Friend has now decided that a 50 m.p.h. speed limit would not be justified, or realistic, on this improved length of dual carriageway. We are writing to the Council to inform them of our views in more detail, and we will keep the future accident record under review.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to make it compulsory that all accidents or incidents endangering the public occurring to, or caused by, commercial vehicles should be reported to his Department within 24 hours by the owners of the vehicle concerned, and that an investigation of each accident or incident should be made.

The Department receives from the police a full report of road accidents involving personal injury. In addition, a special investigation is sometimes carried out into any particularly serious or unusual accident. I do not think that investigating other incidents would be either practical or justified.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the hardship caused by night working on motorways; and if he will issue an instruction that no work will take place between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 a.m.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett).

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the penalty clause on motorway construction is used as a reason for night working; and, in view of the risk to health caused by work done at night, if he will abolish the penalty clauses.

Motorway contracts do not in practice contain penalty clauses.

asked the Minister of Transport why no records are kept of the number of vehicles that are registered but not licensed; and what was the total number of vehicles registered at any given date.

Documents are kept for every currently registered road vehicle, but it would serve no useful purpose to maintain a continuous count of those which are currently unlicensed. It is estimated that in the third quarter of 1968 there were about 18 million vehicles for which documents were kept.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is now taking to ensure that drivers bringing in motor vehicles, including passenger cars from abroad, are competent to drive and hold driving licences to prove this; and what steps is he now taking to ensure that the vehicles are roadworthy and adequately licensed.

In common with other countries party to the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, we recognise foreign domestic and international driving licences held by temporary visitors. Entitlement to hold these licences is a matter for the issuing authority.Routine checks are carried out by the police and officials of the Department to ensure that vehicles and drivers comply with our requirements, and such checks cover both British and foreign vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the difficulties for essential services in travelling through narrow streets in major cities where double parking of vehicles prevents the free flow of traffic, and of the danger to other drivers and pedestrians because the view is obscured; and whether he will give the reasons why he will not seek to make it illegal to have other than unilateral parking on public highways which are less than 15 feet wide.

It is the local traffic authorities who are responsible for regulating traffic and parking on such roads. They have a duty under Section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1967 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic, and it is up to them to take any measures necessary to deal with the circumstances referred to by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport how many British Railways employees are included in occupational pension schemes.

Some 226,000.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will seek powers to place a legal duty upon the Port of London Authority to keep the Thames clear from driftwood.

No. My right hon. Friend has no evidence that the Port of London Authority are not taking all reasonable steps to keep the Thames clear of driftwood. I am replying to my hon. Friend's letter on this subject today.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present estimated cost of the intended road-link between West Cumberland and the M6 motorway.

The latest estimate for the improvement of A66 between Workington and Penrith, including the proposed Keswick bypass, is £8·9 million which includes land costs.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to compel passenger transport undertakings in Scotland to extend concessionary fares for all purposes to children between 14 years of age and the school leaving age.

No. These fares are a matter for the bus undertaking concerned subject to the provisions of the Travel Concessions Acts where these apply and to the approval of the Traffic Commissioners in other cases. Most undertakings give reduced fares for older students on journeys to and from school or college.

asked the Minister of Transport how many local authorities in Scotland are subsidising non-municipal passenger transport undertakings to allow them to grant concessionary fares to the elderly, the blind and the disabled.

This information is not available for the reason given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw today.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to establish an uninsurable lower financial limit to insurable loss incurred in motor vehicle accidents so as to provide an incentive to safer driving.

No. but if my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind, I should be glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what reasons have been given to his Department by the Oldham local authority for reducing its plans for clearance of unfit dwellings and rehousing by over 50 per cent.; and what steps he proposes to take to assist in the restoration of the demolition and rebuilding.

Following my right hon. Friend's letter of 23rd October I shall be discussing with representatives of the council the reasons for its decision to reduce the programme of new house-building, and the effect which this could have on the rate of slum clearance. It would be a particularly serious matter if the present high rate of clearance could not be sustained.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many unfit dwellings in Oldham were demolished during the municipal years 1966–1967, 1967–68, and 1968–69, respectively; and how many new dwellings were completed for the same periods by private enterprise and public enterprise, respectively.

The information asked for is as follows by calendar years:

	Number of unfit houses demolished or closed	New houses Public enterprise	Completed Private enterprise
1966	817	768	103
1967	709	866	53
1968	1,006	679	68

The information is not readily available by reference to municipal years.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state for the County Borough of Oldham the number of unfit houses and substandard houses, respectively, at the end of the municipal year 1968–69.

It was estimated by the council earlier this year that there were 11,000 unfit houses remaining in the borough, of which 1,900 were in confirmed orders. They also estimate that there are another 5,000 houses in need of improvement to prevent them from becoming scheduled slums.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek to establish an advisory committee on water pollution to co-ordinate research into this subject by industry, local government, European Governments and international organisations.

The existing arrangements within this country are generally effective but we are considering whether they need improvement, in particular in identifying gaps in research, and we shall bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind. My right hon. Friend has recently filled one such gap with the appointment of a technical steering committee on water quality, drawn from industry, local government, river authorities, Government departments and research organisations.We shall continue to take a full part in international studies of common problems in this field.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the local authority associations concerning the fixing of council house rents.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) on 6th November.—[Vol. 790, c. 172–41

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he expects to receive a report from the Water Resources Board on the nature, extent and costs of a feasibility study on the proposals to build a Wash Barrage designed to alleviate the shortage of water in the East Midlands and East Anglia and make less necessary the use of agricultural land for reservoirs.

As my hon. Friend the Minister of State explained in reply to a Question by the right hon. and learned Member for Huntingdonshire (Sir D. Renton) on 21st October. I expect to receive and publish the report next summer. The desk study will appraise the case for a full feasibility study and set out in detail the content and estimated cost of such a study.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what adjustments will be necessary in the pension rights of local government employees as a result of the partial contracting out proposals of Command Paper No. 4195.

This is a matter for local authorities collectively to consider in consultation with staff representatives in their examination of how the local government superannuation scheme should be aligned with the new State scheme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why Braintree and Bocking Urban District Council were not included in the list of expanding towns in the appendix to circular 75/69.

Quotas were restricted to authorities on the current priority housing list and the list of authorities with recognized town development schemes qualifying for retrospective subsidy under the Housing Subsidies Act, 1967.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on the progress of reclamation of derelict land.

The Government have this Session already introduced legislation enabling grants to be increased to local authorities over wide areas. They look forward to a rising programme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek to amend the Highways Act. 1959, so that railway undertakers cease to be exempt from road charges.

Railway undertakers are never exempted from road charges under the 1875 code and are exempted under the 1892 code only where their property derives no benefit from the street works. I see no reason to withdraw this exemption.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many people have claimed rate relief and what was the amount they have re- ceived annually in the County Borough of Bolton since 1963 up to the latest convenient date.

There was no scheme for rate relief before 1964. The Rating (Interim Relief) Act, 1964, enabled rating authorities to afford relief to house-holders suffering hardship because of rate increases after 1962–63. Theamounts of relief granted by Bolton County Borough and the number of ratepayers who received it are as follows:

year	Number of recipients	Amount of relief
1964–65	134	£298
1965–66	91	£216

No relief was given under this Act in Bolton after 1965–66. The Rating Act. 1966. provided for rate rebates for domestic ratepayers with low incomes. The amount of rebate granted in Bolton and the number of recipients are as follows;

		Number of recipients
Year	Amount of rebate	1st half year	2nd half year	Average amount of rebate
	£			£ s.
1966–67	35,299	3,635	3,856	9 8
1967–68	29,941	2,946	2,938	10 4
1968–69	31,451	2,917	3,143	10 8

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning what representations he has received on the proposed implementation of the Redcliffe-Maud Report; and what action he proposes to take in the light of those representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning when he expects to announce the result of discussions on the RedcliffeMaud Report.

Up to Monday, 10th November, the Government had received comments on the Redcliffe-Maud Report from 1,148 local authorities and 776 other bodies and individuals, a total of 1,924. These comments have reflected a considerable variety of views.I am now in the middle of consultations with the local authority associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning what discussions he has had with economic planning councils on their future work; and if he will make a statement on future policies and organisation for these bodies.

I shall be holding my first meeting with the Chairmen of the Economic Planning Councils on Thursday, 13th November. Over the coming months, I also hope to meet the Councils individually in their regions.The Councils are continuing their essential work of developing planning strategies for their regions and advising the Government on the regional implications of national policies. I do not envisage any early changes in their responsibilities or organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning when he expects to publish a White Paper on the Government's proposals for local government reorganisation; when he expects a Bill to be published; and when the new councils will come into operation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply given earlier today to questions by the hon. Members for Oswestry and Bournemouth, East and Christchurch (Mr. Cordle).

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what objections have been made to the Draft Wales Rural Development Board Order published on 5th and 6th August; and whether he will make a statement.

Nine objections were received to the modified boundaries advertised in August. Seven of these were invalid. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and I have considered the remaining two objections and expect to settle these with the two objectors very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorway, for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction and which were in use, respectively, as at 31st October.

The position is as it was when I replied to the hon. Member on 6th May. In July I announced the addition of 10 major trunk road schemes to the preparation pool, including about 12 miles of dual carriageway all-purpose trunk road.—[Vol. 783, col. 59.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of all the motorway now completed in the United Kingdom is within the geographical boundaries of Wales; and what proportion of the total motorway planned for completion by the end of 1975 will be within the boundaries of Wales.

On firm plans for trunk road motorways 3·4 per cent. and 2·1 per cent. respectively. The 1975 figure reflects the emphasis given in the Welsh road programme to all-purpose trunk roads as my reply on 4th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda, West (Mr. Alec Jones) showed.— [Vol. 790, c. 123–4.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the estimated total tax allowance for private and public school education in each of the past five years; and what is the estimate for the current year.

I am not clear what my hon. Friend has in mind; but if he is thinking of the tax reliefs given to schools which are recognised as charities the information on which to base the estimates is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the figures for public investment in new construction by planning regions for each of the last three years.

Figures for the last three financial years are published today in Table 25 of the 1969 issue of the Abstract of Regional Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library. It should be noted that the figures for 1968–69 are provisional.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why taxpayers resident in Barking, Essex, are invited on an official form to call at an office in Manchester if they wish to check the accuracy of their codings.

Most of those who received the notices my hon. Friend refers to live or work in the Manchester area. The others involved work for employers whose employees as a whole have their tax affairs dealt with there. It is regretted that special wording was not added to the notices in the latter case. More recent versions of the notice state that taxpayers who cannot conveniently get into touch with Manchester inquiry office may call at a convenient local tax office.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the world nickel shortage and in the interests of national security, he will now melt down all 50p coins and make the 470 tons of nickel contained therein available to replenish the depleted strategic reserves.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in the family allowance to be derived, assuming a flat rate payment, tax free, for every child including the first, by abolishing income tax relief for children and transferring the additional public revenue for this purpose; and what is the break-even point for an average family of husband, wife and two children under such a proposal.

The family allowance under my hon. Friend's suggestion would be 22s. a week for each qualifying child, i.e. increases of 22s. for the first child in the family, 4s. for the second and 2s. for the third and subsequent children. The break-even point would vary widely according to the circumstances, including the ages of the children, but with two over the age of 16 it could be as low as £772 per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of persons relieved of paying income tax on the basis that the personal allowance was raised to £300 per annum for a single person and £450 for a married couple, and of the cost to the revenue in 1969–70.

About 1·6 million, counting earning wives separately, at a cost of about £550 million for 1969–70.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his staff are engaged on the investigation of evasion of exchange control regulations; and if he will make a statement.

In the Treasury, 5 officers are employed full-time and 4 part-time in investigation work—excluding ancillary staff.In H.M. Customs and Excise, investigation into evasion of exchange control may be undertaken as part of his normal duties by any member of the Customs Preventive Service who deals with passengers and also by other members of the staff.Work in this field is also carried out by the Bank of England.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he is having with Hong Kong authorities on evasion of United Kingdom exchange control regulations.

Consultation with the Hong Kong authorities on exchange control matters, including evasion of the United Kingdom restrictions, is a continuing process, as it is with all sterling area countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of evasion of exchange control regulations have been investigated in the last 12 months; how many have resulted in prosecutions; what were the penalties; and if he will make a statement.

In the 12 months ending 31st October, the Treasury completed investigations into 445 cases of suspected evasion. Thirty-three prosecutions involving 37 defendants were instituted. Twenty-eight have been heard and all resulted in convictions. One defendant was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment and fines totalling £12,250 were levied on the others.In the same period, H.M. Customs and Excise instituted 65 exchange control prosecutions resulting in fines totalling £112,480 and, in addition, made 3,880 seizures of currency totalling £120,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he is having with the Swiss banking authorities on the collusion between Swiss banks and United Kingdom citizens for the purpose of evading exchange control, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

I share my hon. Friend's concern about this and I am considering what action can usefully be taken.

asked the Minister of Technology by what percentage the production of stainless steel has been reduced due to the current world shortage of nickel; and what effect this has had on employment within the industry.

The general level of production of all nickel bearing steels, including stainless steel, has fallen to a little over half the July level of output. There has been a reduction in the shifts worked at some plants, but it has so far been possible to avoid any significant redundancies by transferring staff, wherever possible, to the production of other steels.

asked the Minister of Technology what proposals he has received from Inverness County Council regarding industrial development in the Isle of Skye; and what action he proposes to take.

I have received no such proposals.

asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has to bring in new industry to the Sedgefield Rural District Council area.

The Department continues to bring to the attention of industry the advantages of locating in the development areas. Negotiations are at present going on which could lead to two new manufacturing projects coming to Sedgefield rural district.

asked the Minister of Technology what proportion of work done by the United Kingdom wool and allied textile dyeing and finishing industry during the most convenient recent period of 12 months he estimates to have been for ultimate export from the United Kingdom.

Estimates for this section of the wool industry are not available. In 1963 approaching half of the net output of the woollen and worsted industry as a whole was ultimately exported: the ratio for the finishing and dyeing section was probably lower.

asked the Minister of Technology whether construction of the Seaton Carew nuclear power station is on schedule.

Yes; the C.E.G.B. assure me that construction of the Hartlepool A.G.R. station is on programme.

asked the Minister of Technology when the domestic production of passengers cars, including taxis, for the home market will reach the annual output of 1,161,886 units achieved in 1964.

On the assumptions that no credit or fiscal changes occur in the interim, and that present underlying trends continue, the 1964 rate of output of cars for the home market is likely to be exceeded within two years.Export production reached record levels last year and continues to increase. Total production should surpass 1964 in 1970.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will identify the reasons why the August figures for production, deliveries and orders in the mechanical, instrument and electrical engineering industries were not available to his Department in his statistical Press notice of 28th October, 1969; and why in this month his Department received insufficient data.

The figures which form the basis of these index numbers are derived from a voluntary monthly inquiry sent out to about 1,000 firms. The rate of response has fallen this year because of the revision of the form consequent upon the introduction of the new Standard Industrial Classification and administrative difficulties arising from mergers and take-overs. Returns are always delayed by holidays. The coverage of the industries represented by returns for July and August was too small to justify publication.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will consider introducing legislation to make it a criminal offence to over-charge through prepayment electricity meters; if he will direct the electricity boards to introduce reasonable charges for pre-payment electricity; and if he will make a statement.

I have no evidence that electricity boards overcharge through pre-payment meters. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind perhaps he would take it up with the chairman of the appropriate board. So far as electricity re-sold by landlords is concerned the possibility of legislation is being considered.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will list all the industries according to the Standard Industrial Classification which his Department now sponsors.

The detailed information is being prepared and I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT in due course.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will give the level of industrial stocks at the latest convenient date, the level for comparable months over the last 10 years and the estimated level for next year.

The available information is set out in the table below. Forecasts of future stock levels are not published other than those given in the Financial Statement which refer to the economy as a whole.

STOCKS HELD BY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
	£ million, book values
At 30th June, 1969	8,582
At 30th June, 1968	7,954
At 30th June, 1967	7,728
At 30th June, 1966	7,659
At 30th June, 1965	7,147
At 30th June, 1964	6,601
At 30th June, 1963	6,101
At 30th June, 1962	5,987
At 30th June, 1961	5,850
At 30th June, 1960	5,350
At 30th June, 1959	4,951

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will give a general direction to the Central Electricity Generating Board not to withdraw concessionary rates for electricity supplied to communal buildings such as village and parish halls, in view of the hardship this withdrawal will cause to voluntary organisations using these buildings, especially in rural areas.

The area electricity boards are responsible for giving supplies to buildings of this type and the tariffs charged are a day-to-day matter for them in consultation with the consultative councils and the Electricity Council. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind he should take it up with the chairman of the board concerned.

asked the Prime Minister if he will invite the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland to visit him for talks on matters of mutual interest.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) on 6th Novermber—[vol.790,c. 1173–5]

asked the Prime Minister what discussions he had with President Nixon, between 2nd and 4th November, about vietnam inview of the United Kingdom co-chairmanship of the Geneva Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

I have been in regular contact with President Nixon on Vietnam. As I said in Guilhall last night, Her Majesty's Government have welcomed the United States determination to persist in the search for an honourable solution to the Vietnam conflict, including President Nixon's plan for the complete withdrawal of the United States ground combat forces from Vietnam. We have stated that we hope that there will be a constructive response from the other side and that progress can now be made in Paris towards a negotiated settlement.

asked the Prime Minister what is his policy regarding the decision made at the recent Warsaw Pact countries' talks concerning a European Security Conference, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer to what my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said in the House on 30th October.—[Vol. 790. c. 369–72.]

asked the Prime Minister why the letter from the hon. Member for Exeter (Mrs. Gwyneth Dun-woody) dated 29th October, and addressed to G. A. Clark & Co., 31, St. David's Hill, Exeter, and written in her capacity as Member of Parliament for Exeter and not as a Minister of the Crown, the carbon copy of which was sent to him, was typed at the Board of Trade by Board of Trade personnel.

The hon. Member has already been told that this case was dealt with by the Parliamentary Secretary in her Board of Trade office. The letter to Francis S. Clark and Co. was however typed on House of Commons notepaper by the Parliamentary Secretary's constituency secretary, who visited her that day at the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Report of the Joint Committee on the Use of Antibiotics in Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine will be published.

I expect that this report will be published on Thursday, 20th November.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research has been conducted in this country on the effects of cyclamates as food additives; to what extent his decision to ban the use of cyclamates was based on research in this country; what research is being conducted on other artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin; and if he will make a statement.

Research relating to cyclamates has been carried out at a number of research institutions in this country. Work at the British Industrial Biological Research Association is continuing. The decision to ban the use of cyclamates was based primarily on the result of experimental work in the United States. A considerable amount of evidence obtained from experiments carried out in this country and abroad is available about the safety in use of saccharin, and further long-term studies are to be undertaken in the United States and Canada.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the normal strategic reserve of nickel for use in Royal Ordnance factories; and by how many tons this has been reduced due to the current world shortage of nickel.

There is no strategic reserve of nickel specifically held for use in Ministry of Defence Royal Ordnance factories, but these factories can draw on the stocks held by the Ministry of Technology.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a list of other countries, from information available to him from international sources, in which every man and woman, respectively, has to undergo some period of training in the armed forces or some other form of public service.

Not all the information requested is immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether, in view of the destruction of public installations in Northern Ireland and recent acts of terrorism in the Republic of Ireland caused by armed extremist groups in Northern Ireland, he will give an assurance that applicants for places in the new security force in Northern Ireland will be required to give an undertaking that they are not, and have not been, associated with any para-military organisation;(2) whether he will make a statement on the training requirements and rates of pay for the new security force to be established in Northern. Ireland.

I would ask the hon. Lady to await the White Paper which my right hon. Friend is about to publish.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on what criteria the terms of reference to the National Board of Prices and Incomes are based.

The scope of possible references to the Board is set out in Section 2 of the Prices and Incomes Act, 1966. The terms of particular references are decided in the light of the circumstances in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many references to the National Board for Prices and Incomes have been confined to questions of wages and conditions; and how many have included, in addition to wages and conditions, some or all of prices, profits and productivity.

Of the 74 references to the N.B.P.I. which have concerned the pay and conditions of particular groups of workers, 22 have contained a specific reference to productivity, 2 a specific reference to prices, and 6 a specific reference to both productivity and prices. The references to prices were normally to the effect of pay changes on prices.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the total number of pensionable administrative officers employed in overseas dependent territories; how many of these are currently employed in district work; and what were the corresponding figures for 1964.

The last available information indicates that there are at present 211 pensionable H.M.O.C.S. administrative officers serving in the following dependent territories:Bahamas.Bermuda.Falkland Islands.Fiji.Gibraltar.Hong Kong.Seychelles.Western Pacific.I regret that the other information asked for is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the need for the introduction of team or group systems under which co-ordinated medical service is provided outwith hospitals; how many such groups there are now in Scotland and in Glasgow, respectively; and if he will consult the appropriate organisations with a view to improvement.

I fully recognise the advantage of group practice arrangements for family doctors in the National Health Service and the value of close working relationships with other branches of the Service, and my Department is regularly in touch with health service authorities and representatives of the medical profession on these matters. Doctors are encouraged to practise in groups by a special group practice allowance and by other financial incentives. At 1st October, 1968, the latest date for which figures are available. 1404 principals providing unrestricted medical services in Scotland were in receipt of group practice allowance; the number in Glasgow was 246.

No specific sites for health centres were allocated under the Glasgow redevelopment plans. A Joint Medical Services Committee, on which the bodies concerned locally with the provision of health services are represented, has adopted a programme incorporating proposals for centres in twenty-one areas, including Maryhill, and planning is proceeding on the basis of priorities recommended by the Committee. Sites for three centres have been determined, and the siting of others is being considered with Glasgow Corporation. One centre, at Woodside, it as present under construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a list of those court authorities which have not yet held any means inquiries courts for the purpose of enforcing the payment of fines by instalments.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the efficiency of the system of coping with storm damage in Scotland, especially in Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied, as far as the responsibilities of my Department are concerned, that adequate arrangements exist for coping with the consequences of storm and other emergencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the integration of the mausoleum and its surrounding grounds in Hamilton into a national park for central Lanarkshire; and if he will make a statement.

I am at present considering a plan for a Regional Park, submitted to me jointly by Lanark County Council, Motherwell and Wishaw Town Council and Hamilton Town Council. This provides for fitting the mausoleum and its grounds into the recreational area, a proposal which I accept in principle.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland from what individuals or bodies in Inverness-shire he has received representations in the last two years regarding construction of a bridge between Skye and Kyle; and what was the nature of his replies.

The only representations I have received from such sources during this period have been from the hon. Member for Inverness. The replies given implied that a road bridge to Skye can only be regarded as a long-term possibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has received for revival and extension of mineral extraction in Skye and what action he proposes to take.

I am awaiting the outcome of the investigation commissioned by the Highlands and Islands Development Board into the diatomite deposit at Uig, Skye, the re-opening of which has been proposed by a number of bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what calculations his Department has made about the economic and social effects in Scotland of Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hamilton (Mrs. Ewing) on 22nd October.—[Vol. 788, c. 263.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland and when he expects the Tayside study to be published.

In the spring of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the provision being made by local authorities in the Highlands and Islands to provide litter bins and lavatories to meet the needs of tourists; and if he will make a statement.

More of these facilities are needed, not only in the Highlands and Islands, but in all the tourist areas of Scotland. I have recently drawn the attention of local authorities to the eligibility of expenditure on litter bins and lavatories for grant under Section 67 of the Countryside (Scotland) Act, 1967. Seven projects for the construction of lavatories in Ross and Cromarty have already been approved, and three in Lewis and four in Inverness-shire are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the result of his consultations with local authorities in Scotland in relation to the grant offered towards the cost of strengthening multi-storey blocks of flats.

My noble Friend the Minister of State has discussed with the local authorities concerned the Government's offer to meet 40 per cent. of the cost of remedial works and of other expenditure which can be accepted as incidental thereto. Suggestions made by the local authorities are under consideration.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what tonnages of sand and gravel were extracted from the Continental Shelf in the latest convenient year; what proportion this represented of total consumption; and what measures he is taking in order to expand production from the seabed.

Provisional figures for 1968 show the total of marine dredged sand and gravel, including that won from within United Kingdom territorial waters, landed at United Kingdom ports to be about 9·5 million tons, representing about 81 per cent. of consumption. These figures exclude marine sand and gravel landed in Europe by British operators. In 1968 this was slightly more than 2 million tons, mostly dredged from the North Sea.Government steps to encourage the growth of this industry include procedural improvements in dealing with applications for licences to dredge; a series of studies designed to increase knowledge about the sea bed, its reserves of minerals, and its behaviour in relation to dredging; and investigation into possible developments in dredging technology.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will seek extension of the powers given to the Board of Trade under the Companies Acts, 1948, and 1967, allowing initiation and conduct of investigation of company affairs, so as to permit appointment by them of inspectors to investigate the affairs of Northern Ireland registered subsidiaries of companies registered in Great Britain.

It would not be appropriate for the Board of Trade to have a general power to appoint inspectors to investigate the affairs of companies registered in Northern Ireland. Inspectors can, however, be appointed to investigate the affairs of such companies which are, or have been, carrying on business in Great Britain. Moreover, an inspector appointed to investigate the affairs of a company which has a subsidiary registered in Northern Ireland has power to investigate the affairs of that subsidiary if such an investigation is necessary for the purposes of the investigation he was appointed to make.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will seek legislative extension of the obligation imposed on company management under the Companies Act, 1967, to indicate the scale of payments made to company directors, so as to require account to be given to remuneration paid to directors by subsidiary companies registered in Northern Ireland.

Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1967, already requires that the remuneration of a direc- tor of a company for the purposes of the Section shall include remuneration in respect of his services, while a director of the company, as director of, or in connection with the management of the affairs of, any subsidiary of the company which is registered in Northern Ireland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will seek legislative extension of the obligation imposed under Section 19 of the Companies Act, 1967, so as to require disclosure of certain donations for charitable purposes, extends to Northern Ireland registered subsidiaries of companies registered in Great Britain.