asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions are given to tax collectors for collection of tax arrears, including interest due on amounts not paid.

The instructions on this matter are comprehensive and are designed to secure payment on the due date or as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes he has already made in the structure of the Treasury, as a result of the Fulton Committee's recommendatinos.

In June, 1968, the Treasury set up a Finance (Planning) Division. Its task is to examine in depth emergent and long-term problems in the field of international or domestic finance. This was in fact arranged before Fulton reported, but is closely in line with a major recommendation of the report for the internal organisation of a Department.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many qualified tax inspectors have left the Inland Revenue to take jobs in private law firms, banking, insurance and allied professions over any convenient period in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

In 1968, the last year for which complete figures are available, 8 fully trained inspectors of taxes in all grades resigned to take up other employment. The corresponding figures for 1967 and 1966 are 18 and 11 respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the hairdressing trade is subject to liabilities for tax on the tools of its trade; and if he will take steps to ameliorate their tax liabilities in this connection.

My right hon. Friend has received representations on this matter, and will bear them in mind when the purchase tax is next reviewed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he now has for revision of the system of personal allowances to be set against income tax.

My right hon. Friend will be reviewing the tax personal allowances before the Budget but I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he now has for revision of the system of taxation for widows, especially in relation to earnings rules.

The position of widows will be considered along with that of other taxpayers in my right hon. Friend's general review of personal taxation before the Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up an interdepartmental working party to study the effects of the introduction of a value added tax and levies on agricultural imports, so that the implications of both can be publicly debated after the issue of a White Paper and before entering into a commitment to join the Common Market.

No. An assessment of the effects of levies on agricultural imports will be included in the White Paper which the Government hope to publish in the New Year. The effects of a value added tax would depend on the rates and coverage of the tax, which are for each Common Market country to decide individually.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present value in domestic purchasing power of the sterling, taking November, 1967, as the base.

Taking the domestic purchasing power of the £ sterling as 20s. 0d. in November, 1967, its value in October, 1969, the latest date for which information is available, is estimated at 18s. 2d.This estimate is based on changes in the annual consumer price index adjusted by movements in the index of retail prices for the months at the beginning and end of the period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage the £ sterling has depreciated in real value since December, 1964.

It is estimated that between December, 1964, and October, 1969, the latest date for which information is available, the purchasing power of the £ sterling has fallen by about 17½ per cent.This estimate is based on changes in the annual consumer price index adjusted by movements in the index of retail prices for the months at the beginning and end of the period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will issue instructions that all communications to private citizens from the Inland Revenue relating to income tax should be sent in securely sealed envelopes.

There are standing instructions that all correspondence with taxpayers must be sent in securely sealed envelopes, except for formal communications such as stock acknowledgements, stock reminders of unanswered letters and certain blank income tax return forms. If the hon. Member will let me know of any case where the instructions have not been observed, I will look into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give further consideration to the position for corporation purposes of an unquoted company with public status with a view to taking steps to bring it into line with that of a quoted company.

It is not entirely clear what the hon. Member has in mind, but I assume that he is referring to the close company legislation. There are good reasons for treating close companies differently from other companies, but the operation of some aspects of the special provisions which apply to them is at present under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of money collected from on-course bookmakers for the years 1967–68 and 1968–69; and what were administrative costs for collecting this.

Receipts of general betting duty from on-course bookmakers were £3·3 million in 1967–68 and £5·2 million in 1968–69.Information is not available on the separate cost of collecting these sums.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he now proposes to take to improve company liquidity in the light of the evidence in the November issue of Financial Statistics showing that the total identified liquid assets of United Kingdom industrial and commercial companies had declined by £77 million between the end of June, 1968, and the end of June, 1969.

I do not necessarily accept that some decline in company liquidity from the end of June, 1968, level is undesirable. But I shall continue to keep the whole position under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Report of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research on the Economic Effects of Immigration will be published.

The report is expected to be sent to the printer within the next few weeks and will then be published as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the difficulty in preparing annual returns for tax, he will allow accountants' fees as a deductible expense for tax to those in receipt of a retirement pension.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the outcome of the consideration he has given to framing some form of exemption from the provisions of Group 19A of the Purchase Tax Schedule for teaching aids.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to say.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has now completed his investigation into the misapplication of sterling remitted to Israel by the Jewish National Fund under the heading of charity; why there was a five-month delay before starting the investigation; and on what date this abuse of the currency regulations was stopped.

Yes. Investigations have revealed no evidence to support my hon. Friend's allegations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of expenditure transferred from the Civil List to the Consolidated Fund in the period between 1952 and 1968.

Expenditure on services transferred from the Civil List to Consolidated Fund since 1952 has amounted to a total of approximately £1 million over the whole period from 1952–53 to 1968–69.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for the United Kingdom, from information available to him from international sources concerning the annual turnover and sale of consumer goods on the retail markets and the average of the added value tax now paid in the Common Market countries, the effect on prices and the cost of living of the implementation of such a tax here.

The circumstances vary so much from one country to another that I do not think it would be possible to arrive at any meaningful average, applicable to the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what gross salary is required in this financial year by a married man with no tax reliefs other than earned income allowance and no other sources of income, to yield a net income equivalent to £10,000 subject to tax added to £5,250 tax-free; and if he will provide comparable figures for the financial years 1950–51, 1963–64, and 1965–66.

This depends on the extent to which the £5,250 is covered by allowable Schedule E expenses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the extra net income per week to be received by each person whose present net income is less than £2,000 per annum on the basis that all personal incomes in excess of £2,000 were redistributed equally among those with incomes below that level.

Table 64 of the 111th Annual Report of the Inland Revenue shows that the aggregate net income in excess of £2,000 each of all those whose net income after tax was more than £2,000 for 1966–67 was £757 million. If this excess had been distributed equally among the 21,047,000 net incomes between £275 and £2,000 as given in the table the amount per income would have been about £36 a year or 14s. Od. a week before payment of tax. The number of incomes below £275 is not known but to extend the distribution to them would give a substantially lower average payment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the nature of the representations the Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board made to him in September, 1969, following which he made a concession in the payment of Excise Betting Duty.

As stated in the agreed Press notice that was issued following a meeting on 11th September the Chairman of the Levy Board brought a deputation to see my right hon. Friend the then Financial Secretary which explained the difficulties of the bookmakers and the Horserace Totalisator Board in paying the amount of this tax in two half-yearly instalments and suggested that a charge related to rateable value was basically inequitable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of all publications below a circulation figure of 60,000 that have been included in Government advertising campaigns during the past 12 months, together with the total cost of advertising inserted in each such publication.

This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in tax by building societies during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

The amount of corporation tax due from building societies in 1967–68 is estimated at £14 million.Building societies also pay income tax, mainly at a composite rate in respect of dividends and interest payable to investors; the amount due in 1968–69 is estimated at £151 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of producing and publishing Command Paper No. 4210, International Sugar Agreement, 1968; what proportion of this cost represents the printing and checking proofs of the Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish text; why these foreign texts were published, in view of the fact that the English text is equally authentic and the Secretary General of the United Nations transmits copies to acceding Governments; and what profits he expects from sales at £1 5s. per copy.

The cost of printing and publishing Cmnd. 4210 was £2,367, of which the foreign language texts accounted for £1,944. It is the practice to publish each treaty in all the languages in which it has been concluded, as questions of interpretation arise which require a comparative study of the texts. A loss of about £500 is expected on copies of this Treaty produced for sale.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give a general direction to the Post Office Board to make regular checks to ensure that National Savings Bank depositors are frequently reminded of the state of their accounts;(2) if he will give a general direction to the Post Office Board that it should enable the executors of the estates of deceased people who hold National Savings accounts to be informed.

The Director of Savings is now responsible to Treasury Ministers and not to the Post Office Board.Every National Savings Bank depositor is provided with a bank book as a record of his account and he can establish the exact state of the account at any time by sending his book to the savings bank. The costs of issuing statements in addition would be prohibitive. The savings bank provides facilities to assist legal personal representatives and next of kin to withdraw the savings of deceased depositors but it cannot act until it receives notice of death.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will state the Government's total income from motoring taxation for the year ended 31st March, 1969;(2) if he will state the income from motor fuel taxation for the year ended 31st March, 1969, and the estimated revenue for the year ending 31st March, 1970;(3) whether he will state the total revenue to the Exchequer from purchase tax on new motor vehicles for the year ended 31st March, 1969, and the estimated revenue for the year ending 31st March, 1970;(4) whether he will state the revenue to the Exchequer from motor vehicle licensing fees for the year ended 31st March, 1969, and the estimated figure for the year ending 31st March, 1970;(5) what is the total estimated revenue to the Exchequer from motoring taxation for the year ending 31st March, 1970.

The information is as follows:

	1968–69	1969–70
	£ m.	£ m.
Hydrocarbon oil duty on light oils and derv	1,027	1,205
Purchase tax on motor vehicles	213	216
Motor vehicle licensing fees	400	422
Total	1,640	1,843

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to be able to announce the return to publication of monthly reserve figures.

Monthly figures of the gold and convertible currency reserves are already published regularly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual cost of the import deposits scheme at the 50 per cent, rate to the wine and spirit trade assuming an interest charge of 10 per cent, in the capital required to finance the deposits.

On the assumptions postulated in the Question, the cost would be of the order of £1¼ million per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of tax and revenue duty is represented in the cost of a bottle of 70 degrees proof whisky, brandy and vodka, and in a bottle of port, sherry, burgundy and hock, respectively.

Following is the information requested:

	Approximate amount of duty per bottle
Whisky	44	0
Brandy	44	3
Vodka (produced in the United Kingdom)	44	2
Port, Sherry	9	0
Burgundy, Hock	5	4

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements have been made since the shortage of nickel to provide alternative sources of supply for Her Majesty's Mint.

The Royal Mint was able to overcome the immediate effects of the shortage but the longer-term effects are being studied.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many 50 pence coins have been minted in addition to the 126 million already in circulation.

25 million up to 30th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, at the latest date ascertainable, was the total real disposable personal income of the United Kingdom population; and what was the comparable figure in the third quarter of 1967.

The hon. Member will find these figures on page X of the October issue of Economic Trends, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual sale of 3½ per cent. War Loan in each year since issue.

No 3½ per cent. War Loan has been issued since the original issue made in 1932. It is not possible to give any figures for the volume of market transactions since issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fluctuation in market price of 3½ per cent. War Loan in each year since issue.

3½ per cent. War Loan was issued at par on 1st December, 1932. The market prices in each year since issue are as follows:

	Prices marked
Year ended 31st December	High	Low	Price End year
1932	—	—	98¾
1933	1025/16	97⅞	1013/16
1934	1095/16	101	10813/16
1935	110⅛	101½	1063/16
1936	1087/16	104	105½
1937	10513/16	99⅝	101¾
1938	104	90	98⅛
1939	98⅞	86	93¾
1940	103⅛	93¼	103
1941	106⅝	10213/16	105
1942	106¾	103⅞	10415/16
1943	1063/16	102⅞	103¾
1944	10415/16	102⅝	1043/16
1945	105¾	102½	1035/16
1946	109⅛	103⅛	108
1947	10815/16	101⅛	10213/16
1948	104¾	101½	1037/16
1949	1046/16	87⅛	92¾
1950	9715/16	90	94¼
1951	9411/16	78⅜	80⅝
1952	81	72¾	779/16
1953	87⅛	7715/16	8411/16
1954	92	845/16	87¼
1955	88⅝	73¼	7613/16
1956	77	68	70½
1957	75⅛	60	63
1958	6911/16	62⅞	66⅛
1959	687/16	63⅝	65¼
1960	65¾	59⅛	59¼
1961	61½	50⅛	52
1962	63¾	5115/16	617/16
1963	6411/16	57⅜	59⅛
1964	60⅛	53½	54½
1965	571/4	51	53⅜
1966	54	48⅜	51¾
1967	56¼	48⅜	49⅜
1968	50⅜	43	43⅞
1969(a)	4315/16	36	38⅛

(

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make representations to the Government of Malta regarding removal of liability to double death duties on assets held in Great Britain by United Kingdom residents of Malta.

I do not think it would be appropriate for Her Majesty's Government to make representations in the sense suggested.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will amend the standard conditions of Government contracts to require contractors to comply with a clause forbidding discrimination on grounds of sex.

The statutory conditions already include a fair wages clause which will apply to equal pay for women as soon as the forthcoming legislation on that matter becomes effective.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of domestic credit expansion he now aims to achieve for the financial year 1969–70.

My intentions remain as stated in the Budget Speech and Letter of Intent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the current rate of invisible exports.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the latest figures, which will be published with the balance of payments for the third quarter on 8th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now publish amended figures in column headed 1964 of Table 6, page 15, of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1969–70, calculated on the same basis as figures contained in Table 2 of that Report.

The hon. Member will find the latest figures for 1964 in Table 1 of the 1969 Pink Book on the United Kingdom Balance of Payments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the rate of purchase tax on school desks with inkwells and the rate of tax on school desks without inkwells.

There is no purchase tax on desks specialised for school use whether or not provided with inkwells.

asked the Minister of Transport what financial contribution his Department proposes to make to the Norbury-Falconwood section of Ring-way 2, plans for which have been published by the Greater London Council.

The Greater London Council envisages that this would be a metropolitan principal road qualifying for 75 per cent, grant, but my right hon. Friend has not yet received any proposal relating to it.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the average cost of half-barrier level crossings; and to what extent this cost has increased with the introduction of the recent modifications.

The average cost of installing automatic half-barriers at level crossings before the Hixon accident in January, 1968 was £8,600. The British Railways Board estimates that the minimum cost of new installations embodying the modifications recommended by the Hixon Inquiry will be £13,000.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take to prevent the blighting of property in Bebington following the recent published proposals of the Merseyside Land Use and Transportation Study for the eventual building of six-lane crossing of the Mersey to link with the M53.

It is for the local authorities on Merseyside to draw up proposals for implementing the Study and also to deal with blighting of property.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the details of railway closures and restriction of services in the Wirral peninsula during the period since the publication of the Beeching Plan; and what plans have been submitted to him for an extension and improvement of such services during the seventies.

Rail passenger services have been withdrawn between Birkenhead (Woodside) and Rock Ferry and between Chester (Northgate) and Dee Marsh Junctions. The electrification of the London—Liverpool line during 1966 led to the withdrawal in March, 1967 of the London—Birkenhead and other main line services, which formerly terminated at Birkenhead (Woodside).The final report of the Merseyside Area Land Use Transportaton Study recommended a scheme to increase the capacity of the cross-Merseyside services, an extension of electrification on the Hooton Line, and a programme of station improvements. It is primarily for the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive in consultation with the Railways Board to decide what action should be taken on these proposals.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the reasons for the delay in publishing the proposed route of the A41 bypass, Watford to Tring; and whether, in view of the resulting planning blight, he will hasten his decision.

Representations from authorities consulted in the usual way prior to publication have required further investigation on the route. Our draft proposals will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can now state when work on the Malton By-Pass will be started.

The scheme is now being considered for a place in the firm programme and we hope that a decision on this can be made shortly.

asked the Minister of Transport from how many urban authorities have traffic and transport plans been requested for the period up to the mid-1970s; and by what date he has asked to receive those outstanding.

Traffic and transport plans have been requested from about 140 urban authorities with a population of over 50,000 and all traffic and planning authorities in the conurbations. A time limit has not been specified but authorities with outstanding plans are being asked to give a date for submission.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will carry out a representative survey of the number of local authorities in Scotland who are using their powers to grant concessionary fares to old-age pensioners.

No, for the reasons given in the reply of 11th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Ashton).—[Vol. 791, c. 48.]

asked the Minister of Transport why the instructions issued by his Department covering vehicle testing on machines over a certain age do not cover the checking of instruments, including the speedometer.

The vehicle test scheme concentrates on those items likely to have the greatest impact on road safety. The more comprehensive goods vehicle test does include a check on audible warning instruments.

asked the Minister of Transport for how many miles of the A30 between the 30 miles per hour limit east of Launceston and the 30 miles per hour limit west of Exeter it is safe for a driver of a motor car going east to overtake another vehicle travelling at 45 miles per hour when there is no oncoming vehicle in sight.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 1st December.—[Vol. 792, c. 224.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether the grant he recently announced for the conversion of Singleton Avenue, Birkenhead, into a dual carriageway included any allowance for the purchase of the properties whose value will be diminished by this proposal.

I have not announced a grant for this conversion. My statement on 7th November authorised preparation of the scheme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will initiate legislation to prevent discrimination by the Rugby Union against those sportsmen who have played and play Rugby League.

No. The Sports Council has recommended that sportsmen who compete at one sport ought not to be precluded from playing as amateurs at another sport and I hope the governing bodies will take account of this recommendation, though it is entirely a matter for them and not for Government intervention.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if the decision of the London Borough of Brent to apply a new rent rebate scheme on all further lettings on the St. Andrew's Hospital site in accordance with the undertaking given to his Department as a condition of granting permission to increase rents.

When my right hon. Friend agreed to the council's recent proposals for rent increases he made it clear that he considered that it would be wrong at the present time for the council to revise the rebate scheme in such a way as adversely to affect any rebated tenant. He made it a condition of his agreement that the rebate scheme then in force should not be altered to the disadvantage of any tenant. This condition, like his agreement, did not extend to new tenancies and is not therefore breached by the council's decision to adopt a new rebate scheme for further lettings on the St. Andrew's Hospital site.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the average and the maximum period of security of tenure granted to tenants of furnished accommodation on appeal.

I regret that this information is not available. My hon. Friend may however like to know that since the beginning of April, 1969, when

			Fieldwork begun	Publication of final report expected
1. West Midlands Conurbation Housing Survey	…	…	April 1966	Early 1970
2. South East Lancashire Conurbation Housing Survey	…	…	April 1966	Mid-1970
3. London Conurbation Housing Survey	…	…	April 1967	Mid-1970
4. Merseyside House Condition Survey	…	…	May 1968	December 1969
5. Tyneside House Condition Survey	…	…	May 1968	December 1969
6. West Yorkshire Conurbation
(a) House Condition Survey	…	…	April 1969	Early 1970
(b) Housing Survey	…	…	May 1969	Early 1971
(c) Movers Survey	…	…	June 1969	Early 1971

The housing surveys obtain information on general housing topics through interviews and are similar to the national surveys of 1960 and 1964. The interview survey of recent movers in West Yorkshire deals with the characteristics of a sample of these households arid their reasons for moving. The house condition surveys are similar to those in West Midlands and South East Lancashire conurbations which were reported in September.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what further consideration he has now given to increasing to more than 40 per cent, of the cost the grants for strengthening tower blocks such as Ronan Point; and when he expects to announce his decision.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce his decision shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many surveys of a statistical nature are at present being made, or have been commissioned, by his Department; what subjects are being covered; when the surveys began; and when a report is expected.

Apart from a number of regular monthly, quarterly and annual enquiries, the department has in hand the following eight statistical surveys:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the future development of growth towns in Mid-Wales; with what authorities he has held discussions; and what representations he has received.

New advance factories in Mid-Wales will be concentrated mainly, but not exclusively, in the seven towns of Aberystwyth, Bala, Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown, Rhayader and Welshpool. Other towns in Mid-Wales will continue to enjoy the full range of development area incentives and advance factories will be sited there when appropriate. The selection of the seven towns was made in consultation with the Mid-Wales Industrial Development Association (which comprises representatives of the five counties of Mid-Wales) and the Development Commission. Two local authorities have subsequently suggested that other towns should be included in the list.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses there are in the ownership of the Forestry Commission in Wales how many are occupied by supervisory forestry workers; and how many are unoccupied.

There are 807 Forestry Commission houses in Wales: 180 of these are occupied by supervisors (all of whom are in the Forester grade). The number unoccupied is 101: of these 63 are in the process of being sold and 6 are to be occupied by forest workers. The future of the remaining 32 unoccupied houses is being reviewed: only those which the Commission decide they do need for their own use will be retained.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welshmen have been promoted to supervisory grades in the Forestry Commission in Wales; and how many are being trained.

It is not the Forestry Commission's practice to promote industrial forest workers directly to the supervisory grades, in view of the need for technical training at the supervisory level. It is however open to forest workers aged 17–23, with certain basic educational qualifications, to apply for entry to a training school with a view to employment on successful completion of the course.There is no recent record in Wales of any successful applications on this basis.Two Welshman are at present in training at the Forestry Commission's schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will refer the closure of Tonfannau Camp to the Welsh Economic Council.

No. I do not think that this would be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Technology when the Annual Report on Investment Grants 1968–69 is to be available; and what is the reason for the delay in its publication.

The report will be published within the next two weeks. This is rather later than we had hoped due to the heavy commitments on available resources.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the present delay in paying investment grants; how much has so far been paid since their introduction; and what is the outstanding liability, to the nearest convenient date.

The average interval between expenditure incurred by the applicant and payment of grant is 12 months. £1,198 million had been paid to 14th November, 1969. On the basis of the rate at which claims are currently being received, it is estimated that a further £160-£170 million will be paid by the 31st March, 1970.

asked the Minister of Technology what was the total tonnage of crude steel produced in Wales in each year from 1957 to 1968.

The following is the information:

PRODUCTION OF CRUDE STEEL IN WALES(a)
					Thousand tons
1957	…	…	…	…	6,276·4
1958(b)	…	…	…	…	5,817·7
1959	…	…	…	…	6,286·9
1960	…	…	…	…	7,178·5
1961	…	…	…	…	6,367·0
1962	…	…	…	…	6,709·5
1963	…	…	…	…	7,631·0
1964(b)	…	…	…	…	8,164·3
1965	…	…	…	…	8,645·8
1966	…	…	…	…	8,232·8
1967	…	…	…	…	7,976·9
1968	…	…	…	…	8,251·0
(a) The statistics relate to Wales and Monmouthshire.
(b) 53-week periods. The other periods are o 52 weeks.

asked the Minister of Technology what plans he has for initiating a study of the economics of making oil from coal; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans for initiating a fresh study of the economics of making oil from coal since this matter is already kept under review by the scientists and engineers of the National Coal Board. B.C.U.R.A. Industrial Laboratories, and the Department. These scientists and engineers make it part of their business to keep in touch with research and development being carried out overseas into new and improved processes in which coal is utilised, and I am assured that at the present time the relative prices of coal to crude oil in this country are so unfavourable to the manufacture of oil from coal that it would be grossly uneconomic even using one of the technically advanced processes currently being developed in the United States of America.

asked the Minister of Technology what was the average price per ton of coal to the domestic consumer in January, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.

Prices vary from area to area. Examples are given in the Minister of Power's Statistical Digest for 1967 and 1968–69. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the relevant tables.

asked the Minister of Technology what was the net profit margin in the coal retail trade in January, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will allocate an advance factory to the Towyn area to provide employment for the men declared redundant by the closure of Tonfannau Camp.

There are no present plans for an advance factory at Towyn, but the needs of the area will be borne in mind, together with those of the rest of the Welsh Development Area.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will seek to establish an advance factory in Blaenau Ffestiniog in view of the decline of the slate industry, impending redundancies in other industries and the fact that this area has amongst the highest percentage of permanently unemployed men in the United Kingdom.

We are aware of the situation in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the needs of the area will be considered in any future advance factory programme.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he was consulted about the agreement between the Australian and the United States Governments on the United States' use of the Woomera launching site; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is always consulted by the Australian Government on any proposal for the use of the Woomera Range by a third party. I assume my hon. Friend is now referring to the recent agreement between Australia and the United States of America to set up a Joint Defence Space Communications Station near to Woomera. This Station does not involve the use of the Woomera launching site.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to exempt from payment of selective employment tax apprentices in the hairdressing trade.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity by what percentage wages and salaries appreciated in real value since December, 1964.

Between December, 1964 and September, 1969, the latest available date, the index of average earnings (seasonally adjusted) rose by 37½ per cent. Over the same period the general index of retail prices rose by 21 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity on the basis that the average national weekly wage continues to increase year by year at the same rate which it has risen 1945 to 1969, what she estimates it will be in the year 1992.

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED IN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREAS IN SCOTLAND
(Thousands)
			June,	June,	June,	June,	June,
			1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
Aberdeen	…	…	92·7	93·7	95·1	95·3	94·5
Airdrie	…	…	18·5	19·4	20·0	20·3	20·3
Alexandria	…	…	9·2	9·1	10·0	9·8	9·6
Alloa	…	…	18·7	19·3	19·2	19·7	19·5
Annan	…	…	5·4	5·5	5·2	5·3	5·1
Anstruther	…	…	2·3	2·4	2·2	2·1	2·1
Arbroath and Carnoustie	…	…	10·4	10·1	10·0	9·8	9·9
Ardrossan	…	…	7·5	6·9	7·1	7·4	8·3
Ayr	…	…	39·4	35·5	36·6	36·9	34·5
Banchory	…	…	3·2	2·9	2·9	2·5	2·8
Banff	…	…	4·6	5·5	4·3	3·9	4·7
Barrhead	…	…	9·2	9·2	9·9	9·4	9·0
Bathgate	…	…	22·8	23·2	23·8	23·8	24·4
Bellshill	…	…	8·0	9·8	9·4	10·2	9·9
Blairgowrie	…	…	5·2	5·4	5·1	5·0	4·7
Bo'ness	…	…	5·7	5·4	6·3	5·4	5·4
Bonnybridge	…	…	6·8	6·8	7·2	7·3	7·0
Brechin	…	…	4·3	4·2	4·1	4·1	3·9
Broxburn	…	…	6·1	6·6	7·1	7·0	7·5
Buckie	…	…	3·9	3·6	4·2	4·0	3·6
Burntisland	…	…	2·8	2·6	2·2	2·2	2·8
Cambuslang	…	…	7·6	7·0	6·8	6·7	6·9
Campbeltown	…	…	4·7	4·4	4·3	4·2	4·3
Carluke	…	…	3·6	3·5	4·0	3·9	3·8
Castle Douglas	…	…	6·2	5·8	6·1	6·0	5·8
Clydebank	…	…	36·5	38·2	36·5	34·7	35·0
Coatbridge	…	…	23·0	24·8	25·5	25·1	22·9
Cowdenbeath	…	…	14·3	13·6	11·7	10·6	12·2
Crieff	…	…	3·8	3·7	3·6	3·3	3·3
Cumbernauld	…	…	5·1	6·8	6·8	7·4	8·5
Cumnock	…	…	14·4	13·7	13·2	12·9	12·6
Cupar	…	…	9·9	9·3	9·0	8·8	8·0
Dalkeith	…	…	8·8	9·6	8·8	8·9	9·4
Dairy	…	…	2·0	1·8	1·7	1·7	1·9
Dingwall and Invergordon	…	…	7·3	7·3	7·3	7·9	7·3
Dumbarton	…	…	10·0	10·6	10·6	11·2	11·7
Dumfries and Lockerbie	…	…	22·4	23·1	23·2	23·3	23·0
Dundee and Broughty Ferry	…	…	93·0	94·1	92·9	88·2	89·9
Dunfermline	…	…	28·3	30·3	29·1	30·9	30·1
Dunoon	…	…	4·1	4·0	4·2	3·9	3·9
Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello	…	…	227·3	218·7	220·4	222·5	216·2
Elgin and Lossiemouth	…	…	12·3	12·9	12·7	12·6	12·8
East Kilbride	…	…	12·4	15·2	17·8	20·4	20·7
Eyemouth	…	…	5·6	5·2	5·3	5·0	4·7

On the assumption stated by the hon. Member, the average weekly earnings of manual men in the year 1992 would be about £100.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will publish a table showing the number of people employed in each employment district in Scotland in December, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968.

Employment estimates for local areas are calculated only for June each year. Following is the information for each June from 1964 to 1968: