asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the properties and land owned, leased or rented by his Department, the use to which each property or piece of land is put and whether it is at present occupied or unoccupied.

The following is a list of land owned or leased by my Department at 1st April, 1969, occupied for agricultural purposes:

	acres
Land held by the Minister for the purpose of statutory smallholdings:
(i) 3 Farm Settlements	7,183
(ii) 11 Estates managed by the Land Settlement Association Ltd.	4,429
Orchards managed by the Land Settlement Association Ltd.	903
Land originally derelict and in multiple ownership, requisition for war-time food production and subsequently acquired under Section 85 of the Agriculture Act, 1947 (now in 51 holdings)	3,777
Agricultural residues of acquisitions by Forestry Commission, purchased out of Forestry Fund (79 holdings)	29,855
Ex—L.S.A. Estates (76 holdings)	907
Ex-Farm Settlement (6 holdings)	93
Laxton Estate acquired under Section 82 of the Agriculture Act, 1947 (24 holdings)	1,772
Other land acquired under Sections 82/85 of the Agriculture Act, 1947 (34 holdings)	2,133
Other land acquired by the Minister (3 holdings)	162
Experimental Husbandry Farms (13)	12,696
Experimental Horticulture Stations (11)	1,273

This list excludes the Royal Botanical Gardens and offices, domestic properties and laboratories used for the Department's food, fisheries, veterinary, etc., services throughout England and Wales, for which no central register exists."Occupied" land includes land let to tenants and land occupied by the Department or its agents for the purposes of smallholdings, experimental farming and horticulture—including roads, woodland and small areas of incidental ancillary land.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the total Defence Budget for 1969–70 is estimated to return to the Revenue as taxation, respectively, on pay and allowances of the forces and civilians employed by the forces, pensions and retired pay, company profits on production, research and development and pay of employees involved therein, petrol, oil and other items shown separately; and what percentage of the Defence Budget each amount represents.

The information for the private sector is not available. That for the public sector is not readily available and it would involve disproportionate effort to obtain even an approximation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of defence contracts placed in Northern Ireland during the last 12 months; and how this compared with the previous year.

The figures are as follows: 1968, £3 million, 1969, £4 million. These figures include contracts placed by the Ministry of Technology on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has formed of the value of defence contracts to be placed in Northern Ireland in the next 12 months; and whether he will make a statement.

After taking into account the preference accorded by development area schemes, it is Government policy to place contracts on the basis of the most favourable terms available. The number of orders which will go to firms in Northern Ireland cannot therefore be estimated as it will depend on their competitiveness, although they will, of course, be afforded every opportunity to bid for suitable requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a list of the boards and committees to which he appoints members other than civil servants or serving officers; and if he will state the number of members serving on each such board or committee.

I regret that complete information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many males there

1			2	3			4
			Number available for employment	Number of male other ranks recruited			Percentages Column 3 of Column 2
			(thousands)	R.N./R.M.	Army	R.A.F.	R.N./R.M	Army	R.A.F.
1963	…	…	1,469	8,016	19,016	3,159	0·54	1·29	0·22
1964	…	…	1,456	7,795	24,988	3,620	0·54	1·72	0·25
1965	…	…	1,450	7,326	21,296	4,888	0·51	1·47	0·34
1966	…	…	1,434	7,353	20,861	5,460	0·51	1·45	0·38
1967	…	…	1,319	6,934	17,353	5,465	0·53	1·32	0·41
1968	…	…	1,226	4,907	13,897	5,303	0·40	1·13	0·43
1969	…	…	1,168	4,919	16,821	6,368	0·42	1·44	0·55

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the electrical drillers in Portsmouth Dockyard, who because of union representations were stopped from doing electrical fitting work, are still not fully employed but are receiving full pay; and how much has been paid out to these men by way of wages and other emoluments.

At present three men out of the 17 originally affected are on full waiting time and everything is being done to find full employment for them and the whole position is still under active discussion with the Trade Unions. Their wages, since the trade unions representations, have been about £2,400 but this figure includes some earnings for periods when they have had active employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated annual defence expenditure in the financial years 1969–70 and 1970–71 falling outside the Defence Votes; and what percentage this is of the estimated gross national product.

Figures for the numbers of young men between their 15th and 20th birthdays on 30th June each year who are available for employment in Great Britain, excluding e.g. those undergoing fulltime education, and the numbers and percentages of those groups recruited by each Service are as follows:

A provisional out-turn of £81 million in 1969–70 and an estimate of £58 million for 1970–71. These sums, which fall outside the Defence Budget, represent about 0·2 per cent. and just above 0·1 per cent. respectively of estimated gross national product at factor cost. The figures have been prepared on the same basis as for those provided to the hon. Member on 18th November, 1969.—[Vol. 791, c. 295.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will make a decision about proposals submitted to him by the Inner London Education Authority for improvements to the inadequate facilities at St. Luke's Primary Church of England School at Linton Grove, West Norwood, S.E.27.

I have written to my hon. Friend explaining that I have given approval in principle to the first stage of the rebuilding of this school. The project will be considered sympathetically for an allocation from the allocation from the central fund for minor capital works at voluntary aided and special agreement schools in 1970–71.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that teacher training courses and in-service training for teachers provide for the training of teachers in the pastoral care and counselling of schoolchildren.

Colleges and departments of education generally aim to make their students aware of their responsibility for all aspects of a child's development and of the relevant range of special services which are available for this purpose. All colleges include in their education courses material bearing on children's moral and religious education and many offer main or subsidiary courses in this field. In addition over 40 colleges offer courses in youth work in which studies of the problems of the growing child are prominent. I shall continue to encourage such developments. The special skills required in counselling are more appropriately based on teaching experience; one year advanced courses in counselling are provided for serving teachers at Exeter, Keele, Reading and Swansea and there is a more general course in health education and counselling in Birmingham. Her Majesty's Inspectorate has organised a series of short courses on careers guidance in school and have assisted local education authorities in the further provision of such courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is aware that, in order to introduce comprehensive education into the borough of Lowestoft, it will be necessary for pupils to change schools at the age of 14 years-plus until such time as additional finance is available for further building; and when he expects to make available this money so that an adequate scheme can go into operation.

Yes. This is a feature of the authority's interim plan which I approved in principle last December. Neither the authority nor I can predict, in advance of future building programmes, how soon their long-term plan can be implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what finance has been allocated to the East Suffolk Education Committee to enable it to put into operation a scheme for comprehensive schools.

Since 1967 when the authority's secondary reorganisation plan was approved, a total of £1.8 million has been allocated in major building programmes for secondary and middle school projects. A further £486,000 for the raising of the school leaving age will also assist the implementation of the plan.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will now make a statement about his coming official visit to Kingston upon Hull.

I hope to visit Hull early in May.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will make a statement on the current employment situation in Portsmouth with particular reference to the age and sex distribution of the unemployed.

The main feature of the employment situation in Portsmouth continues to be the level of male unemployment, though there is a growing shortage of skilled engineering workers, and a high level of demand for female workers in almost all industries and services. On 9th February there was a total of 2,551 persons registered as unemployed—2,273 males, 278 females—at the Portsmouth Employment Exchange and the unemployment rate for the travel-to-work area was 3·5 per cent. These figures are provisional.Details of the age distribution of those registered as wholly unemployed at the

Portsmouth Employment Exchange on 12th January, 1970, the latest date for which figures are available, are given in the following table:

AGE ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBERS REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED AT THE PORTSMOUTH EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE ON 12TH JANUARY 1970
		Males	Females	Total
Under 18	…	54	48	102
18 and under 20	…	113	33	146
20 and under 25	…	320	45	365
25 and under 30	…	238	20	258
30 and under 35	…	224	11	235
35 and under 40	…	185	11	196
40 and under 45	…	183	16	199
45 and under 50	…	216	21	237
50 and under 55	…	178	24	202
55 and under 60	…	170	32	202
60 and under 65	…	421	1	421
65 and over	…	6		7
Total	…	2,308	262	2,570

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps are being taken to facilitate the reemployment or redeployment of employees at the Selby factory of the British Sugar Corporation, following the announcement of its closure in 1973.

GOVERNMENT HOUSING SUBSIDIES
Subsidies for permanent new dwellings (England and Wales)*			Average amount of subsidy per dwelling (to nearest?)?	Government contributions towards conversion or improvement of existing dwellings (England and Wales)
				Local authority dwellings			Privately owned dwellings
				Amount paid	Average per dwelling‡		Amount paid	Average per dwelling‡
		£000	£	£000	£	s.	£000	£	s.
1962–63	…	66,025	18	748	5	4	4,333	9	6
1963–64	…	67,266	18	1,128	6	8	6,117	11	0
1964–65	…	72,959	19	1,278	6	4	6,579	10	4
1965–66	…	77,669	19	1,528	6	10	7,232	9	18
1966–67	…	82,387	20	1,674	6	2	8,316	10	6
1967–68	…	92,942	21	2,006	6	12	9,281	10	8
1968–69	…	105,895	24	2,625	7	16	10,511	10	14
1969–70 (est.)	…	131,000	28	2,890	7	18	10,760	11	2
* These subsidies are payable on the provision of new dwellings under all subsidy legislation, including subsidies payable to the Commission for the New Towns, to development corporations and to housing associations. The subsidy payment under the Housing Subsidies Act, 1967, on a dwelling costing £4,100 completed in 1969–70 is about £148 a year for 60 years. In practice, the cumulative subsidy payments to local authorities are not evenly spread among all tenants but are used mainly to reduce the rents of new housing and to meet the cost of rebates for tenants with lower incomes. These figures exclude any rate fund contributions to housing revenue accounts.
† The average figures are calculated by reference to all dwellings included in local authority housing revenue accounts, dwellings owned by the New Towns Commission, Development Corporations, and housing associations.
‡ The average figures are calculated by reference to all dwellings in respect of which contributions are being paid.

As indicated in the replies of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 25th February—[Vol. 796, c. 341–2]—some of the workers will be offered transfers to the York factory and other establishments within the British Sugar Corporation.Nearer the time of the closure my local officers will be in touch with the management of the factory and will do all that they can to assist those requiring our help to find alternative employment.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total amount spent on housing subsidies and improvement grants, separately, for each year from 1962 to 1969; and what amount this represents per housing unit on average.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government on what occasions the Government have offered advice to local authorities on the use of loans to help council tenants to move to houses of their own.

On the occasions in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 when circulars were issued to housing authorities about advances for house purchase.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland under what conditions under the National Health Service contraceptives are supplied to individuals; what is the minimum age at which they are supplied; whether they are available to both sexes; and what was the cost to the National Health Service in each of the last three years.

Oral contraceptives are available under the Service on the prescription of family doctors, where the doctor considers that contraception is needed on medical grounds. Local health authorities can provide oral contraceptives and contraceptive appliances required on medical grounds, or can contribute to the cost of their provision by voluntary family planning clinics. No age limits are laid down. Contraceptives for males are not available under the Service.The net cost—excluding dispensing fees and allowances, for which figures are not available—of oral contraceptives falling within the group most commonly prescribed by family doctors and supplied by chemists under the Service was approximately £35,000 for 1966, £38,000 for 1967 and £45,000 for 1968. Information is not available about expenditure on contraceptives met by local health authorities, but it is almost certainly small.

asked the Minister of Technology what amount of electricity was exported from Wales to England in Council Tenants each of the years from 1964 to 1969.

I said in a reply to the hon. Member on 19th December, the C.E.G.B. operate a fully integrated system of electricity generation and transmission and power flows between England and Wales are not separately metered. As an approximation, however, the following estimates have been provided by the C.E.G.B.:

				Estimated Net Exports of Electricity from Wales (106kWh)(*)
1964–65	…	…	…	2,205
1965–66	…	…	…	3,206
1966–67	…	…	…	1,696
1967–68	…	…	…	2,354
1968–69	…	…	…	2,264
* Allowance has been made for electricity used in Welsh power stations and transmission losses.—[Vol. 793, c. 485.]

asked the Minister of Technology what steps he is taking to assist in the reduction of the importation of waste paper; and if he will take steps to stimulate local authorities in their collection from households.

Imports are small in relation to total consumption. Nevertheless there is a need to increase local authority collections. The Joint Waste Paper Advisory Council, which represents mills, merchants and local authorities, has been striving to promote waste paper recovery by encouraging the conclusion of long-term contracts at realistic prices. Some progress has been made, but we intend to explore, in consultation with the interests concerned, what more can be done.

asked the Minister of Technology if he will state for each of the last 10 years the gross tonnage and value of ships built abroad for United Kingdom owners, ships built in the United Kingdom for foreign owners, and ships built in the United Kingdom for United Kingdom owners, respectively.

Information for the whole period and in the exact form requested is not available, but the table below summarizes the completions of merchant vessels of 100 gross tons and over and of naval vessels. Gross ton-

			For United Kingdom registration
			Built overseas		Built in United Kingdom commercial yards		Built in United Kingdom commercial yards for other than United Kingdom registration
			Merchant		Merchant	Merchant and Naval	Merchant	Merchant and Naval
			Gross	Estimated	Gross	Estimated	Gross	Estimated
			tons	value	tons	value	tons	value
			'000	£m.	'000	£m.	'000	£m.
1963	…	…	421	45	847	175	280	35
1964	…	…	299	30	727	105	120	20
1965	…	…	265	25	1,053	135	150	20
1966	…	…	285	25	843	140	287	40
1967	…	…	855	75	582	165	611	60
1968	…	…	1,527	130	456	100	591	60
1969	…	…	2,363	190	500	175	315	45

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state, separately, the coverage adjustments made to the export figures, the export of aircraft components for inclusion in United States military aircraft, the valuation and coverage adjustments made to imports, and the arrivals of United States military aircraft for January, 1970.

On a seasonally adjusted basis,—£23 million, £0·1 million, £74 million, £17 million, and £1·3 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much wastepaper was imported in 1969; and how the figure with the preceding five years.

52,707 tons of waste paper and paperboard in 1969. Figures for previous years are published in Volume I of the Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom for the appropriate years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to summon a meeting of the Aero-drom Owners Association, under his chairmanship, to discuss the matter of the restraint of night jet flying.

At my request the Association have agreed to consider a co-ordinated approach to the problems of night jet restraint, and—as recently as yesterday—I have stressed to them the importance of finding a fair and equitable solution.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the cost in 1969 of the International Passenger Survey carried out by the Government Social Survey.

The estimated cost in the financial year 1969–70 is £214,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which firm or organisation made application under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act 1969 for imposition of an anti-dumping duty on imports of nitrogenous fertilisers from Belgium and West Germany; and on what grounds.

The application was made by the British manufacturers of these fertilisers on the grounds that these imports were dumped and caused material injury and threatened to cause further material injury to the British industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many night jet take-offs there were from Luton airport weekly in 1969; and what is the estimated programme of weekly night jet takeoffs for 1970, 1971 and 1972.

The figures for 1969 are given in the table below. The Council of the County Borough of Luton which owns and controls the airport has resolved that night jet departures in 1970 shall not exceed 56 a week and that in the summer periods, 1st April to 31st October, of 1971 and 1972 night jet movements shall not exceed 4,000 and 4,500, respectively, of which not more than half shall be departures.

JET TAKE-OFFS DURING 1969 FROM LUTON AIRPORT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 23.00 AND 06.00 B.S.T.
Week-ending				Take-offs
5th January	…	…	…	2
12th January	…	…	…	1
19th January	…	…	…	—
26th January	…	…	…	—
2nd February	…	…	…	—
9th February	…	…	…	—
16th February	…	…	…	—
23rd February	…	…	…	1
2nd March	…	…	…	—
9th March	…	…	…	—
16th March	…	…	…	1
23rd March	…	…	…	2
30th March	…	…	…	5
6th April	…	…	…	8
13th April	…	…	…	9
20th April	…	…	…	8
27th April	…	…	…	6
4th May	…	…	…	12
11th May	…	…	…	12
18th May	…	…	…	22
25th May	…	…	…	23
1st June	…	…	…	28
8th June	…	…	…	26
15th June	…	…	…	26
22nd June	…	…	…	26
29th June	…	…	…	29
6th July	…	…	…	28
13th July	…	…	…	32
20th July	…	…	…	27
27th July	…	…	…	36
3rd August	…	…	…	31
10th August	…	…	…	33
17th August	…	…	…	33
24th August	…	…	…	36
31st August	…	…	…	30
7th September	…	…	…	42
14th September	…	…	…	28
21st September	…	…	…	30
28th September	…	…	…	27
5th October	…	…	…	19
12th October	…	…	…	18
19th October	…	…	…	10
26th October	…	…	…	2
2nd November	…	…	…	3
9th November	…	…	…	3
16th November	…	…	…	1
23rd November	…	…	…	—
30th November	…	…	…	1
7th December	…	…	…	—
14th December	…	…	…	—
21st December	…	…	…	2
28th December	…	…	…	2

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that all trawlers sailing from Hull since midnight on Friday, 11th February, were fully manned; and if he will make a statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement regarding the adequate manning of fishing vessels leaving St. Andrews Dock, West, Hull, at the present time while the Transport and General Workers' Union have declared an official strike.

There are at present, pending the passage of the Merchant Shipping Bill now before the House, no statutory manning scales for trawlers, apart from the requirement for the carriage of certificated skippers and second hands. The Board has power to detain any ship which it considers unsafe. However, I have no reason to believe that the trawlers which put to sea from Hull since midnight Friday, 13th February were unsafe by reason of undermanning. The Board will continue to keep a close watch on the situation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many trawlers sailing from Hull since midnight on Friday, 13th February have left without a complete steaming crew aboard and failed to give adequate notice that they were leaving, thus causing a hazard to other shipping and barges on the River Humber.

I understand that by noon yesterday 21 trawlers had put to sea from Hull since midnight Friday, 13th February. I have no reason to believe that they were unsafe by reason of undermanning. Notice of their departure is not required by the Board.

asked the Minister of Transport what estimates he has made of traffic flows along the Bedworth bypass for the years 1975 and 1980.

It is not possible to give a realistic up-to-date estimate until the detailed information, which is soon to be submitted by the highway authorities, has been assessed. I will write to my hon. Friend when this is available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take immediate action to ensure that the inadequate and often non-existing provision of lighting on the Bedworth bypass, newly-opened to traffic, is raised to recognised and accepted safety standards.

The southern roundabout has lighted bollards and signs and temporary overhead lighting. The northern roundabout has lighted bollards and signs.The contract for permanent overhead lighting at both these roundabouts has been let but delays in supplying equipment are holding up the work.Because of this, temporary overhead lighting is also to be provided at the northern roundabout as soon as possible. All the temporary lights will meet recognised safety standards.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what estimates have been made of traffic flows along the M1-M6 Midland Link Motorway in the vicinity of Bedworth, along the A5, A46, A47 and the A444 in the vicinity of Nuneaton for the years 1975 and 1980;(2) what estimates he has made of traffic flows along the M1, M45, A45 and A5 in the vicinity of Rugby in the years 1975 and 1980.

The detailed information is not readily available. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Transport when the northern spur from the Bedworth Bypass to Heath End Road, Nuneaton, will be constructed; and what stage have plans and negotiations reached.

A start could be made in 1972 if the necessary design work is completed and if any increase in costs can be accommodated within available funds. We are waiting for reports from the highway authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will issue a general direction to the Railways Board to require the Board to institute a full inquiry into derailments where hardship and inconvenience are caused to passengers.

No; I am assured that it is the board's invariable practice to do this. They take all practicable steps to reduce hardship or inconvenience to passengers at the time, and subsequently they review their emergency arrangements as may prove necessary in the light of their investigations.

I understand that Castle Street was closed on 8th November last by an Order under the Public Health Act, 1961, because a warehouse owned by the British Transport Docks Board was unsafe. It is uncertain when the street will be re-opened but it is expected to be before Hull C.B.C. proceeds with its scheme for stage 2 of the Southern Orbital Road from Myton Place to Market Place along the line of Castle Street. No loan sanction has been issued for that scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a list of the boards and committees to which he appoints members other than civil servants; and if he will state the number of members serving on each such board or committee.

• British Council (Executive Committee).—one member.
• British Petroleum Co. Ltd. and certain subsidiaries—two Directors.
• Decimal Currency Board—Chairman and nine members.
• Advisosry Panel on Section 468 of the Income Tax Act, 1952—Chairman and three members.
• Tribunal of Inquiry and the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act, 1958—one member.
• Government Contracts Review Board—Chairman and four members.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the income after tax and National In- surance contributions, assuming full available contracting out, of a married man with no children in both October, 1964, and January, 1970, taking his annual income before tax to be all earned and as follows on each date, and expressing each answer in January, 1970, prices, £500, £800, £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, £4,000, £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000.

The figures expressed at an annual rate as are follows.

Gross income	Net income October, 1964 (1964–65) expressed in December, 1969 prices	Net income January, 1970 (1969–70)
£	£	£
500	563	443
800	854	672
1,000	1,029	806
2,000	1,895	1,468
3,000	2,761	2,147
4,000	3,672	2,826
5,000	4,485	3,459
10,000	7,398	5,729
20,000	9,748	7,371

The rise in average earnings of all employees between October, 1964, and December, 1969—the last available date—based on the D.E.P. monthly earnings enquiry was 42 per cent.—just over 7 per cent. per annum.The price index used relates to December, 1969, which is the latest date for which it is available.