asked the Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning what representations he has received from the Cornwall County Council concerning appointments to and nominations for membership of the South West Economic Planning Council.

The county council has asked if it can submit a nomination to be considered for membership of the South West Economic Planning Council. I informed the county council that it is quite free to do so and that it will be considered together with other nominations for the region.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps are taken by the Ordnance Survey to trace copying of its maps without permission or payment of royalties; and how many such cases have come to light during the last three years.

A watch is kept on new publications containing maps. 29 cases of infringement have been detected in the past three years involving royalties totalling £6,500.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he proposes to issue advice about the report "People and Planning" to local planning authorities.

The comments of the numerous bodies consulted on the report have only recently been received. These are being studied. Our aim is to issue a substantive circular of advice to local planning authorities in the summer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is satisfied with the rate of improvements under the Housing Act, 1969; and what steps he is taking to encourage more owners to improve their property.

I am not satisfied yet, but there are signs that the operation of the Housing Act, 1969 is now beginning to produce an increase in the rate of house improvements. I hope that this will be stimulated by the Ministry's current exhibit at the Ideal Home Exhibition, and the extensive national publicity campaign which will follow. The success of this Act will depend very much on local authority interest which we are trying to stimulate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have so far declared general improvement areas under the Housing Act, 1969; whether he is satisfied with this rate of progress; and if he will make a statement.

Twenty-eight authorities have already declared general improvement areas involving 31 schemes. More have projects in preparation, but I am not yet satisfied with the rate of progress.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware of the difficulties some local authorities are now facing with slum clearance; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. New problems are now being thrown up by slum clearance and the scale of the problems has been shown to be greater by our conurbation studies. So my right hon. Friend is arranging for discussions with local authorities to consider how these problems can best be tackled.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has now made of the likely future rate of slum clearance.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how long he estimates it will take to eliminate or improve the 1,800,000 unfit dwellings in England and Wales.

Most local authorities have now replied to circular 92/69, which asked them for their slum clearance proposals over the next four years. In aggregate these programmes are well above the levels of recent years, but actual performance will depend on the efforts of each authority and I shall keep closely in touch with them.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will take steps to encourage pilot studies and schemes for the improvement of residential areas with particular problems.

My right hon. Friend is visiting local authorities and addressing conference on improvement policy. We have already helped to sponsor pilot schemes at Rochdale, Exeter and Whitworth and more are in the pipeline. My right hon. Friend has also commissioned studies of the improvement potential of areas in Nelson and Rawtenstall. We are also considering what more can be done to involve the Department more directly in further selected schemes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government on what criteria it was decided that public expenditure on housing in respect of investment and improvements, including grants to the private sector and mortgage lending, should show no increase for 1971–72 as compared with 1968–69.

The pattern of investment on new and improved housing in the public sector in 1971–72 has largely been determined by decisions local authorities have already taken.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to pay the interest rate subsidy on local authority house-building at an earlier stage.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 3rd February and 18th November.—[Vol 795, c. 84–5; Vol. 701, c. 252.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his estimate of the monthly mortgage repayments for a 90 per cent. mortgage over 25 years on a new house costing £4,900.

For a standard rate taxpayer who pays mortgage interest out of earned income, the net payment for a 90 per cent. mortgage over 25 years on a new house costing £4,900 would be £25 17s. 9d. a month in the first year of the mortgage.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek to lower the proportion of council houses from its present level of 30 per cent. of the total housing stock.

Local authority housing has become about 30 per cent. of the toal housing stock in Great Britain because other agencies have not met the need for rented accommodation. This need will continue for the foreseeable future. In the meantime the Government encourages building for home ownership, housing associations and societies, new towns, as well as for local authorities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many conservation areas in England have been notified to him as designated up to 31st January, 1970.

By 31st January this year my right hon. Friend had been notified of the designation of 810 conservation areas.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the importance of combatting river pollution, whether he will now withdraw Circular 64/68.

No. Its advice about relations between river authorities and dischargers is still valid. But when, later, this year, we have the results of the River Pollution Survey, we shall consider what resources can be made available and how best they can be used for cleaning up the rivers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will obtain the number of families now on the local authority housing lists awaiting accommodation in Dorset.

The information is not available within the Department, but could be obtained by the hon. Member's inquiring directly of the 21 authorities whose names I am listing in the OFFICIAL REPORT for the hon. Member's convenience.

Borough
Blandford Forum	Shaftesbury
Bridport	Wareham
Dorchester	Weymouth and
Lyme Regis	Melcombe Regis
Poole
Urban Districts
Portland	Swanage
Sherborne	Wimborne Minster
Rural Districts
Beaminster	Sturminster
Blandford	Wareham and Pur-
Bridport	beck
Dorchester	Wimborne and
Shaftesbury	Cranborne
Sherborne

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will place a preservation order on the house in Colston Parade, Radcliffe, Bristol, the birthplace of Samuel Plimsoll, the pioneer of the load line for merchant ships and a former Member of this House.

No, I understand that this house was merely built on the same site as an earlier house in which Samuel Plimsoll was born.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will advise local authorities to notify recipients of improvement grants, maximum £1,000, that their local rating assessments may increase following improvements, including central heating, and that this factor should be considered before improvements are actually carried out.

No. Over 1¼ million houses have been improved with the aid of grant since improvement grants were first introduced in 1949. When they were reviewed and increased last year, in the Housing Act, 1969, there was no call to add this requirement to a system which is well established and understood.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what further advice on new construction of tall buildings he is giving local authorities following the events in Kidderminster and at Ronan Point.

Amendments to the Building Regulations 1965 were laid before the House on 5 February and come into operation 1 April. Circular 10 of 1970, dated 6th February, drew the attention of local authorities to these amendments. They supersede, for new buildings, the recommendations about progressive collapse given in Ministry Circulars 62 and 71 of 1968, which in other respects remain applicable. Ministry Circular 39/69 also gave advice about enforcement of the building regulations. No further advice is contemplated at present.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will seek to confer on local authorities responsibilities for the provision of facilities for the disposal of bulky refuse.

Under the Civic Amenities Act, 1967, local authorities are already required to provide places where, without payment, their residents can deposit refuse, including old motor vehicles and other bulky articles.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will give a breakdown of the make-up of Greater London Council rents to illustrate on what basis the rents are calculated.

I understand that the present Greater London Council wishes to bring its rents to a level which in its view corresponds to the fair rents for regulated private tenants. Policy on rents is by law a matter for each local authority and I do not know in detail how the Council applies its policy to particular dwellings.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement on the expansion of first generation new towns.

The seven first generation new towns which have not been transferred to the Commission for New Towns have all been expanded, whether by designating more land or by replanning to provide for a larger population than was originally envisaged. Taking them together, the acreage designated is now 20 per cent. greater and the population planned for about 70 per cent. greater than when the original designation orders were made.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many development corporation rented dwellings in the 11 first-generation new towns in England were available for purchase by tenants at the end of March, 1969, and at the end of January, 1970, respectively.

At the end of March, 1969, about 22,500 corporation rented houses were available for purchase by tenants. By the end of January this year the figure had risen to some 59,000, representing just over half the corporation rented stock in the towns concerned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will institute an investigation into condensation problems in Harlow New Town.

No. I am in touch with the Corporation and am satisfied that everything possible is being done to put the trouble right.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what further discussions he has had with the Kingston-upon-Hull City Council about their building programme; and if he will make a statement.

I visited Hull on 2nd February to discuss with members a the council the need for a bigger house-building programme. The Department are following up this meeting with further discussions at officer level, which I hope will result in bigger programmes for slum clearance, new building and modernisation of sub-standard houses.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of experience of the operation of the Land Drainage Act and the inadequacies of the Highways Act 1953, in the protection of farmland against storm-water surges and pollution, created by increases in the impervious surfaces resulting from building in wastershed areas and conurbations, he will include in questionnaires to be completed by applicants for planning permission, questions about the arrangements for the disposal of surface water.

					Monthly Repayments on 80 per cent, advance over 20 years
					Purchase Price £4,000				Purchase Price £5,000
Year				Interest Rate per cent.	Gross		Net of Tax Relief*		Gross		Net of Tax Relief*
					£	s.	£	s.	£	s.	£	s.
1964	…	…	…	6	23	5	18	9	29	1	23	1
1965	…	…	…	6¾	24	14	18	18	30	17	23	12
1966	…	…	…	7⅛	25	8	19	6	31	15	24	3
1967	…	…	…	7⅛	25	8	19	6	31	15	24	3
1968	…	…	…	7⅝	26	8	19	18	33	0	24	17
1969	…	…	…	8½	28	4	20	18	35	4	26	3
* Tax relief has been computed for the first year of the mortgage based on earned income taxed at the standrad rate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what provision is being made for facilities to serve a railway station at the new town of Milton Keynes.

This is a matter for consideration in connection with the master plan for a new town, which understand the development corporation expects to publish and to submit to my right hon. Friend later this month.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many unfurnished tenancies in England and Wales were the subject of rent regulation on 31st December, 1969; and what proportion he estimates these represent of all privately rented dwellings.

The number of privately rented unfurnished tenancies in England and Wales subject to rent regulation at the end of 1969 is estimated at

My right hon. Friend will shortly be consulting local authority associations on a model planning application form which will include a question on this matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT for each of the years 1964 to 1969 the monthly repayments required for an 80 per cent. mortgage over 20 years on a new house costing respectively £4,000 and £5,000.

The following is the reply:1·2 million, which is less than 40 per cent. of all privately rented tenancies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the Easington Rural District Council have a waiting list for accommodation exceeding 3,000 and the Peterlee Corporation a list of over 1,000; and what action he intends to take in order to reduce the numbers.

Yes. I understand that Easington Rural District Council expect to approve schemes for approximately 800 new dwellings in 1970–72. Peterlee Development Corporation, whose waiting list is, I understand, about 650, have 600 dwellings under construction and a further 700 will be built in the New Town during the next three years.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the existing rights of way in Langstrothdale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, are adequately protected following the granting of licences to the Economic Forestry Group by the Northern Pennines Rural Development Board.

Local authorities have a duty to protect public rights of way under Section 116 of the Highways Act, 1959, and can take action to remove any obstructions under Section 121 of that Act.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress has been made in the negotiations with Macclesfield Borough Council regarding a settlement for their claim covering the alterations to the Jespersen flats.

There are no current negotiations with Macclesfield Borough Council. I have studied very closely the case made out by the council. I do not, however, consider that there are grounds for special grant arrangements for the Jespersen flats of under 7 storeys.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will issue a general guidance to planning authorities that planning permission should not be allowed to open borrow pits to provide underfill for new road works unless it can be shown that pit heap waste is not reasonably available.

My right hon. Friend will bear this suggestion in mind. He and his right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport are investigating the possibility of further encouraging the use of waste which is suitable and is available at an economic price.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the average monthly council house rent; and what is the monthly mortgage repayment based on a 20 year 90 per cent. mortgage at the rate of interest recommended by the Building Societies Association on an average-price house in owner- occupation for the latest convenient date; and what were the equivalent figures in each of the past five years.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In April, 1969, the estimated average monthly standard council house rent in England and Wales was £8 18s. 0d. The average net monthly repayment in 1969 in the first year of a mortgage on the terms in the question was £28 12s.

	Estimated Standard Council Rent		Average net repayment on new dwellings in first year of mortgage
	£	s.	£	s.
1964	5	17	18	0
1965	6	6	20	4
1966	6	18	22	3
1967	7	11	23	7
1968	8	7	25	4

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities built houses by direct labour in 1969 compared with 1965; and whether he will make a statement.

149 local authorities built houses by direct labour in 1969 and 184 in 1964. I have no doubt that direct labour organisations continue to have a valuable part to play in the housebuilding programme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the Macclesfield District Water Board proposes to increase the maximum charge for the supply of water taken by meter by the agricultural industry from 3s. 6d. per thousand gallons to 7s. per thousand gallons; and if he will refer the matter to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

This new maximum charge, which my right hon. Friend recently authorised by order, is intended to last for at least five years and the actual charges in that period are expected to be rather less. The order followed a public local inquiry last September when the Water Board's case, and objections from the agricultural industry and others, were fully considered. There was no evidence that the criteria for price increases had been disregarded.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his estimate of the current annual land dereliction in Berkshire caused by extractive industries; how much of this is being restored by those responsible for extraction; and if he will make a statement.

Planning consents given for mineral working in Berkshire cover some 6,000 acres. Most of them require restoration or after-treatment of worked land in order to prevent it from becoming derelict. More detailed statistical information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that an extension to the Andover Hospital is held up pending an inter-departmental decision involving the Department of Health and Social Security and his Department; and when a decision will be reached.

This matter is not before my right hon. Friend for a decision. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is examining the proposal and considering whether to enlist the aid of the Minister of Housing and Local Government, under the Circular 100 procedure, in resolving the objections made to the proposal by the local authorities.

NUMBER AND VALUE OF RATE REBATES AFFORDED IN HARTLEPOOL CB
					Number of rebate recipients		Amount of rebate
Year	Local Authority				1st period	2nd period	1st period	2nd period
							£	£
1966–67*		West Hartlepool CB		…	1,410	1,402	7,020	7,061
		Hartlepool B	…	…	150	157	737	804
1967–68	…	Hartlepool CB	…	…	1,230	1,277	7,064	7,591
1968–69	…	Hartlepool CB	…	…	1,163	1,394	6,944	8,827
* These local authorities amalgamated to form Hartlepool CB from April 1967.

Between the first rebate period in 1966–67 and the last in 1968–69 the number of recipients has dropped by 11 per cent. (1,560 to 1,394) and the total amount paid in rebate has increased by 14 per cent. (£7,757 to £8,827).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is satisfied that standards set out by the Royal Commission of more than 50 years ago for effluents discharged into rivers are adequate for present needs; and if he will make a statement.

Current legislation for the prevention of river pollution depends upon the assessment by the river authority of the standard required of an effluent according to the circumstances of the river at the point of discharge and the use to be made of it downstream. No one standard would be suitable for all cases. But the Royal Commission standard has gained general acceptance as a norm for sewage effluents, with the onus on the discharger to justify a less rigorous standard in a particular case and on the river authority to justify one which is more rigorous and I consider it to be adequate for that purpose.I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a circular and memorandum on this subject issued in 1966.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number and value of rate rebates granted in Hartlepool since the introduction of the Rating Act, 1966; and how the figure for the last financial year compares with the first year in which the rebate was being operated.

The following is the reply:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking towards establishing better housing information services within the field of local government.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will encourage local authorities to use their powers to inform members of the public on housing matters more widely.

Following discussions in the Central Housing Advisory Committee, my right hon. Friend is considering what advice might be given to housing authorities on establishing comprehensive housing advisory services to meet their varying local situations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which housing priority area local authorities have implemented the recommendation of the Seebohm Committee's Report on personal and social services for the setting up of general housing information offices.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what authorities on Merseyside have taken action on the Seebohm Report's recommendation that council should establish centres of housing information covering the private field as well as municipal housing.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which Greater London Boroughs

				1966–67	1967–68	1968	1969–70
Grants corresponding to Rate
Support Grants:
General grants	…	…	…	18,552,246
School milk and meals*			…	2,151,927
Highways*	…	…	…	31,856
Rate-deficiency grant		…	…	631,144
Rate Support Grants:
Needs element	…	…	…		22,331,455	23,682,168	26,624,881
Resources element		…	…		420,393	Nil	397,017
Domestic element		…	…		411,239	838,896	1,299,415
				21,367,173	23,163,087	24,521,064	28,321,313
Specific revenue grants		…	…	3,658,033	4,344,952	4,519,618	Not yet available
Rate rebate grant	…	…	…	131,995	127,291	146,994	Not yet available
Rating (Interim Relief) Grant
(Section 5)	…	…	…	15	7
				25,157,216	27,625,337	29,187,676
Other grants:
Capital grants	…	…	…	1,519,929	1,870,862	3,719,351	Not yet available
Housing subsidies		…	…	3,080,230	3,646,243	4,265,226	Not yet available
* These specific grants were absorbed in the rate support grant from 1967–68 onwards.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has made, in his have set up housing information services in line with the Seebohm's Report's recommendations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have established comprehensive housing advisory services.

So far three authorities have initiated action of this kind: Lambeth, Islington and Birmingham, all of which are housing priority areas. My right hon. Friend hopes that other authorities will do so and is considering what further initiative the Government might take to implement this policy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the financial grants made to Birmingham for each of the years 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969–70 in respect of the total rate support grants, specific revenue grants, rate rebate grants, capital grants and housing grants.

The particulars of these grants are given below. With the exception of rate support grants, the information for 1969–70 is not yet available.consideration of the proposal to establish a Government House Building Corporation, of the length of time required for it to make a contribution in areas of grave housing need.

No precise estimate is possible, but it would take some considerable time to establish and staff such a body and thereafter to obtain sites and carry out building schemes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on the outcome of his negotiations with the Greater London Council regarding the transfer of its housing estates to the borough councils.

The prayer to annul the Order will no doubt be debated shortly and I hope to state my views in that debate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he now proposes to take with the Oldham authority to re-establish a programme of clearing all unfit dwellings by 1980.

I visited Oldham on 20th February and had a useful and constructive discussion with the corporation covering a wide range of housing problems. My intention now is to write to them setting out matters for further consideration, including the need for a considerably increased future slum clearance programme. I hope that there can be follow-up discussions at officer level between the Department and the authority.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will indicate, for a typical major rehousing scheme in Oldham, the interim costs before housing subsidy was payable, in terms of amount of capital and interest rates borrowed for clearance of unfit houses and building new dwellings, and the number of unfit and new dwellings that have been so dealt with; and to what extent the costs have been borne by the Housing Revenue Account.

On an actual redevelopment scheme in Oldham for 947 dwellings the loan charges borne by the Housing Revenue Account from the start of clearing the area to the first completion were £93,000, on a capital cost of £1·032 million.Oldham Council has cleared 3,500 unfit houses in the last four years—1966 to 1969—and has built 2,896 new dwellings in the same period.The costs incurred in slum clearance under Parts II and III of the Housing Act, 1957, are normally a charge on the General Rate Fund and not on the Housing Revenue Account. But where the land is appropriated for Part V housing purposes the cost of acquisition and clearance is chargeable to the Housing Revenue Account.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the delay since the holding of the local inquiry into the Wellingborough Town Development Map, if he is yet in a position to make a statement.

The inspector's report into the public local inquiry at Wellingborough is under consideration in the Department, but I am afraid I cannot yet say when a decision can be expected.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a notice issued to householders, pursuant to Section 82 of the General Rate Act 1967, requiring them to state whether central heating is installed in their houses, and, if so, to state the type of such heating; if he will state precisely what forms of heating are intended to be counted; and, in particular, whether night-storage heaters count as central heating.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to the Questions by the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 2nd February and the hon. Member for Portsmouth, Lang-stone (Mr. Ian Lloyd) on 10th February. —[Vol. 795, c. 56; Col. 795, c. 309–10.]

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many acres of derelict land were cleared in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region during 1968 and 1969; how many schemes are in the pipeline for 1970; and what is the acreage involved for that year.

167 acres were reclaimed in 1968. Figures are not yet available for 1969. 48 schemes covering 535 acres have been approved for grant purposes since 1st January, 1969, and most of these will involve work in 1970. Five schemes for 294 acres are under consideration in the Department.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to amend Section 239 of the Local Government Act, 1933, to empower local authorities, once having chosen between professional audit and district audit, to give effect to a subsequent change of view.

My right hon. Friend has no plans for such legislation at the present time. The thorough going review of local government finance which

							Thousand square feet
					1st April, (Estimated) 1964	1st April, (Provisional) 1967	1st April, (Estimated) 1969
Commercial offices	…	…	…	…	1,026·1	1,101·3	1,155·0
Shops and restaurants	…	…	…	…	3,368·1	3,415·6	3,402·5
Industrial premises	…	…	…	…	19,071·7	18,963·7	19,276·1

The 1967 figures are based on a special count in that year, but are only provisional at present. Those for 1964 and 1969 have been derived from the 1967 figures on the basis of information about changes in the intervening years; they are less accurate and should be treated with caution. Totals for 1954 are not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in respect of the area now covered by the Greater

							Million square feet
					1st April, 1964	1st April, 1967	1st April, 1969
Commercial offices	…	…	…	…	104·6	113·9	121·6
Shops and restaurants	…	…	…	…	107·1	109·8	111·5
Industrial premises	…	…	…	…	284·1	287·0	287·8

The 1967 figures are based on a special count in that year, but are only provisional at present. Those for 1964 and is currently being undertaken will include an examination of the arrangements for auditing local authority transactions. As stated in the White Paper "Reform of Local Government in England" (Cmnd. 4276) the outcome of this examination will be reported in a Green Paper.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the rateable floor space for the London Borough of Newham, at the latest convenient date, subdivided into the three categories of commercial offices, shops and restaurants, and industrial premises; and if he will make a comparison with the corresponding figures for 1967 and with the combined figures for the former county boroughs of East Ham and West Ham in 1954 and 1964.

Approximate figures as at 1st April in the year 1964, 1967 and 1969 for the area which is now the London Borough of Newham are as follows:London Council, he will show how the rateable floor space at the latest convenient date compares with that for 1954, 1964 and 1967, subdividing the figures into the three categories of commercial offices, shops and restaurants, and industrial premises.

Approximate figures as at 1st April in the years 1964, 1967 and 1969 for the area now covered by the Greater London Council are as follows:1969 have been derived from the 1967 figures on the basis of information about changes in the intervening years; they are less accurate and should be treated with caution. Totals for 1954 are not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to provide mortgages, particularly for people over 50 years of age, for householders affected by redevelopment schemes.

Local authorities have been encouraged to lend money for house purchase to people displaced by redevelopment. And there is no reason why anyone able to afford the repayments involved should not apply to the authority. If the person receives compensation as an owner-occupier, he will not need so much by way of a loan and may therefore be able to obtain a loan from a recognised lender.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to provide that councils are not entitled to make deductions from the market value of property on redevelopment if the householder is provided with a council tenancy; and if he will make a statement.

Councils are not empowered to impose an abatement of compensation as a condition of rehousing; and rehousing obligations are not affected by the payment of compensation. Consequently no question arises of legislation to achieve these objectives.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his estimate of the approximate total of bank loans to firms for house building at the most recent available date compared with one, two, three and four years ago, respectively.

Bank loans for house-building are part of the total for the whole construction industry. Bank advances outstanding to the industry in the United Kingdom totalled £359·2 million in November, 1967, £369·6 million in November, 1968, and £371·5 million in November, 1969. Advances in 1969 were 0·5 per cent. higher than in 1968, and 3·4 per cent. higher than in 1967. Figures are not available on the same basis for 1965 and 1966 and cannot therefore be compared as for 1969.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now take steps to prevent, by means of Section 91 of the Housing Act, 1957, those local authorities which have a housing shortage in their area from reducing their housing programmes.

As my hon. Friend knows, discussions are in progress with a number of housing authorities whose rate of house building has recently given cause for concern. Consideration of any formal action under the section to which my hon. Friend refers must await the outcome of those discussions.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to facilitate the exchange of council houses and the transfer of their tenants, in the light of the unitary and Metropolitan structure of local government proposed in the Government's White Paper.

We propose to discuss the possibility of establishing a national exchange bureau for council houses with the local authority associations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now introduce legislation to pay local councillors.

I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 79 and 80 of the White Paper published last month on the reform of local government in England, which dealt both with the question of salaries and with the improvement of allowances and to my speech in the House on 18th February.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now recommend to local authorities that they should put out a considerable and representative proportion of the maintenance and repair work at present given to direct labour departments to competitive tenders from building contractors; and whether he will make a statement.

I do not consider that maintenance and repair work generally lends itself so readily to competition as does new construction.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why his Department has not approved the demolition of No. 7 Warehouse, Hull, in view of the fact that its dangerous condition is causing the prohibition of through traffic from East to West Hull and congestion in the city centre, the city engineer's report that, under the Public Health Act, 1966, it should be either made safe or demolished, and the British Transport Docks Board's application for demolition.

Works for the demolition of this building, which is statutorily listed as a building of special architectural interest, will require consent under Part V of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1968. Application for consent was made to the local planning authority and refused by them on 18th December, 1969. No Appeal against their decision has yet been made to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he now expects to give a decision with regard to the use of the Brighton Sloane Street site.

A public inquiry is to be held on 13th May. A decision will be given as soon as possible afterwards.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will obtain and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the numbers of families on the housing waiting lists of each of the London boroughs.

The numbers of families—including single applicants—on the London borough housing waiting lists is as follows. These figures are those notified to the G.L.C. as at June, 1969.

Local Authority		Number of families (including single applicants) on Housing Waiting Lists, June, 1969
CITY OF LONDON	ߪ	558
LONDON BOROUGHS
Barking	ߪ	3,579
Barnet	ߪ	5,863
Bexley	ߪ	2,677
Brent	ߪ	7,082
Bromley	ߪ	3,871
Camden	ߪ	7,321
Croydon	ߪ	4,994
Ealing	ߪ	8,934
Enfield	ߪ	6,850
Greenwich	ߪ	5,850
Hackney	ߪ	13,196
Hammersmith	ߪ	4,159
Haringey	ߪ	6,057
Harrow	ߪ	2,366
Havering	ߪ	3,677
Hillingdon	ߪ	3,606
Hounslow	ߪ	6,680
Islington	ߪ	11,184
Kensington and Chelsea	ߪ	3,898
Kingston-upon-Thames	ߪ	2,285
Lambeth	ߪ	11,859
Lewisham	ߪ	10,599
Merton	ߪ	3,595
Newham	ߪ	5,134
Redbridge	ߪ	3,855
Richmond-upon-Thames	ߪ	3,318
South wark	ߪ	9,210
Sutton	ߪ	2,030
Tower Hamlets	ߪ	7,245
Waltham Forest	ߪ	5,494
Wandsworth	ߪ	7,484
Westminster, City of	ߪ	7,604
Total	ߪ	192,116

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement about his recent meeting with a housing delegation from the London Borough of Lambeth.

The main points discussed with the delegation were the financing of the borough's housing programmes and their plans for diversifying housing tenure in areas being redeveloped. The council's suggestions on housing finance will be taken into account in the longer term review of housing finance now in progress. I agreed to consider proposals for a pilot scheme of houses to be built for the council by private contractors for sale to owner occupiers displaced by redevelopment in areas in which private developers had shown no interest. I also agreed to consider an extension of the rent rebate scheme to include tenants of housing associations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many families have been rehoused in new towns from Greater London in each of the past 10 years.

The returns by the Development Corporations and New Towns Commission for Basildon, Bracknell, Crawley, Harlow, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City show that they have allocated rented houses to families from Greater London as follows:

1960	ߪ	6,960
1961	ߪ	4,051
1962	ߪ	3,840
1963	ߪ	2,810
1964	ߪ	3,440
1965	ߪ	3,151
1966	ߪ	2,998
1967	ߪ	3,510
1968	ߪ	3,129
*1969 (half year)	ߪ	1,426
* Figures from 1st July, 1969, not yet available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses he estimates will be built in new towns which will be available to rehouse Londoners in the next 10 years; and how this compares with the figures for the last10 years.

Over 75,000 houses are expected to be built over the next 10 years in new towns providing for London overspill. The corresponding figure for the last 10 years was about 42.000.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works (1) if he will state the number of tower mills previously scheduled as historic monuments which have been demolished in the last five years;(2) if he will state the number of post-mills previously scheduled as historic monuments which have been demolished over the course of the last five years;(3) if he will state the total number of windmills previously scheduled as historic monuments which have been demolished over the course of the last five years.

No windmill—post, tower or smock—scheduled by my Ministry as an ancient monument has been demolished in the last five years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the recent publication of the profits made by the banks, he will in his forthcoming Budget seek an arrangement whereby bank profits, as with gambling profits, are specially taxed in such a way as to ensure that a larger percentage of

HOUSING CORPORATIONS WHICH HAVE NOT TAKEN UP FULL P.W.L.B. ENTITLEMENT
Type of Authority				Current Number of Authorities in Category	1964–65	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68	1968–69
County Boroughs	…	…	…	83	8	5	11	59	40
G.L.C. and London Boroughs			…	34	—	1	1	22	9
Non-County Boroughs		…	…	259	10	15	34	114	141
The undrawn amounts could, of course, have been borrowed from other sources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many immigrants remit significant proportions of their earnings abroad, and the total of these remittances as a proportion of their gross earnings.

The information on which such estimates could be based is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the evidence sent to him by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, he will cause an investigation to be made by the Inland Revenue into the practice of tax evasion by those who receive commissions for enticing people into strip clubs.

My right hon. Friend has written to my hon. Friend about this.

Banks are already fully taxed on all their profits. I do not accept my hon. Friend's analogy between bank profits and gambling profits, and I could not therefore regard it as a ground for taxing the profits of banks differently from the profits of other companies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the corporation housing authorities which have not taken their full quota of loans from the Public Works Loan Board in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

The following are the figures:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the number and nature of the complaints which he has received regarding Inland Revenue leaflet P3G on the subject of tax rates on pay and overtime.

About 30; mostly on the grounds that the leaflet is contentious, which I do not accept.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the public sector's net expenditure on resources at 1969–70 out-turn prices, as shown in Table 1.2 of Command Paper No. 4234, in the years 1964–65 to 1967–68, inclusive, and any earlier years for which figures are available;(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing for the years 1959–60 and 1964–65 to 1967–68, inclusive, at both out-turn prices and 1969–70 survey prices, figures comparable with those given in Table 1.5 of Command Paper No. 4234, showing also the division of debt interest by different spending authorities.

As much as possible of the detailed information requested in these two Questions is being prepared and I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as it is ready.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the current practice on the disposal by departments of agricultural land has been the practice since the original Ministerial statement of policy on 20th July, 1954; and on what dates and in what particulars the original practice has been varied.

The principle announced by the then Minister of Agriculture on 20th July, 1954, has been adhered to. Each case is considered on its merits with the desire that when circumstances show that surplus land which can still be regarded as agricultural in character can properly be offered back to a former owner, this should be done. Modifications have been made only in the considerations taken into account in applying this principle. Thus, in 1957 and 1958 it was decided to take into account any interest which non-departmental public authorities or local authorities might have in acquiring such land. In 1966, the potential of the land for early development was introduced as an additional test of "agricultural character"; and certain changes were made in the interpretation of the term "former owner". The resulting current practice was summarised in my reply on 19th January, 1970, to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Gorbals (Mr. McElhone).—[Vol. 794, c. 62–3.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated contribution to the net yield of selective employment tax for the year 1969–70 of the distributive trades, the building and construction industry, and professional and miscellaneous services, respectively.

The net yield for the building and construction industry is estimated at approximately £150 million, and that for MLH 871, 873 and 879 of Order XXV (Professional and Scientific Services) of the Standard Industrial Classification at approximately £30 million. These figures are based on the estimate of total net yield for the tax given in the Budget Report and Financial Statement 1969–70. I regret that estimates of the net yield for the other categories mentioned cannot be given because it is not possible to allocate the general refunds which are made for part-time staff and those aged 65 and over and, in the case of miscellaneous services and the remainder of the professional services category, refunds made to local authorities, registered charities etc.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated contribution to the gross yield of selective employment tax for the year 1969–70, of the manufacturing industry, the building and construction industry, the distributive trades, and professional and miscellaneous services, respectively.

£760 million, £150 million, £210 million, £185 million and £155 million approximately, on the basis of the estimate of the gross yield for the tax given in the Budget Report and Financial Statement 1969–70.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the gross selective employment tax paid by manufacturing industry in 1969–70 he estimates will not be refundable.

I regret that the information on which an estimate could be based is not available and could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and money.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the table of figures published by his Department on 3rd March, 1969, giving the disposable income, expenditure and saving per head of population for each of the years from 1946 to date, and add to these figures the tax direct and indirect deducted for each of these years and where possible on a personal income tax basis.

For the figures for disposable income, consumers' expenditure, personal saving and direct tax, I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 3rd February to a similar question by the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Nott). Indirect taxes are included in the figures for consumers' expenditure but I regret that separate estimates of these are not available at constant prices and could not be prepared without unjustifiable expenditure.—[Vol. 795. c. 94.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give a firm date for the installation of a pelican crossing at the Western Road junction of the A456 a t Hagley, near Stourbridge.

I understand that the Worcestershire County Council is considering other means of safeguarding the Western Road junction. I have written in reply to the hon. Member's letter on this subject.

asked the Minister of Transport what research has been carried out by his Department into the potential increases in the danger caused to other road users by drivers having 100, 200 or 300 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of their blood, respectively.

The Road Research Laboratory Report (No. 6) based on an earlier study in the United States, estimated that drivers with a blood/alcohol level between 100 and 119 mg./100 ml. were on average more than 5½ times as likely to be involved in an accident as drivers who had not been drinking. Corresponding comparisons are not available for levels of 200 mg./100 ml. and 300 mg./100 ml. but drivers with a level above 160 mg./100 ml. were estimated to be on average 21 times as likely to be involved in an accident as the non-drinking driver.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total sum spent by the central Government on roads in England in the post-war period.

The total is of the order of £2,150 million of this almost £1,100 million has been spent since the end of 1964–65. Expenditure on lighting and car parks is not included.In addition, since 1st April, 1967, financial assistance towards local authorities expenditure on roads has been given through the general rate support grant.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce new legislation to allow payment of compensation for disturbance to persons of occupied houses on the fringe of motorway development; if he will consider a new definition of blighted property; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government said on Friday, 27th February, during his speech on the second reading of the Planning Blight and Worsenment Bill.—[Vol. 796, c. 1541–1638.]

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to increase the power of local authorities to make offers for the purchase of property on the fringe of motorway development; and if he will make a statement.

No. If such legislation is suggested in order to enable new motorways to be better related to their surroundings, we must wait for the report of the Committee on Urban Motorways which is at present considering this question. If, on the other hand, my hon. Friend has in mind a form of compensation, I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government said on this subject on Friday, 27th February during his speech on the Second Reading of the Planning Blight Worsenment Bill. —[Vol. 796, c. 1541–1638.]

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now issue new regulations under the Vehicle and Driving Licences Act, 1969, to enable the granting of driving licences under suitable conditions to persons suffering from epilepsy.

The necessary regulations—The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations, 1970—were laid before Parliament on 16th February, 1970, and will come into operation on 1st June, 1970.Driving licences may be issued, from 1st June, in suitable cases, to persons with epilepsy who, on the basis of medical evidence, have been free from attacks for at least three years, with or without treatment, or who have a history of attacks only during sleep for more than three years.Applications under the new Regulations must be made on a new style form—DL1 (Revised) 1970—copies of which will be available from licensing authorities by 1st May, 1970 and from money order Post Offices from 26th May, 1970.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that last year the Greater London Council received in respect of prosecutions for unlicensed road vehicles a net total of £590,000, an average of £10 per offender; and, in view of the dissatisfaction of the Greater London Council with the present system if he will seek powers to introduce a more effective method of enforcement of the law for this offence.

I understand from the Greater London Council that, in 1969, it brought 21,230 successful prosecutions for unlicensed use of motor vehicles resulting in fines and costs amounting to £237,795 and orders for back duty amounting to £164,478. The average fine, which is entirely a matter for the courts, amounted to about £11. In addition £188,000 was paid in respect of 28,846 mitigated penalties offered by the council in lieu of prosecution.More effective enforcement will, as my hon. Friend knows, be possible under the centralised licensing system, with "continuous liability" for excise duty, to be introduced under the powers already given by the Vehicle and Driving Licences Act, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the number of home helps in Brighton in each year to date since 1959.

The numbers in whole-time equivalents for each year from 1959 to 1969 were 106, 98, 105, 114, 117, 118, 122, 114, 112, 124 and 113.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish a matrix showing the current revenue devoted to the hospital service by category of hospital, using the categories of Table 72 of the current annual Report of the Department of Health and Social Security plus an extra category for long-stay hospitals, and by age of hospitals using six 25-year categories from 150 to nil years; and whether he will do the same for capital expenditure.

Revenue expenditure in 1968–69 on the hospital service by type of hospital is shown below. I regret that similar information about capital expenditure is not available centrally, but Regional Hospital Boards are estimated to be spending about £14 million out of their capital allocations of £78·9 million in 1969–70 on long stay services. Many hospitals have been substantially altered Or added to over the years, and it is often not possible to ascribe an age to a whole hospital in the way implied in the question.

REVENUE EXPENDITURE ON THE HOSPITAL SERVICE BY CATEGORY OF HOSPITAL
GROSS EXPENDITURE LESS DIRECT CREDITS—ENGLAND 1968–69
		£ million
Type of Hospital	Hospital Management Committee Hospitals	Boards of Governors' Hospitals
Acute	190·092	74·905
Mainly Acute	69·538	2·254
Partly Acute	28·979	0·770
Mainly Long Stay	16·235	1·035
Long Stay	15·679	0·643
Chronic	15·615	0·092
Pre-convalescent	2·518	0·641
Convalescent	0·758	0·171
Rehabilitation	0·718	—
Isolation	0·677	—
Maternity	15·454	3·124
Mental Illness	84·941	2·028
Mental Handicap (Subnormality)	36·058	—
Orthopaedic	5·249	1·372
Tuberculosis and Chest	8·384	1·968
Tuberculosis, Chest and Isolation	1·399	—
Children's Acute	4·922	6·496
Eye	1·853	2·904
Others (Including Clinics etc.)	32·406	15·386
Totals	531·475	113·789