asked the Secretary of State for Defence what alternative employment of equivalent status he will provide for those indentured and established coopers at the Royal Dockyards who will lose their employment in consequence of his abolition of the rum ration, or what compensation he will award.

The possible retraining of the coopers as joiners or carpenters is being discussed with the trade unions. Any coopers who may become redundant will receive awards under the Superannuation Act, 1965, or the redundancy payments for which they are eligible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to reduce the increasing delays in payment of grant on completion of approved work; and what average period elapses between completion and payment.

The average period between the receipt and payment of a claim for grant is not increasing. It is about six weeks for the Farm Improvement Scheme but it ranges from three weeks to three months according to the particular grant scheme and the pressures on the office concerned. The arrangements are kept under review to ensure that payments are made as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage price increase on meat in the last 12 months.

The meat and bacon subgroup of the General Index of Retail Prices, derived from average retail prices collected by the Department of Employment and Productivity, rose from 133 on 18th March, 1969 (16th January, 1962= 100) to 144 on 17th March, 1970, an increase of about 8 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the central Government's expenditure on education, excluding universities, was spent in Wales in 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969–70.

3·4 per cent., 3·3 per cent. and 4·1 per cent. respectively. The calculation leaves out of account rate support grant, as well as Government grants to universities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young immigrant female children have been admitted to Great Britain as wives, or wives-to-be of immigrant men, for the latest convenient stated period of time.

No statistics are available about the age of women admitted as the wives of Commonwealth citizens resident in the United Kingdom; but the number under 16 must be few. A child under 16 would not be admitted for a marriage ceremony due to take place before her 16th birthday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend existing legislation to enable educational matter in connection with venereal diseases to be publicly displayed.

My right hon. Friend is considering this problem in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain a report from the Chief Constable on the latest figures of the crime detection rate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Northumberland as a whole, the amount of increased expenditure on cars, radio and other facilities to aid detection of crime, how these compare with previous years from 1963 to the latest available date, and on the current manpower situation.

Following is the information for the police force areas which, since 1st April, 1969, have been amalgamated in the Northumberland constabulary.

Clear-up rate of indictable offences
				Per cent.
1963	…	…	…	47·8
1964	…	…	…	46·7
1965	…	…	…	45·6
1966	…	…	…	46·2
1967	…	…	…	49·3
1968	…	…	…	51·8
1969	…	…	…	45·0

The above figures have been adjusted for the purposes of comparison to take account of the effect of the Theft Act, 1968, and certain changes in recording practice.

Vehicles: purchase
			£
1963–64	…	…	22,340
1964–65	…	…	26,358
1965–66	…	…	34,687
1966–67	…	…	41,777
1967–68	…	…	69,354
1968–69	…	…	52,932
1969–70	…	…	63,000

Wireless: purchase and rental
			£
1963–64	…	…	5,335
1964–65	…	…	6,964
1965–66	…	…	8,611
1966–67	…	…	12,045
1967–68	…	…	14,795
1968–69	…	…	26,540
1969–70	…	…	34,000

Photographic and Fingerprint Departments crime prevention, closed-circuit television
			£
1963–64	…	…	1,425
1964–65	…	…	1,775
1965–66	…	…	2,684
1966–67	…	…	2,853
1967–68	…	…	3,517
1968–69	…	…	4,954
1969–70	…	…	4,310

Manpower				Police strength on 31st December
1963	…	…	…	1,376
1964	…	…	…	1,443
1965	…	…	…	1,534
1966	…	…	…	1,594
1967	…	…	…	1,687
1968	…	…	…	1,676
1969	…	…	…	1,675
1970 (on 3Ist March)	…	…	…	1,665

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will make a statement about the proposed exhibition of Henry VIII costumes at Hampton Court.

By kind permission of the B.B.C. and in association with the office of the Lord Chamberlain there will be a temporary exhibition in Hampton Court Palace of some of the costumes used in the recent B.B.C. television serial " The Six Wives of Henry VIII ". It will last from 5th May to 4th July and will be staged in the Great Watching Chamber which was built by Henry VIII in 1535–36.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, giving the mileage in respect of each, those motorways or lengths of motorways, for which no line had yet been proposed, a draft scheme had been published, a scheme had been made, tenders had been invited, a contract had been placed, which were under construction and which were in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

The information is given in the table below:

TRUNK ROAD MOTORWAYS
Line not yet published
	Miles
M74—DRAFFEN-STONEHOUSE (A74)-GLASGOW
Maryville-Carmyle	2·8

	Miles
M9—EDINBURGH-STIRLING
Polmont and Falkirk Bypass-Stirling Bypass	6·3
M90—INVERKErTHING-PERTH
(a) Milnathort-Muirmont	9·2
(b) Muirmont-Craigend	2·3
M85/M90—PERTH BYPASS
(a) Craigend-Barnhill	1·5
(b) Craigend-Broxden	3·0
	25·1

Draft scheme published
M8—Glasgow-Greenock
Bishopton Bypass Stage II	3·23
M9—EDINBURGH-STIRLING
Stirling Bypass Stage II Extensions	0·96
M80—GLASGOW-STIRLING
(a)Cumbernauld-Ingliston	6·46
(b)Ingliston-Pirnhall	2·7
M876—DENNYLOANHEAD-NORTH
Broomage	3·83
	17·18

Schemes made
	Miles
M9—EDINBURGH-STIRLING
(a) Newbridge-Polmont and Falkirk Bypass Stage II	10·12
(b)Stirling Bypass Stage II	4·53
	14·65

Under construction
	Miles
M8—EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
Newbridge-Dechmont	6·4
M90—INVERKEITHING-PERTH
Kinross and Milnathort Bypass	7·96
M8—GLASGOW-GREENOCK
Bishopton Bypass Stage I	1·0
M898—ERSKINE BRIDGE
Erskine Bridge Link	0·63
M9—EDINBURGH-STIRLING
(a) Newbridge-Lathallan Stage I	2·29
(b) Stirling Bypass Stage I	2·9
M73—MARYVILLE (M74)-MOLLINSBURN (A80)	6·3
	27·48

In use
	Miles
M90—INVERKEITHING-PERTH
(a) Admiralty Road flyover-Duloch	1·9
(b) Cowdenbeath and Kelty Bypass Stage II	7·23

	Miles
M8—EDINBURGH-GLASGOW
(a) Harthill Bypass	5·15
(b) West of Harthill-Newhouse	4·95
(c) Dechmont-Whitburn	7·55
M74—DRAFFEN STONEHOUSE (A74)-GLASGOW
(a) Hamilton Bypass Stage I	8·9
(b) Hamilton Bypass Stage II	4·65
M8—GLASGOW-GREENOCK
Renfrew Bypass	6·42
M9—EDINBURGH-STIRLING
Polmont and Falkirk Bypass	5·37
	52·12

LOCAL AUTHORITY MOTORWAYS
Schemes made and submitted to the Secretary o State for confirmation
EDINBURGH EASTERN LINK ROAD	0·9

Under construction
	Miles
GLASGOW INNER RING ROAD
Woodside Section	0·7
Kingston Bridge Section	0·8
Charing Cross Section	0·6
	2·1

In use
	Miles
GLASGOW INNER RING ROAD
Townhead Interchange	1·0

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to protect patients who are not receiving proper warnings of the consequences of eating certain foods while taking particular drugs because of a dispute between doctors and pharmacists.

I am aware of no such dispute. Doctors I am sure recognise their responsibility for giving any necessary warning to patients about diet in relation to drugs they have prescribed, and in 1964 the Committee on Safety of Drugs circulated to doctors a leaflet about diet and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry have since arranged for their member firms to issue to doctors on request cards which they could hand to patients under treatment with these drugs. I understand that to provide a further safeguard the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain have been consulting with the British Medical Association on the wording of similar cards for issue when such drugs are dispensed.

asked the Secretary of State for social Services what is his estimate of the expenditure on hospital administration in England in 1968–69 and 1969–70; and what proportion this is of the total revenue expenditure of hospital authorities in England.

The information is as follows:

		Expenditure on Administration by Regional Hospital Boards, Boards of Governors and Hospital Management Committees	Expenditure on Administration expressed as a percentage of total hospital revenue expenditure
Year		£ million	%
1968–69	…	21·8	2·8
1969–70 (estimated)	…	24·2	2·8

Expenditure on administration excludes that on administrative offices situated in hospitals where expenditure cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what is his estimate of the revenue accruing to hospital services in England in 1968–69 and 1969–70 from miscellaneous sources other than central Government grants.

The income on revenue account which was received by hospital authorities as an offset to their revenue expenditure was as follows:

		£ million
1968–69	…	28·0
1969–70 (Estimated)	…	30·5

Income from statutory charges does not accrue to hospital authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to protect users of oral contraceptives from the conflicting Claims of the manufacturing firms; and if he will take steps to draw up a code of con-duct for the guidance of firms operating in this field.

I am not sure what Claims my hon. Friend has in mind. Oral contraceptives are not advertised to the public and can be obtained only on prescription: it is the responsibility of the prescribing doctor to assess the suit-ability of particular preparations for a particular individual. When the Medicines Act becomes operative Promoters of medicinal products will be required to supply to doctors with an objective data sheet about each product before it can be advertised to the profession.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Supplementary Benefits Handbook will be published; and if he will make a Statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Supplementary Benefits Handbook will be published; and if he will make a Statement.

The Supplementary Benefits Handbook was published today. It sets forth the statutory framework within which the Supplementary Benefits Commission works, but its prime purpose is to describe the nature of the Commission's discretionary powers and to give guidance to the ways and circum-stances in which the Commission exercise those powers. I join with the Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission in strongly recommending the Handbook to M.P.s and all others who may be in a position to advise and help people who have or may have an entitlement to supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in Hansard a table of figures giving the actual retirement pensions paid between 1st January, 1965, and 1st January, 1970, and how these amounts compared with the previous five years; and, on the basis of the £ Sterling having a purchasing value of 20s. in January, 1960, what was the purchasing value of these pensions on each date.

Following are the figures for the Standard flat rate retirement pension for a man or a woman on her own insurance or a widow on her late husband's insurance.

Year	Standard rate			Value at 1960 prices*
January—	…	…	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
1960	…	…	2	10	0	2	10	0
1961	…	…	2	10	0	2	8	11
1962	…	…	2	17	6	2	13	9
1963	…	…	2	17	6	2	12	4
1964	…	…	3	7	6	3	0	4
1965	…	…	3	7	6	2	17	8
1966	…	…	4	0	0	3	5	6
1967	…	…	4	0	0	3	3	2
1968	…	…	4	10	0	3	9	3
1969	…	…	4	10	0	3	5	2
1970	…	…	5	0	0	3	9	0
* On the basis of the Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will direct the British Broad-casting Corporation to refrain from broadcasting matter which encourages illegal betting and evasion of the betting duty on their sound radio broadcasts, in view of the Information sent to him by the hon. Member for West Ham, North.

No.

asked the Minister of Technology what were the amounts of public investment in the coal, electricity and gas industries, respectively, in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, in 1968 and 1969.

The figures for 1967–68 and 1968–69 are given below. The information for 1969–70 is not yet available.

					£ million
National Coal Board*			England	Scotland	Wales
1967–68	…	…	63	9	9
1968–69	…	…	44	8	6
Electricity Council and Boards†
1967–68	…	…	523	71	75
1968–69	…	…	424	70	69
Area Gas Boards‡
1967–68	…	…	222	12	7
1968–69	…	…	156	11	5
Gas Councilt‡ §		Total for all three countries:
1967–68	…	…	40
1968–69	…	…	50
* National Coal Board figures do not include Investment in North Sea Gas and trade Investments.
† Electricity figures include nuclear fuel costs. Scottish figures are for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
‡Gas figures do not include costs of conversion to natural gas or loans by Gas Council to North Sea subsidiary Company.
§ An analysis by countries is not readily avail-able of the Gas Council's expenditure.

asked the Minister of Technology to what extent he estimates that the percentage of insured workers in Wales who are unemployed has been brought nearer the English percentage by Government policy during the last six years; and by when he estimates the percentages in both countries will be level.

The proportion of wholly unemployed in Wales in relation to the rate for England has moved as follows over the last six years.

1964	…	…	…	…	180
1965	…	…	…	…	225
1966	…	…	…	…	235
1967	…	…	…	…	200
1968	…	…	…	…	185
1969	…	…	…	…	185

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that in 1969 the balance in France's favour on trade with the United Kingdom was £13 million; and to what extent he estimates that this trading deficit will increase or decrease on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market.

The difference of £12 million in 1969 between imports from France valued c.i.f. and exports f.o.b. does not take account of valuation and coverage differences between the import and export figures: if allowance were made for these differences, our trade could have been in surplus. As to the second part of the question, I cannot add to the information given in Cmnd. 4289.

asked the Minister of Transport what study he has made of the recent accident on The A5 at Hockliffe involving six deaths; what was the total number of fatal and serious accidents in the last five years on the A5 in the Dunstable-Hockliffe region; and if he will make a special study of this section of the A5 with the aim of increasing its safety.

The reports on this regrettable accident have been studied and a site inspection made. I cannot say more until the outcome of investigation by the police is known.It has not been possible to assemble the other information requested in the time available but I will write to my hon.Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will name the 34 sites made available under his pilot scheme for sanitary installations on trunk roads; and if he will make a statement on the reports received upon them.

Following is the information:

Trunk road
A6	…	Shap Village, Westmorland
A12	…	Brentwood By-pass, Essex
A17	…	Swineshead, Lincolnshire
A2(M)	…	Pepperhill, Kent
A20	…	Hothfield Common, Kent (2 sites)
Al	…	Waterend (Barnet By-pass), Hert-fordshire
	…	Haggerston Layby, Northumberland
A30	…	Trebursye Layby, Cornwall
A31	…	West Moors, Dorset (2 sites)
A35	…	Travellers Rest, Dorset
		Kingston Pond, Dorset
		Yellowham Hill, Dorset
A36	…	Norridge Common, Wiltshire
A38	…	Beare, Devon
		Chelston, Somerset
		Biddisham, Somerset
		Wrington, Somerset
		Beggars Brook, North Petherton, Somerset
		Whitestocks Farm, North Petherton
		Haresfield, Gloucester
		Colliters Brook, Somerset
A40	…	Forest Hill, Oxford
		Wheatley, Oxford
A45	…	Stonebridge, Warwick (2 sites)
A47	…	Guyhirn Bridge, Cambridge
A61	…	Wingerworth, Derby
A66	…	Scotch Corner, North Riding
A303	…	Willoughby Hedge, Wiltshire Zeals, Wiltshire
A405	…	Park Street, St. Albans
A696	…	Catclough, Northumberland
The reports are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what Governmental or non-Governmental advisory bodies study the employment prospects of those unemployed for a period of six months or more on the Professional and Executive Register.

Under experimental arrangements sponsored by the City of London local employment committee, a panel of businessmen is concerned with advising selected unemployed persons who are on the Professional and Executive Register, and who are experiencing difficulty in obtaining suitable employment. Consideration is also being given to the feasibility of a research project to analyse in depth the problem of the longer-term unemployed on the Register throughout the country.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the percentage rate of total unemployment and male unemployment, respectively, in the Arbroath and Carnoustie Employment Exchange area in April, 1970, and at each previous April count since 1945.

The current series of unemployment statistics started with the introduction of the National Insurance scheme in July, 1948. Following is the information for each April from 1949 to 1970:

PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE ARBROATH AND CARNOUSTIE EMPLOYEMENT EXCHANES
			Total, males and females	Males
April, 1949	…	…	4·3	3·9
April, 1950	…	…	3·4	3·9
April, 1951	…	…	2·4	3·0
April, 1952	…	…	2·7	3·4
April, 1953	…	…	1·8	1·4
April, 1954	…	…	2·6	1·7
April, 1955	…	…	2·1	1·6
April, 1956	…	…	2·2	2·0
April, 1957	…	…	4·1	3·2
April, 1958	…	…	6·3	5·1
April, 1959	…	…	6·4	6·3
April, 1960	…	…	3·5	3·4
April, 1961	…	…	2·6	2·8
April, 1962	…	…	3·5	3·5
April, 1963	…	…	4·3	3·8
April, 1964	…	…	3·6	2·5
April, 1965	…	…	3·7	3·6
April, 1966	…	…	3·2	2·9
April, 1967	…	…	3·8	3·5
April, 1968	…	…	2·9	2·9
April, 1969	…	…	3·9	4·2
April, 1970 (provisional)	…	…	4·9	5·6

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations have been made to him either by the Association of Municipal Corporations or by Brighton Corporation to alter the basis of assessing domestic rate relief in view of the high proportion of elderly people in Brighton; and what reply he has sent.

On 10th May, 1967, the County Borough Council of Brighton made representations that the rate support grant formula should be

" altered to give greater weight to those factors, such as the number of old people, which would assist local authorities such as Brighton '.

They were informed that these views had been noted. No similar representations have been received from the Association of Municipal Corporations who, together with the other local authority associations and the Greater London Council, have been consulted from time to time about the grant formula. These bodies have so far agreed that the time is not yet ripe for any change in the grant formula.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use his Department makes of the National Giro for regular payments of salaries and pensions, and for other purposes; and, in view of the under-used capacity of the Giro, whether he will consider using it more.

The Treasury, Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise all provide certain facilities for salaries and pensions to be paid through the Giro, where requested. The Inland Revenue has also introduced general facilities for the payment of tax by this method.The degree of use must depend upon the extent to which people avail themselves of the facilities provided, and upon considerations of economy, efficiency and convenience.