asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give for December, 1964, the then number of persons holding statutory board appointments and their salaries at that date, and the dates on which these salaries were increased in each instance and by what amounts; and what increases in salaries have been paid to and agreed for the present chairman of the National Board for Prices and Incomes since his first appointment.

In December, 1964 there were 370 members of public boards of a commercial character (excluding members of Regional Railway Boards) as listed in the annual White Paper on Public Boards, and their salaries amounted in total to about £1,171,000 per annum. The salaries of the full-time members were increased from 1st April, 1969, generally by 10 per cent. but with larger increases of up to 20 per cent. (as recommended in N.B.P.I. Report No. 107) for a small number of chairmen and deputy chairmen. They have again been increased as from 1st April, 1970, on the lines recommended for Stage 2 in the N.B.P.I. Report; some individual salaries are still under consideration. There has been no increase in the salary of the chairman of the National Board for Prices and Incomes since his first appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on his plans for the further modernisation of the Royal Naval Dockyards.

The following are the main features of the most far-reaching plans to modernise the dockyards at Devonport and Portsmouth in their history at a total estimated cost of £76 million which we hope to complete by the early 1980s, giving these two dockyards their first facelift of the century.The Devonport plan is due to be completed before the end of the seventies at an estimated cost of some £43 million, but this figure includes the cost of two major projects already announced, namely, the development of refitting facilities to meet the needs of the growing fleet of nuclear propelled submarines and the provision of a covered dock complex rising to a height of some 150 ft. for the refitting of Leander Class frigates and their successors. This project, on which planning and design work has already begun, will be the first fully covered major refitting facility in the United Kingdom and is expected to be completed in 1974. Other projects due to be completed in the first four years of the programme include the construction of a new combined pipe shop and new workshops for the Fleet Maintenance Base.The Portsmouth plan is planned to be completed by the early 1980s at an estimated cost of some £33 million. The plan includes the provision of a covered dock complex for the refitting of the new class of Type 42 destroyers the upkeep of which will in future be concentrated at Portsmouth. It also covers the resiting of a number of major dockyard installations and the substitution of modern berthing facilities for certain outdated building slips and small basins which date from the 18th century. The first stage of the programme includes the construction of a new heavy plate shop, a new pipe shop and the replacement of the existing armament storage facilities.These development projects follow the completion of large-scale modernisation schemes at Rosyth and Chatham for the refit of nuclear submarines on which £12 million have been spent since 1964. The modernised dockyards will be capable of refitting, converting and bringing up to date the various classes of ships which will be serving in the Fleet with a differing emphasis in each yard on certain large classes, namely, frigates, destroyers and submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to warn the public about the possibility that surplus Government chemical war-far vapour detection kits which have been on sale in shops as Dr. Who Kits contain yellow tablets of the carcinogenic class; how long the Government have been aware of this possibility; what action his Department has taken about it; and if he will make a statement.

The fact that certain of the tablets contained in vapour detection kits had carcinogenic properties became known to the Ministry of Defence in July, 1966. The firm to whom sales had been made in January, 1966, was informed and co-operated by agreeing to remove the tablets concerned from kits before resale. Instructions were also issued that no further sales were to be made. All surplus stocks remaining were destroyed. I understand that local police in the area have since drawn the attention of medical officers of health to the possible hazards involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Press and publicity officers are now employed in his Department; and how many posts are vacant.

There are 150 Press and publicity officers, military and civilian, employed by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. This includes posts overseas. The number of posts vacant is 12.

asked the Secretary al State for Defence what changes there have been, since October, 1964, in the number of men and women in the Armed Services in the respective totals of established and non-established civil servants employed by his Department and in the respective numbers of non-industrial and industrial staff at home and overseas.

The available information is as follows:

	1st October, 1964(estimated)	1st April, 1970
Service personnel U.K. and Locally engaged (men and women)	455,900	392,550
*Established and unestablished civil servants at home and overseas (non-industrial plus industrial)	386,385	326,613
†(Non-industrial civil servants at home and overseas	130,223	129,964
†(Industrial civil servants at home and overseas	256,162	196,649
* These figures cannot readily be divided between established and unestablished staff.
†A large number of industrial civil servants have been given non-industrial status since 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what opportunities are being provided for the Fleet Air Arm to take part in flying displays during the remainder of 1970.

The Fleet Air Arm is scheduled to participate in some 26 flying displays during the remainder of 1970. Most of these will involve single aircraft drawn from the Training Command.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the progress of resumed productivity talks in Portsmouth Dockyard.

Negotiations covering the Port Auxiliary Service are at an advanced stage. Discussions on the other areas of Portsmouth Dockyard recommenced on 4th May, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future employment status of apprentice group instructors in Royal Naval Dockyards.

I regret I am not yet able to announce a final decision on the claim of the apprentice group instructors for regrading as instructional officers. Negotiations are, however, in an advanced stage, and the staff concerned are aware that if the claim is agreed the regrading will be effective from 1st April, 1970. A decision will be made and announced at the earliest practicable moment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of the comparative costs of Polaris and Fleet nuclear submarines, he will carry out a cost effectiveness study of Great Britain's planned construction of such vessels during the next five years.

The cost effectiveness of all planned naval new construction is carefully considered before orders are placed. But it is not possible to make any significant comparison between the costs of Polaris and Fleet nuclear submarines because the two types of vessel are radically different in their construction, design and function.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount paid by the London Borough of Brent to independent and direct grant schools for the last year in respect of fees for students from that borough.

I understand that the expenditure was of the order of £70,000 in the year ended 31st March, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current percentage of primary school pupils in classes over 40 in England and Wales.

The information in this form is not yet available. In January, 1970, about 6 per cent. of registered primary classes in England and Wales had over 40 pupils.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the current expenditure on research and development within Government Departments in the United Kingdom for 1964–65, 1967–68 and 1968–69 and his estimate for 1969–70 and 1970–71, showing separately the total current expenditure and the part of it which is represented by wages and salaries.

The following table gives the available figures of total current expenditure on scientific research and development carried out within Government Departments.

CURRENT EXPENDITURE ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
	Total current expenditure £ thousand	Of which: Wages and Salaries £ thousand
1964–65	168,656	92,041
1967–68	203,881	114,521
1968–69 (provisional out-turn)	224,324	124,800
1969–70 (estimate)	229,581	Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will show the percentage of the gross national product spent on research and development for each year since 1960.

For the years for which expenditure was collected the following table gives the percentage of gross national product spent on scientific research and development, according to the most recent figures:

PERCENTAGE OF GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (AT FACTOR COST) SPENT ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
1961–62	…	…	2·67 per cent.
1964–65	…	…	2·59 per cent.
1966–67	…	…	2·77 per cent.
1967–68	…	…	2·73 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of recent events, he will now invite the Vice-Chancellors Committee, the Association of University Teachers, and the National Union of Students, to discuss with him the possible introduction of legislation to safeguard academic freedom and free speech in universities.

No. I do not consider this an appropriate subject for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what criteria applicants for entry to the Open University will be accepted for degree courses.

This is a matter for the university to decide. No formal academic qualifications are required, but the university prospectus indicates that the considerations to be taken into account will include student's occupation, capacity to benefit from study, availability of tutorial help in the student's areas, and date of application.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will now make a statement on the report of the Committee published as Command Paper No. 4335, which has been reviewing the functions and organisation of the Central Training Council.

I welcome the report and am confident that it will provide an effective basis for the development of the work of the Council over the next few years. In particular I accept the main recommendation that the Council should retain its advisory character and that arrangements should be made to enable it to undertake surveys and investigations into the progress being made in industrial training.In view of the special nature of the committee which the report recommends should be set up to advise on the relationship between training and further education, I propose to offer guidance to the Council on the appropriate terms of reference and composition of the committee in consultation with my Education colleagues. I would also propose to consult them on such recommendations as the Council, on the advice of the committee, might make to me in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when details will be available of rate rebate payments in Scotland for the year 1968–69.

I am publishing detailed information on 3rd June.In the second half of the year about 95,000 domestic ratepayers benefited, and over the whole year the average rebate was about £17 15s.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state his plans for improving and extending Aberdeen Air Terminal.

I have been asked to reply.The needs of Aberdeen (Dyce) Airport are kept under continuous review but with the developments in hand, which include a new taxiway link and the extension and strengthening of the apron, the airport should be capable of meeting the demands of the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish a list of those voluntary organisations which care for the handicapped, and which work, in collaboration with his Department, in the Wirral Peninsula; what financial assistance they receive from official sources within the National Health Service; and whether he has any plans to facilitate their work in the future.

I am sending my hon. Friend a list of the 63 national and local voluntary bodies understood by my Department to be giving services to the handicapped in the Wirral Peninsula in collaboration with the county and county borough councils, from which most of them receive financial or other help. I am anxious that this kind of co-operation should increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of those members of Government committees who still retain consultancies within the pharmaceutical industry, committees on which they serve and the drug companies in which the consultancies are held; and if he will make a statement on his policy concerning future appointments under the Medicines Act.

Information relating to all advisory committees is not readily available; but I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind primarily committees which are concerned with the safety and efficacy of drugs. As regards the Committee on Safety of Drugs, the position is that when the initial appointments were made members from industry were excluded; and in connection with subsequent appointments the convention has been that any pharmaceutical consultancies should be given up. This convention has not been applied in the case of the Medicines Commission, which is required by statute to contain at least one member with recent experience of the pharmaceutical industry; but in connection with the committee which is being set up under Section 4 of the Medicines Act, 1968, to succeed the Committee on Safety of Drugs, it is proposed that initially members should be asked to surrender any pharmaceutical consultancies they may hold. General policy on this matter in relation to future appointments to this and other committees set up under the Medicines Act is being further considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he received the report of the Review Body on Doc tors' Pay; and when he proposes to publish it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he received the report of the review body dealing with the salaries of the medical profession; and when he will make a decision on its recommendations.

The report was received by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 2nd April. On publication and the Government's decision I have nothing to add at present to the statement I made earlier today.

asked the Minister of Technology when he now estimates supplies of coke and smokeless fuels will meet demand, in view of difficulties encountered by local authorities operating smokeless fuel policies.

My right hon. Friend the Paymaster-General pointed out in the House on 9th April that there is likely to be a tight position next winter. The position should ease thereafter.—[Vol. 799, c. 877–9.]

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received the Report of the Steering Committee on the Safety of Merchant Seamen; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, and I should like to give a very warm welcome to it. It presents a most valuable code of safe working practices, a document which has been keenly awaited by Government and industry alike. The report also contains a number of recommendations which are basically acceptable, some of which need further study in the light of the recently published report of the Committee of Inquiry into Shipping under Lord Rochdale, and some of which will require consultation with other authorities. The report of the Steering Committee is now being printed and will be published just before the middle of June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many trade offices he operates in each of the Central American Republics; and what proposals he has for increasing British exports to those countries.

There is a representative of the British Government resident in each of the six republics in Central America, and trade promotion is one of his most important duties. The full range of the Board of Trade's export promotion facilities and those of the British National Export Council is available to firms exporting to these countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the administrative, clerical and technical officer grades employed by the Medical Research Council who are paid on similar salary scales to the Civil Service, to enjoy a similar non-contributory pension scheme; and what action he proposes to take.

I have been asked to reply.A number of hon. Members have forwarded letters from members of the staff of the Medical Research Council. These letters seek parity of remuneration between M.R.C. staff and civil servants on similar salary scales not by the introduction of a non-contributory superannuation scheme in the M.R.C. but by payment of a supplement to salary as compensation for the requirement to contribute under the council's present arrangements.I have now established with the M.R.C. that office staffs and technical officers of the council are employed on work broadly comparable with that of civil servants in analogous grades.Discussions are now in active progress, and I hope that a settlement of this com plicated question will now be reached quickly on the basis of a pay supplement for M.R.C. staffs on Civil Service pay rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to improve the facilities available for arthritis and rheumatism sufferers in Wales, following the recent report of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council, a copy of which is in his possession.

My right hon. Friend has asked for the report to be studied in relation to conditions in Wales and will then decide what action is required.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many ratepayers have been affected by the rate rebate scheme in the last full year in each of the following local authority areas, namely, Bangor Borough Council, Conway Borough Council, Bethesda Urban District Council, Betws-y-Coed Urban District Council, Llandudno Urban District Council, Llanfairfechan Urban District Council, Penmaenmawr Urban District Council, Nant Conway Rural District Council, and Ogwen Rural District Council, respectively; what is the total amount in rebates; and how this compares with the amount under the Rating (Interim Relief) Act, 1964.

The latest available figures for rate rebates are those for 1968–69, and are as follows:

Local Authority		Number of recipients	Amount of rebate afforded
			£
Bangor B.C.	…	228	3,510
Conway B.C.	…	364	5,816
Bathesda U.D.C.	…	75	500
Betws-y-Coed U.D.C.	…	12	169
Llandudno U.D.C.	…	641	17,835
Llanfairfechan U.D.C.	…	93	1,065
Permasnmawr U.D.C.	…	143	1,904
Nant Conway R.D.C.	…	123	905
Ogwen R.D.C.	…	122	781
		Total	32,485

Relief to individual ratepayers under the 1964 Act by these authorities totalled £102.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has made of the average weekly increase in council house rents needed on the basis of the abolition of housing subsidies for existing dwellings except old people's accommodation in each of the following areas, Bangor Borough Council, Conway Borough Council, Bethesda Urban District Council, Betws-y-Coed Urban District Council, Llandudno Urban District Council, Llanfairfechan Urban District Council, Penmaenmawr Urban District Council, Nant Conway Urban District Council and Ogwen Rural District Council; and what estimated further weekly increase in rents are needed to offset the subsidy on dwellings under construction on 1st January, 1970, applied only to the rent of those dwellings or pooled over all the authority's houses in each area.

I estimate that the cost of abolishing housing subsidies for existing dwellings (except old people's accommo- dation) would, in 1969–70, be equivalent to an average increase in council house rents, expressed in terms of shillings per week in a 52-week rent year, as follows:

		s.
Bangor B.C.	…	8
Bethesda U.D.C.	…	15
Betws-y-Coed U.D.C.	…	8
Conway B.C.	…	8
Llandudno U.D.C.	…	11
Llanfairfechan U.D.C.	…	8
Penmaenmawr U.D.C.	…	10
Nant Conway R.D.C.	…	11
Ogwen R.D.C.	…	9

Dwellings were under construction on 1st January, 1970 in the areas of Conway B.C. and Bethesda U.D.C. If subsidies were withdrawn from those dwellings, the cost might be equivalent to rent increases in the ranges of42s. to 91s. in Conway B.C. and about 50s. in Bethesda U.D.if applied only to the rents of those dwellings; or in the range of5s. to 7s. in Conway B.C.and about 1s. in Bethseda U.D.if pooled over the Council's whole housing stock.