asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is now in a position to make a statement regarding the re-housing of the National Library for Science and Invention.

It was made clear in the White Paper on the British Library—Cmnd. 4572—published in January, that a new building for the National Reference Library for Science and Invention, to be renamed the Science Reference Library, will be erected as part of a complex of library buildings on the Bloomsbury site. Priority will be given to the Science Reference Library which it is hoped will be complete in 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a further statement about her Department's policy on dyslexia and the provision of facilities for dyslexic children.

I am not yet ready to make a further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost of providing a new primary school and a new secondary school in England and Wales.

The average inclusive cost per place in 1970 for primary and secondary schools was £371 and £702 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what inquiries were made before her Department allowed local education authorities to send mentally retarded children to the private school in Scotland, details of which are in her possession; how many children have been taken away by their parents since September, 1970; and whether she has now ascertained the total number of local education authorities still sending children to the school.

Advice was sought from the Scottish Education Department. I understand that seven of the boys placed by English local education authorities have been withdrawn by their parents. Four English education authorities are now sending children to the school. I am in touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland about this school and am considering whether I should still permit English authorities to send children there.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will ensure that urgent primary school improvement and replacement projects in areas due to be transferred from one local authority area to another will not be downgraded in priority by the authority which is losing control over the relevant area.

Close contact is kept with local authorities about the progress of approved projects in all areas whether or not they are affected by reorganisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate she has made of the fall in the numbers of children taking school meals after the next price increase; how many children now qualify for free school meals and how many will qualify; and what will be the total cost, of all free meals to her Department.

A fall of about 12 per cent.; 800,000 now, 1 million under the new arrangements. Over £19 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is aware of public concern at the forthcoming increase in price of school meals from 9p to 12p, especially when such increases are to apply to children attending infants and nursery schools; and whether she will now take steps to prevent such increases being passed on to children attending nursery classes.

I am satisfied that under the new remission arrangements no parent who cannot afford to pay the increased charge for the school meal will be called upon to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is satisfied with the operation of the law on the provision of cheap and free school meals in the Greater London area; and if she will make a statement.

The charge for the school dinner and the arrangements for remitting it in cases of hardship are prescribed in the Provision of Milk and Meals Regulations (as amended). They are the same for all local education authorities and I have no reason to think that they are not being applied satisfactorily in the Greater London area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will initiate an inquiry into the criteria used for fixing minimum floor areas in new primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the increase in the index of school building costs in inner London in the last five years and the comparable increase in the school cost limits.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the similar Question he asked on 29th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the classification of immigrants at educationally subnormal schools; and if she will make a statement.

Children retarded for reasons other than limited ability should generally be able to receive the help they need in special classes or remedial groups in ordinary schools. Where an authority exceptionally finds that the help required in such a case can best be provided in a special school, it is important that the child's progress should be kept under review so that he or she can go to an ordinary school as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance has now been given to local authorities regarding the medical opinion necessary for the provision of free school milk to children in junior schools.

It is my intention, subject to the enactment of the necessary legislation, to issue a circular to local education authorities on the new arrangements for free school milk to be introduced from next September. This will include guidance on administrative aspects of medical certification, but medical opinions will be the responsibility of the school medical officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total expenditure in the United Kingdom on research into schizophrenia; and what percentage of that figure is devoted to research into the biochemical causes of schizophrenia.

Research on schizophrenia is carried out render the auspices of the Medical Research Council, the Health Departments and hospital boards, in universities and medical schools, and by various voluntary agencies. It is not possible to estimate the total expenditure or to give a breakdown because work on schizophrenia and its biochemical aspects forms part of wider programmes of research on mental health.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average length of time each member of the teaching profession had spent in one school in 1960 and 1965; and what is the equivalent figure today.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will issue a circular recommending, and also seek powers to ensure, that parents may withdraw their children from sex education films and courses.

I appreciate the concern behind this Question and, while I do not think that legislation is the answer, I am considering whether guidance to local education authorities might be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many nursery classes and places there are in the West Riding County Council educational area; and what are the figures for the Mexborough and Staincross divisional education districts.

In January, 1970, there were 3,899 pupils aged under five—excluding rising fives—in maintained nursery and primary schools in the West Riding. Figures for divisional executives are not available in the Department, but may be obtained from the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the growing number of small children in Central London who live either in tall flats or inadequate homes awaiting slum clearance, what plans she has to increase the number of places in nursery schools; and what financial aid she will make available to boroughs where this problem is most acute.

Approval was given earlier this year under the urban programme to the provision within the Inner London Education Authority's area of 430 additional nursery places, including 30 places at Kingsgate Primary School in the Borough of Camden. The capital cost to the Authority of making this provision, together with running costs for at least five years, will be eligible for 75 per cent. grant from the Exchequer. Projects for the provision of nursery places will again be eligible for consideration in future phases of the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what proposals she has for improving the teachers' pay negotiating machinery.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will take steps to abolish the Burnham Committee system, so as to enable her to provide salaries for teachers comparable with those paid to judges, chairmen of nationalised boards, and higher-paid civil servants.

I have no present proposals for changing or replacing the present machinery.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is aware that the teachers have expressed opposition to their present salary scales, and the proposed increases, and are now giving consideration to a strike; and what action she proposes to take to prevent such an industrial dispute, by requesting her representatives on the Burnham Committee to press for an increased salary award.

In the event of a deadlock in the Burnham Committee, the arrangements provide for arbitration on the recommendation of the independent Chairman. The management and teachers' panels have both been invited by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to submit names for the arbitral body.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed statement giving the stated category of teacher in each grade of employment and their qualifications in the various categories with the salaries paid in 1965, the salary needed to keep up with the rise in prices and cost of living at that time, and similar details for 1967 and to date; to what extent these figures would be adjusted if the Burnham management offer of 8 per cent. were accepted by the teachers; and whether she will make a statement.

The available information is published in Vol. 4 of Statistics of Education, the document Scales of Salaries for Teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools, England and Wales, and the Department of Employment Gazette.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as much detailed information as may be readily available giving particulars as to the total inclusive costs, including students' grants, &c., of training a teacher to an accepted qualified status; how long on average such training takes; what salary such a man/woman receives on appointment; how many such teachers have resigned in the first to tenth year after qualification and appointment to take up employment outside teaching; and how many of these gave as reasons for resignation the low salaries which they received.

Following is the information available:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she will publish in HANSARD as much detailed information as she may have available giving the maximum teacher's basic scale, on average, compared with average salaries, average wages, and the index of retail prices, taking in each case 1938 as equalling 100; and to what extent the granting of the teachers' pay claim would affect these figures and similar details if the management side of the Burnham proposals were accepted;

Much of the information is not available. The remainder could not be assembled without a disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her estimate of the annual loss attributable to the decay of works of art in public ownership and in need of conservation; and what is the annual expenditure on the postive conservation of such works of art in London and outside London respectively.

It is impossible to make any realistic estimate of loss due to decay. Annual expenditure on conservation in national institutions in London is estimated at about £350,000. No other information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what communication she has received from the Educational Centres Association concerning the increase in tuition fees for vocational and non-vocational courses, as proposed in Command Paper No. 1415.

A letter conveying the terms of a resolution passed at the Association's annual general meeting, and later, a copy of a statement on fees in local authority adult education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is aware of the disquiet arising from the sale of the Dulwich College Picture Gallery's Domenichino for the purpose of raising funds required to maintain the Gallery; and what steps she proposes to take to prevent the necessity in future for pictures in this collection to be sold to raise funds for maintenance purposes.

I have seen correspondence in the Press about the sale of this picture. The administration of this gallery, which is not maintained out of public funds, is the responsibility of the trustees.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the considerations which determined her decision not to consult with any local organisations, art authorities or other interested parties before approving the sale of the Dulwich College Picture Gallery's Domenichino.

My right hon. Friend considered that the views of these bodies would not be relevant to the question she had to decide in the exercise of her functions under Section 23 of the Charities Act, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is aware of the old and inadequate buildings in which the staff of St. George the Martyr School, Holborn, work; and when is it intended that the construction of a new school will begin.

Yes. I understand that the London Diocesan Board of Education will be meeting shortly to consider the manager's proposal to rebuild the school on a new site in Millman Street without grant from the Department. This proposal is acceptable to the Inner London Education Authority, and my right hon. Friend will consider it sympathetically when it is put formally to her. If she approves the proposal, work will be able to start as soon as the managers are ready.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what legislative proposals she has in mind regarding the organisation of student unions and the use of their funds.

I am examining this problem but have no statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish a list giving expenditure per pupil or student on primary, secondary and higher education by each English and Welsh local education authority.

For primary and secondary expenditure per pupil I would refer the hon. Member to Education Statistics 1969–70 published by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants and the Society of County Treasurers, a copy of which is available in the library. Statistics for higher education are not available in the same form, but the publication also gives comparative figures for further education, based on costs per 1,000 population.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has now issued her circular to local education authorities on the subject of sandwiches eaten in schools.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of the close-down of five out of 13 machines at Aylesford Paper Mill, in Kent, causing a decrease of 970 employees, what steps he proposes to take to help to find alternative employment in this area.

My Department will make every effort to find alternative employment for those who are to become redundant. Arrangements have been made for a job team to begin interviewing at the mill on 19th April following a special canvass for jobs in the surrounding area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will legislate to give a worker the legal right to be a member of a currently recognised trade union which, however, in not registering under the provisions of the industrial Relations Bill, would become merely an organisation of workers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many stoppages of work through industrial disputes have occurred since 1st July, 1969, to the latest convenient date; how many working days have been lost; and how these figures compare with those for the comparable period before 1st July, 1969;

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in future, he will publish at six monthly intervals a regional economic employment figure which would take into account the unemployment rate, the labour migration rate and the activity rate for all regions of Great Britain, expressed as a ratio of the national average.

No. The main statistics for regions of the United Kingdom are published as soon as they become available and in addition are brought together each year in the Abstract of Regional Statistics, which is published by the Central Statistical Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has received of the deferment by Doncaster County Borough Corporation of the proposed establishment in Doncaster of a sheltered workshop for disabled persons; and when this project is now likely to be started.

Discussions which my Department has had with the Doncaster Corporation have envisaged the sheltered workshop project being started during the financial year 1973–74. I have no information which suggests that these plans have been changed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make an official visit to Halewood to dis-

Following is the information;cuss with workers and management industrial problems which affect the economy and the unemployment situation.

My right hon. Friend has no plans for such a visit at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of the redundancies in Scotland notified to his Department in each month since June, 1970, to the latest available date.

Redundancies involving the following number of workpeople were notified in Scotland between 9th June, 1970 and 8th March, 1971:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of redundancies notified to his Department in the North Lanarkshire employment area and Lanarkshire, respectively, since June, 1970.

Not all redundancies are notified to my Department, but the numbers recorded for the North Lanarkshire travel-to-work area and Lanarkshire during the period 9th June, 1970, to 8th March, 1971, were 4,000 and 4.100 respectively. These figures include a number which are not due to become effective until later this year and approximately 900 redundancies notified by Rolls-Royce on 8th March, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will consult those concerned with a view to resolving the salary dispute affecting teachers, on the appointment of an independent arbitration tribunal acceptable to all parties to the dispute.

The Chairman of the Burnham Committee responsible for the salaries of teachers in primary and secondary schools has asked my right hon. Friend to convene an arbitral body and in accordance with the arbitration arrangements made under Section 3 of the Remuneration of Teachers Act, 1965, my Department has asked each of the two panels of the Burnham Primary and Secondary Schools Committee to nominate persons from whom two of the members of the arbitral body must be chosen. These arrangements also provide for my right hon. Friend to appoint an independent person as chairman after consultation with the two panels.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in HANSARD a detailed list for the longest convenient stated period of time of registered trade unions or officials of the Trades Union Congress which have officially advised him of their support for the Government's Industrial Relations Bill.

No. It is the normal practice for details of consultations between Government Departments and outside organisations to be treated as confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give an assurance that, in appointing persons to the various judicial and semi-judicial positions connected with the Industrial Relations Bill, he will avoid appointing persons who have taken an active part in party political activities during the past 20 years.

Under the Industrial Relations Bill my right hon. Friend only appoints the members of the Commission on Industrial Relations and lay members of Industrial Tribunals. The most suitable persons will be appointed irrespective of their party political activities to those and other positions set up under the Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is now able to say when the draft code of practice as proposed under the Industrial Relations Bill is likely to be published; what discussions with the Trades Union Congress and other interested parties have taken place on the preparation of this code; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to publish a draft of the code as a basis for consultation shortly. No formal consultations have taken place so far with the T.U.C. or other interested parties, but after publication of the draft there will be ample opportunity for comment and discussion before the code is submitted to Parliament.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a Ministerial broadcast outlining the Government's policies for dealing with the latest increase in the numbers of unemployed.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the annual loss of revenue which would result from reintroducing tax relief for interest on loans; and, on the basis of pre-1965 experience, how it is estimated that this relief would be distributed between those earning, respectively, under £3,000, at least £3,000 but under £10,000, and over £10,000.

To the first part of the Question, approximately £30 million. I have no information on which to base the estimates asked for in the second part of the Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a Ministerial broadcast on Great Britain's balance of payments position.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates would be the annual loss of revenue from permitting tax relief on hire-purchase charges, and how such relief would be distributed at various income levels.

The cost would be about £40 million. As regards the second part of the Question, information on which to base an estimate is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of revenue received in 1961–62 and in each year since 1965–66; and what are the estimated receipts for 1971–72, from vehicle licence duty, fuel tax and purchase tax on new vehicles.

The following is the information:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the annual loss of revenue from permitting separate assessment for taxation in the case of a man and wife whose joint incomes exceed £5,000 a year.

If the hon. Member has in mind an option for husband and wife to be taxed as separate individuals on their separate earnings if their joint earnings exceed £5,000 I would refer him to the Budget Statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will arrange a convention for the purpose of discussing whether newspapers require a Government subsidy and in what form it should be offered.

No. The initiative in tackling the problems of the newspaper industry must come from the industry itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT full details of salary increases over the last five years of principal executive and management personnel in those parts of the nationalised sector for which his Department is responsible.

Details of salary increases of their staffs are a matter for the boards of the respective industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research and trials are being undertaken into the insulated cross-arm method of overhead transmission of 132 kilovolt electricity supplies.

The Central Electricity Generating Board's long-term trials to establish the reliability of insulated cross arms are continuing at Connah's Quay. Some tests on the effects of atmospheric conditions on these insulators are also in hand at Brighton. Technical difficulties remain, however, to the successful application of this technique and its eventual use in service remains in doubt.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will convene a meeting between senior Government Ministers and Mr. W. B. Batty, Managing Director, Ford Motor Company, for the purpose of discussing future investment in Great Britain by the Ford Motor Company.

I have no current plans for such a meeting. The Department has frequent contacts with Ford, and I am always ready to discuss the company's problems and prospects with Mr. Batty if he so wishes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what provisions a magistrate or councillor is unable to claim full unemployment benefit and earnings-related supplement if he is declared redundant.

Under Section 20(2) of the National Insurance Act, 1965, and Regulation 7(1)(a) of the National Insurance (Unemployment and Sickness Benefit) Regulations, 1967, unemployment benefit is not payable for any day on which a claimant is unable to prove that he is available for employment in an employed contributor's employment. The decision whether it applies to any particular councillor or magistrate is a matter for the independent determining authorities appointed under the Act. If the hon. Member will let me have details of any particular case he is concerned about. I will gladly look into it and send him a fuller explanation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to obtain and cause to be circulated to all local authorities a report on the work, expertise and degree of success of the family planning service in the City of Aberdeen.

Information about the services provided in Aberdeen has already been published in various professional journals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what grant was paid by the local authority in 1968–69 and 1969–70 to councils for social service in Nottingham, and in county boroughs with a population between 200,000 and 500,000.

I regret that this information is not centrally available and could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure by way of grant or otherwise in 1968–69 and 1969–70 on the Meals-on-Wheels Service in the county borough of Nottingham, and in county boroughs with a population between 200,000 and 500,000.

Net expenditure, after allowing for income from charges, met from rates and grants was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, of the deaths at all ages in England and Wales, what numbers and proportions took place

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what basis it was decided that it was appropriate to raise the prescribed level for the family income supplement by £3.

The proposed increase was decided in the light of movement in prices and earnings and of other relevant factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many households among those now expected to be eligible for family income supplements at the new revised levels are estimated to be living above their supplementary benefit entitlement level.

The following tables give such information as is available:

I regret this information is not at present available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assistance is to be offered to claimants of free welfare milk and foods, in assessing their eligibility according to leaflet W 11 issued in February, 1971, to calculate the cost of the welfare milk and foods being claimed; and why £1 is added in calculating requirements in this leaflet.

The leaflet gives sufficient information to enable a claimant to calculate the weekly cost of welfare milk and foods fairly closely but my local officers will be pleased to help in cases of doubt. The sum of £1 is added in order to make more people eligible for help.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time in the Manchester and Salford area for the issue of Medresco hearing-aids, other than model OL 56.

There is no appreciable waiting time for the issue of standard aids for children (OL 57 and OL 67) served by centres in the Manchester and Salford area. The average waiting time for high power aids (OL 58 and OL 63) for children and adults will be three to four months when supplies at present in transit to the area are delivered.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Portsmouth City Council on the extension of civilian dock facilities in Portsmouth Harbour, particularly in relation to northern sites; and whether he will make a statement.

Broad informal discussions have taken place between the Portsmouth City Council and the local naval authorities about the council's proposals. No objections of principle have arisen at this stage. The council's detailed plans are now awaited.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he intends to require that the commanding officers and senior pilots of fixed wing squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm be naval as opposed to Royal Air Force officers for as long as H.M.S. "Ark Royal" remains in commission.

For the present the senior squadron posts in H.M.S. "Ark Royal" will continue to be filled by the Royal Navy. The appointment of Royal Air Force officers to these posts will be kept under review.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what steps have been taken to ensure that members of the Armed Forces serving in Northern Ireland who are injured as a result of terrorist or other attacks are made aware of their right to claim compensation under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland), 1968.

I am looking into this and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what instructions have been given to commanding officers to authorise the issue of leave railway warrants by the quickest and most convenient route instead of the shortest route; and whether these instructions have been promulagated to all units.

I have decided to give commanding officers greater discretion to authorise Servicemen going on weekend leave after duty to travel by a quicker and more convenient route. We hope to issue the appropriate instructions to units laying down the new procedures shortly after Easter.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will list for each year from 1964 to 1970, inclusive, the number of Royal Air Force aircrew attached to Royal Navy flying units.

Information about the past is not readily available. At the present time five helicopter pilots and 27 navigators are serving with the Royal Navy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in view of the fact that at Bridestowe on the A30 it is impossible for two lorries to pass at one section of this road without mounting the footpath, what steps he will take to safeguard the residents, in particular the children.

My right hon. Friend will consider a scheme to bypass Bridestowe for inclusion in a future extension of the preparation pool. I will write to my hon. Friend shortly about the measures we can take in the meantime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost per unit of accommodation built at the Greater London Council's development at Thamesmead; by how much the cost per unit exceeds his Department's cost yardstick; and if he will make a statement.

Final costs of the housing built so far at Thamesmead can be best obtained from the Greater London Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated total figure for local authority mortgage lending for house purchase between 31st March, 1970 and 31st March, 1971, or to the nearest date for which information is available to his Department.

Lending by local authorities in England and Wales for house purchase amounted to £100 million for the period between 31st March, 1970, and 31st December, 1970. Later figures are not available owing to delays resulting from the postal dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT full details of salary increases over the last five years of principal executive and management personnel in those parts of the nationalised sector for which his Department is responsible.

Details of salary increases are a matter for the boards of the undertakings.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when funds will be made available for the extension of electricity to the North Isles of Orkney.

The provision of these supplies is a matter for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, and I have asked the Chairman to write to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by how much he estimates that disbursements by his Department for overseas aid and development fell below the target figure of 1970–71; what percentage of gross national product he estimates the actual programme to have represented; and whether he will make a statement.

I must refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South-West (Mr. George Cunningham) on 22nd March.—[Vol. 814, c. 32–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, following the United States Government's condemnation of the scheme, if Her Majesty's Government will now make representations to the Israeli Government regarding their plans to increase Jewish settlement in the Jerusalem area of occupied Jordan by the increased construction of housing units.

Her Majesty's Government have repeatedly made plain that we deplore any unilateral measures which could have the effect of prejudging the future status of Jerusalem.