The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 6

6 THE GUARDIAN Wednesday January 20 1985 quicker by bus in Runcorn new town 300 rise proposed in permissible election expenses gggl awkhmw 1 ExlJttrig Industry lodUltrWAruwIlh" Urban Motor-road Rapfd Tranjir Bout Secondary School! Trial system unfair to the defence, says Law Society BY OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT The prosecution should give far greater assistance to the defence, says a merhorandum sent by the Law. Society to the Home Secretary, the Lord Chief Justice, and the Law Commissioners. The memorandum says: "It is axiomatic for the conduct of a fair trial that a party shall from the outset be By FRANCIS BOYD, our Political Correspondent An increase of 300 from 450 to 750 in the per mitted basic figure for a candidate's expenses in a parlia mentary election nas been proposed by a majority ot members of the Speaker's conference on electoral law in a report published yesterday (Cmnd 2880, price 6d). The proposal' was supported in the conference by 16 votes to eight. The conference is composed of 15 Labour 13 conservatives, number of building materials should be restricted in order to give the new town a distinct character oo, The building timetable proposed for Runcorn is much faster than in the earlier new towns.

By 1970 it is envisaged that 1.S00 houses a year will be going up. involving the arrival of more than 5,000 new residents annually. This rate of building depends on the use of factory-made homes, and to cope with the problems of such an influx of strangers a social development officer has already been appointed. She and her staff will not just wait for people to arrive but will visit them in their old homes to find out their needs in advance. Another new town? New vaccine to fight measles in use soon By our Health and Welfare Correspondent A killed measles vaccine, Mesavac, has been produced by Pfizer of Sandwich, Kent, and will be available soon on doctors' prescriptions.

The vaccine, used in conjunc tion with a dose of live vaccine, administered four to six weeks later, gives immunity for "a very long time" and has no side effects. Dr Phillip Stones, director of biological studies at Pfizer, who has been collaborating With the Medical Research Council on trials with measles vaccines, said In London yesterday that it was intended to follow-up children over a long ferlod to find the duration of On vaccination against measles Itself, he suggested that few parents would answer other than yes. At best, the illness involved up to a week In bed and mother week or two away from school at worst the complications could be dangerous and even leave permament damage. Side effects obviated Dr Stones explained that it was possible to give the live vaccine as a single dose, but trials had shown a greater Incidence of febrile reactions, upper respiratory symptoms, and malaise in children so treated, whereas the prior dose of "killed" vaccine obviated these side effects. There were certain conditions in which the live vacoine could not be given.

In these cases, protection could be given by three doses of "killed" vaccine, at monthly intervals, followed by annual booster doses. There was no possibility of having a sugar lump administration for measles, like the, oral vaccine for polio, since the measles vacoine rapidly lost activity. The cost of one dose of "killed" vaccine was approximately 10s. New class of visiting fellowships By our Correspondent All Souls College at Oxford aims to launch a new class of visiting fellowships in October. The initial Intention is to have between six and twenty, on a one-year basis.

The aim is to encourage research and further study and also to enhance higher studies at the university. The college would be prepared to pay a maximum of 4,000 a year to make up for any loss of salary incurred in taking up any of the new fellowships. The college also Intends to spend 100,000 to house some of the new fellows. It has already bought an eighteenth-century house at Iffley. By October the current conversion work should yield six bachelor flats, with accommodation for 12 married fellows to come.

The new fellows would be drawn chiefly from those with teaching posts in universities or schools in Britain or overseas. Members of non-academic professions wanting to carry out academic work on a problem have been made on the expecta-tion that a balancing number will travel into the town. New factories will be located on two estate's, both of which will be served by rapid buses travelling in busways. Professor Ling's estimate is that buses tbat are easy to get to and never held up by traffic jams will be used by half of all the people travel' ling to work, even when every family owns a car. Safe and attractive routes for walking and bicycling will also be provided as a further step to ensure that people are not forced to go by car for lack of any alternative.

Where the busways cross local roads among the houses signals will automatically give the buses priority. Footpaths will, however, burrow under or bridge over the busways. The buses themselves will be single-deck vehicles specially designed to be easy to get on and off. Professor Ling believes they will not lose money, although he doubts If they will make much profit. Balance of convenience It is estimated it will take 10 to 12 minutes to travel from the remotest houses to the town centre by bus, and 15 minutes to do the same journey by car.

By tipping the balance of convenience towards public transport in this way. it has been possible to- plan motorways with fewer lanes and to provide fewer parking spaces among the factories and at the town centre. Sufficient parking will, however, be" provided at the centre for shoppers. People driving about the town will be encouraged to go outwards to the encircling motorway by making routes through the houses indirect and slow. The motorway will have two dual lanes, but as it will run through parkland it could be increased in size.

fully informed of the allegations which are made against him." At present, if a defendant is committed for trial before a judge and jury, the prosecution case has to he disclosed in detail before the trial. But where the trial takes place summarily before the magistrates, the accused rarely knows more than the bare description of the charge. He or, if he ha one, his lawyer has to make up a defence on the spot while he is learning for the first time of the evidence of the prosecution witnesses. The council of the Law Society says that it is unable to approve a system under which an accused is denied indispensable informa-tron if he elects to he tried summarily which would be available to him he if chose trial by Jury. It suggests that on request the accused should be entitled to receive a reasonable time before the trial a precis of the prosecution case.

This would not, however, include the names, addresses, or statements of the witnesses. The council suggests that at first this change should be limited to offences which could be tried cither summarily or on indictment. This initial limitation is proposed in the fnterests of "convenience, expense, and expediency." Cheaper costs The Law Society says that the provision of such Information is obviously essential If an innocent person is to have an adequate opportunity to prepare his case. It also believes that the change would reduce costs, both to the accused and to the Legal Aid fund, by increasing the number ot cases triea summarily defendants would no longer have to opt for trial by jury merely to discover the case against them and by Increasing the number of guilty pleas, since the defence would see in advance the strength of the prosecution case, It is thought that the extra administrative work for the police would be more than 'Offset by the saving of time and expense. The Law Society says that it rejected a suggestion tbat the defendant should be entitled to receive copies of all statements made by witnesses to the police.

But it does recommend that these should be available to the defence after the witness has first given evidence for the prosecution They could then be used by the defence to point up discrepancies between what was said to the police and the evidence given in court. This right Is now open to the prosecution, which can compare defence witnesses' statements at the committal proceedings with those made at the trial The memorandum says that in this regard the defence should be In no worse a position than tho prosecution. Defendant's rights The defence should atso be entitled as a matter of right, rather than by courtesy of counsel, to receive a copy of any Written statement made by the accused, any statement, written or oral, made by a co-defendant, and the previous convictions of the prosecutor, the accused or the witnesses The defence should have the right as well to obtain copies of documents forming part of the prosecution's evidence At present the accused may be unable to inform bis solicitors of the contents of these documents, and is often uninformed as to those upon which the prosecution do not rely which might be material in establishing his innocence The memorandum adds that the defence should be entitled to copies of routine police records, such as charge books, diaries, and telephone records It says that defendants can be impeded in establishing their innocence by an Inability to obtain access to these and that many cases corroboration of the accused's story can only be orovided by reference to such records The Law Society criticises the fact tbat the defence does not at present have adequate scientific facilities. It proposes that an accused person should be allowed to have his own expert present at scientific Investigation done for the prosecution, and that if a test was done before the identity of the accused a i known such evidence should not be admissible unless he received a copy of it before the trial Also it is suggested, independent forensic laboratories should be set up for use by Che defence. and until these are established hospitals should make laboratory facilities available for this purpose.

It will be Special road will ensure no jams By TERENCE BENDIXSON our planning correspondent npHE new town to be built at Runcorn in Cheshire will be the first place in Britain where public and private transport will be put on an equal footing. This will be done by threading a road for the sole use of buses through the middle of all the neighbourhoods of houses and running' a motorway past the edges of them. These proposals are part of a plan prepared for Runcorn Development Corporation by Professor Arthur Ling, former Coventry city architect and now head of the Department of Architecture and Civic Planning at Nottingham University. Runcorn's centre will be where two loops of the flgure-of-eieht shaped busway cross. The centre will also be served by a cross-Jink from the motorway encircling the town.

The old rained castle at Halton will continue to dominate the knoJJ at the throat of the Mersev, on which the town Is to fx built. A modern tower will be added to the castle as a further landmark and an outlook point A large park The town will also have a large park In one of its loops of houses. This will spill down a picturesque valley towards the Manchester Ship Canal, where there be a restaurant for people to sit In and watch the boats go by. Runcorn Is nine miles west of the M6 motorway and bisected by the electrified railway from Liverpool to London. Central Liverpool is 14 miles away and there are.

four national parks within 65 miles of the town. Runcorn's girdling motorway will connect with the existing bridge over the Mersey and with the North Cheshire motorway due to be built between 1968 and-1971. motorway will swing down past Manchester across Cheshire and the M6 and go on into North Wales. In his report on the draft plan, Professor Ling says there will be a need for two more Mersey crossings; one for purely local traffic will be needed by 1977 to duplicate the present Runcorn bridges and another will be needed to the west of the town for regional- traffic. The Board of trade will have to channel' 19,000 jobs in manufacturing industry into Runcorn, of which 5.000 are likely to be In a proposed ICI chemical plant but there will also be 11,000 service jobs.

Nearly one in three of the town's workers is expected to travel to a job elsewhere, and transport estimates Group fails in move to quash rating list Peachey Property Corporation cannot ask the High Court to' quash St Maryle-bone's 1963 rating valuation list, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The Court upheld the Queen's Bench Divisional Court's refusal to allow Peachey more time in which to seek the quashing. Last June Peachey's claim tor the quashing of the Paddmgton valuation list was dismissed on a majority decision of the Court of Appeal Peachey claims that in both lists its Mats are unfairly rated compared with flats In converted nouses. Lord Denning, the Master of the Rolls, said that if Peachey had upset the Paddington list almost automatically it could have succeeded in getting quashed many lists in the county of London. Peachey had leave to take the Paddington case to the House of Lords, but did not do so.

Lapse of time Peachey no doubt believed that with Marylebone it had better evidence to show tha' in preparing the list, the valuation officer had failed to fulfll his statutory duty that he bad oot assessed rateable values by reference to rents but by using a preconceived multiplier formula based on 1939 figures. He said that Peachey was planning to upset a list two and a half years after it had come into force. Had Peachey struck early and quickly, its applications might have succeeded. Now the lapse of time was too great Lord Justice Danckwerts and Lord Tusliee Salmon agreed that the appeEJ be dismissed The local valuation officer and Westminster City Council, as successors the St Marylebone Borough Council, were awarded costs. Peachey was Tetused leave to appeal to the House of Lords.

Women give view on shop hours There is no need to regulate shop opening hours so long as shopworkers' hours are fWed The National Council of Women of Great Britain says this in a memorandum to the Home Office about the White Paper on retail trading hours. The council docs not advocate compulsion to stay open for long hours but freedom of choice by the shopkeeper. and one Liberal. The Representation of the People Act, 1949 a consolidation measure laye down that the election expenses of a candidate (apart from'- his personal expenses, which are also limited) shall not exceed 450 in British constituency, with an extra twopence for each registered elector in a county constituency, and an extra three-halfpence for each registered elector in a borough constituency. Unanimous The conference proposed unanimously that the present arrangements for the continuous registration of members of the forces and their wives should cease.

The conference recommends that In future the armed-service authorities should be required to get information for registration purposes rrom any member of the forces who appears to be qualified to be registered, whenever similar information Is demanded of a dvlHaa It should be the duty of the commanding officer of each unit to see that this is carried out -In time for entries to be made in each ordinary register. The services should, at the same time, be responsible for acting similarly for the wives of servicemen in the United Kingdom who are living In premises maintained by the services or the Ministry of Public Building and Works, as well as for wive? who are living outside the UnKei Kingdom to be with Ihefr husbands. This is the first report of the conference which was set up in May, 1965, when the late Sir Harry Hylton-Foster The present Speaker, Dr Horace King, has now signed an interim report for the Prime Minister setting out the two decisions given above. Dr King recalls' that Mr Wilson bad informed the Speaker on November 8 that, It had been suggested that the frequency of publishing 1 the: electoral register called for early attention, and had asked if theconference could publish an interim report on that subject Or King reports that the conference is not yet ready with its proposals, except for tbat on the registration of servicemen and their wives. Present law As the law stands, In the Representation of' the People Act," 1949, a serviceman on joining the forces" completes a form so that when he reaches voting age he can' be included In the next register of electors, This registration continues automatically while he is a serviceman unless he informs the registration officer of any change of circumstances, such as a change of permanent address.

Similar arrangements exist for a serviceman's wife If accompanies him on overseas duty. The Speaker's conference has yet to pronounce on most of the issues referred to it the minimum voting age; preferential voting: absent marks on ballot papers and numbers on counterfoils polling hours polling day as a public holiday: undue influence returning officers for county constituencies; use of broadcasting; and the cost of petitions and applications for relief. Mr Ennols to concentrate on race relations By our own Reporter Mr Martin is after six years as general secretary of the National Council for Civil Liberties. He has been appointed information officer of the Archbishop of Canterbury's National Committee for Commonwealth Immigrants. He said yesterday that he was ready for a change.

His new job would enable him to concentrate on race relations, a field which had been absorbing an increasing amount of his time. No decision has been taken yet about Mr Knnals's successor. The NCCL, which, has a staff of five, has under Mr Ennals taken up cases of apparent injustice of almost every conceivable kind. No Government amendment to censure motion By our Political Correspondent The Government has decided not to table an amendment to the Opposition's motion of censure on th2 cost of living which is to he debated in the House of Commons tomorrow Labour will simply vote against the Tory motion. The Liberals will meet today to make their final decision about their vote tomorrow but it seems certain that they will decide to join the Tories in challenging the Government.

Saving doctors' time To reinforce its campaign to educate the public to make the best use of their doctors' time, the Ministry of Health has produced a poster and stand-up card for doctors' waiting rooms, and four television shorts for BBC and ITV. Until mid-February the Post Office will cancel stamps on mail with the slogan Help Save Your Doctor's Time." More pay for 80,000 in clothing trade By our Labour Staff Pay Increases averaging about 3.5 per cent on average earnings, and a third week's annua) holiday by 1968, were agreed yesterday for 80,000 workers in the clothing industry. The Clothing Manufacturers Federation last night claimed that the total additional cost to the, industry's wage" bill is well within the Government's norm of 2 to 3.5 per cent The increases will bring a general rise of 3d an hour for men from June 1 and 2d an hour for women, with proportionate increases tor learners. A third week's holiday will progressively, introduced '-with two additional days this year, another two in 1067, and a fifth In 1968. The latest official figures put average earnings last April at 55.3 pence per hour for women and Si8 peace per hour for men men wording an average of five hours a week overtime.

The official working week waa' reduced by one hour to 41 last year, raising average earnings, the employers say, by 2 per cent The agreement will operate until April 1968 but a wages review will be possible from January next year If there has been an increase of five points in the Index, of retail prices. It is subject to approval by the federation's district associations. Martin Mills-Knight (expansionist businessman) answered four important telephone enquiries without moving from his seat in th stalls. Martin has a )0b0PH0NE Robophone is the most advanced record and" relay system of them all. When you'e not there to take a caff, a Robophone is! It answers your telephone automatically (with a choice of messages records calls; relays them to you anywhere; takes dictation; records 2-way conversations.

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war MS LM EEC without the French 'a possibility9 By our own Reporter Most of the houses in the town will be grouped into communities of 8,000 people, each with its small group of shops and primary schools. Housing densities will vary from 150 persons an acre near the town centre to 50 at the edges Professor Ling hopes to avoid a rigid distinction between rows of houses and blocks of flats he would like to see composite structures embracing different types of accommodation says that three out of four of Runcorn's homes would have small private gardens. Buildings of merit However, as at Regent's Park, in London, this smallness of private space would be balanced by a pattern of public playgrounds, gardens, and parks. In the largest of the parks, the old Bridgewater Canal will be expanded into a lake with a marina in it Elsewhere in the town the canal will be developed for boating and recreation. In the draff master plan the town centre appears as a sort of acropolis a great paved square enclosed by buildings and with others set down within It.

Deliveries will be made through galleries under the square and parking will be at the edges of jt The centre is planned so tbat it can be built in parts as the town grows and yet be complete at each stage. The High Street of old Runcorn will be rehabilitated and turned into a pedestrian precinct for people living in that part of the town. Buildings of architectural or historic merit in the designated area will be preserved and well built groups of old houses in Runcorn will be modernised Professor Ling thinks that an Indigenous plummy brick gives old Runcorn a stamp of its own and proposes that the five. He added: "1 think toe vested interests inside the Common Market are such that it is Quite Impossible that the Common Market will break up." Dr Luns and Jean Rey, a Belgian member of the EEC commission, spoke optimistically of the changes which had taken place in Europe and in Britain since Britain failed to gain entry three years ago M. Rey said that the Community's agricultural policy for instance had moved towards that of Britain while Britain's had moved towards that of the Community Careful restatement The speech by the Foreign Secretary, Mr Stewart, was largely a careful restatement of known Government policy Britain was ready and willing to enter provided certain conditions were met.

While he believed tbat the difficulties which had arisen in 1981-3 could, given patience on both sides, be resolved, and negotiations resumed, he emphasised that some of the difficulties which existed were substantial." In the meantime, it was important to prevent the splitting up of Europe into divisions The bridge-building work between EEC and EFTA must be continued, 4,000 still needed to save Telford bridge Since the National Trust appeal for 6,500 to save Telford's suspension bridge at Conway from being demolished was launched in October, 2,328 had been received money or promises, the appeal committee chairman, Alderman A. Kobcrston, taul at Conway jesterday. The National Trust has said it would take over the 139-year-old budge provided the money can be ra.sed by the end of March. Several local authorities throughout Wales have supported the appeal but some have refused including Caernarvon. Nothing has been heard from Cardiff, Alderman Robertson added The secretary.

Mrs A Lea land, said subscriptions ranged from a 2s book of stamps from a pensioner to 250 from the Institute of Civil Engineers, of which Telford was the first president By 1977 It Is planned that the population in the new town area will have grown from Its present 30,000 to 70,000. Such a population would then expand of its own accord to 100,000 by the end of the century and space could be found within the designated area for such an increase. However, Professor Ling emphasised that Runcorn has not been designed to go on expanding indefinitely and that it will be necessary to start another new town near by If it Is required to go on increasing the popula- Cion OS norm isuewure. The next step in the promotion of Runcorn Is for consultations with local authorities and private Individuals about the draft plan. There will be an exhibition locally and coloured nil tlin Rn.

corn letter-boxes. Later this year a final master plan will be prepared for submission to the Minister or Mousing, raeanwmie such is the need to provide homes for people from overcrowded Merseyside that work on the first- houses is expected to start in April Open verdict on director found shot By our Correspondent An open verdict was recorded at a Salford inquest yesterday on Mr Stanley Hackett, aged 53, a company director, who was found by a cleaner shot dead in his office. The coroner, Mr Brian Haynes, said that there was insufficient evidence for mm to decide whether Mr Hackett kiUed himself or death was an accident. Mr Hackett, of Anglesey Drive, Poynton, was found dead two days before Christmas in his office at J. W.

Fieldsend a coach and travel agency firm, in Cross Lane, Salford. Mr Wilfred Hackett, a fellow director, of Tideswell Koad, Hazel Grove, said his brother had always been interested in guns and did a fot of Clay pigeon shooting. He had no domestic or financial problems and was "bubbling over with health and vitality." The firm's cashier, Mr Leonard Pomphrey, said he saw Mr Hackett cleaning a shot gun which had been kept in the office for some weeks, only minutes before his death. Mr John Greenwood, a chartered accountant, said that Mr Hackett was always heavily insured His estate might prove to be "half a million." The coroner said in his summing up that there was abundant evidence that if Mr Hackett killed himself, it was an act which was entirely out of character. Tory says he would oppose Mr Maude Mr Christopher Clayton-Wright announced yesterday that he intended to stand as an Independent Conservative at Stratford-upon-Avon in the next general election if Mr Angus Maude is readopted as official candidate.

Mr Clayton-Wright, a Warwickshire county councillor, and one of the 12 members of the Welles-bourne branch of the divisional Conservative association, said he hoped to be supported openly by at least six members of the divisional council. MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL VircJ 6 m' Holr ConmniEtal tliz-zlmcni Chap1; Ifl MAttos tna Un. 1 10 Tm HtiK Co-a-Tniriwi lUd CTnpe.i 5 3fl ni 'M'tisTo'wsi C'jull'jKU'n: rXTOllt. Plir'u The prospect of a European Community without France, though difficult to imagine, could not be ruled out, the Netherlands Foreign Minister, Di J. M.

A. H. Luns, said in London yesterday. He told a conference on Britain and the European Community organised by the Federal Trust and Britain in Europe, that the possibility that in these circumstances Britain might join the other Five would merit most careful consideration." Dr Luns, who firmly defended the principle of majpnty decision within the Community, later talti a questioner that the prospect of the Five having to go it alone was "remote." But he repeated that it could not be excluded. Baron Snoy et d'Oppuers, adviser to the Banque Lambert, Brussels, said it was hard to see the French Government turning to its business community and saying It's all over you must consider a purely national market from now on." But even if it did, the other memh countries would be obliged to continue.

"Sheer economic pressure would keep the market alive if not with six countries, then with Compromise on students US call-up By our own Reporter Mr Bruce Jack, the American student at Leeds University who was escorted to London by a chief petty officer of the United States Navy for failing to res pond to a calllng-up notice, is expected to return to Leeds next week An official at the university union said he understood that a compromise would be reached between the US Navy and Mr Jack's legal advisers over his eligibility for service Mr Jack disappeared from US Navy headquarters in London on Friday evening while a legal officer, who had been interviewing him, was absent from the room. His present whereabouts are not known. A US Navy spokesman said last night that he could neither confirm nor deny that a compromise would be reached. arising from tneir joos wouio. also be eligible, alona with private scholars and artists or critics considered to have a con tribution to make to oaords academic life.

Opposition They would enjoy ait the rights of a fellowship except those of attending college meetings and having college rooms. All would be eligible for college research grants. They would not normally be called upon to teach. In certain circumstances, a fellowship could be extended to a maximum of two years A minority of the college Eel- lows bad supported an alternative scheme for the admission ot graduate students. One of the fellows, Mruavia resagneo over the issue.

The Warden, Mr John Sparrow, said yesterday that the new scheme would be very flexible. We shall elect as many visiting fellows as we can afford" GANDHI NEHRU SHASTRI GREAT MEN OF James Cameron tells the story of fiese three men idio made modern India Toniidit at 9.10 GBAXJSDJ1 TELEVISION gi.