asked the Minister of Aviation Supply whether his Department has made a study of the possibility of using Surrey Docks as a vertical and short take-off and landing airport; and if he will make a statement.

Studies to establish whether an inter-city VTOL system is feasible are now well advanced. We hope to be in a position to make a statement early next year. Meanwhile the Government is not committed in any way to any course of action on VTOL or STOL operations from the Surrey Docks.

asked the Minister of Aviation Supply in view of the fact that the official figures for unemployed in November, 1970 show the highest number for 30 years, what action he has taken or intends taking, through his Department by placing orders or otherwise to assist in reducing this number of unemployed.

As far as military projects are concerned the orders placed by my Department are to meet specific requirements. In deciding upon launching aid for civil projects the effect upon employment is one of the matters to which careful consideration is given.

asked the Minister of Aviation Supply whether in view of his decision not to fund development of the BAC311 he will now give details of his plans to retain a comprehensive British aerospace capability to ensure employment prospects in the airframe and components sectors of the aviation industry.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of housing authorities in England and Wales is not at present offering discretionary grants for house improvements.

About 2 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the five-year period over which rent increases are phased in the case of tenancies transferred into the fair rents sector under the 1969 Act.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on the rent-phasing provisions in the 1969 Housing Act from bodies representing landlords from hon. Members, and from individual members of the public. This is one of the matters which my right hon. Friend is at present considering in the context of the forthcoming changes in the structure of housing finance which were referred to in my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 3rd November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, in his proposed legislation, fair rent levels for council tenants will be determined by a body other than the local authority;(2) whether, in his new proposals, rent assessment committees, or some other impartial bodies, will be available to council tenants, as they are now available to private tenants to appeal against fair rent levels.

My right hon. Friend is about to consult the local authority associations on the arrangements for applying the fair rent principle to council dwellings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he is planning for the passenger transport authorities of the provinces.

As already announced the four Passenger Transport Authorities are to remain, until the Reform of Local Government enables us to consider how best they will fit in to any new pattern that will result.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress his Department has made on determining a new route for the A3, London-Portsmouth road; and where it will pass through the Petersfield constituency.

Final results from the study into the relief of the A3 are expected very soon. When these have been fully considered, we will announce our intentions for this route.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the new by-pass to be built at Bridestowe, Devon, in view of the extensive danger of this section of the A30.

Although this is a poor road, its accident rate is very slight. Nevertheless, my right hon. Friend hopes to consider this scheme for inclusion in a future extension of the preparation pool, but I am unable now to make forecasts about the date of construction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects a pedestrian crossing on the A30 at Bridestowe, Devon.

Pedestrian and traffic flows are too low to justify a pedestrian crossing on the A30 at Bridestowe.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has now received details of the redevelopment scheme at Broomhall, Sheffield I, involving the preservation of a number of buildings of historic interest, the construction of a new Church of England school, and a number of rehousing schemes.

My right hon. Friend has not received details of any redevelopment scheme though I understand that a new application will shortly be made for permission to build the schools. If the local Council consider this involves a substantial departure from the development plans they will refer it to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what alterations he is proposing to the level of quotas for local authority loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts.

The sum of £155 million which was earmarked for local authority home loans under the statutes governing house purchase by the previous Government at the beginning of the financial year has all been allocated. The basis on which next year's allocation should be made is under consideration. It is not possible to give a separate figure for loans made under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, but I understand that these would amount to only a small part of the total.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what request he has received for a deputation from the Greater London Council to discuss with him his refusal of a Government grant towards the construction of the Heathrow tube link with London; and what reply he sent to this request.

I have agreed to meet an all-party deputation from the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average price at which three bedroomed council houses are being sold by the Greater London Council and the Birmingham City Council; and what is the current average cost of building three-bedroom accommodation by those two authorities.

I am informed that the average price of a three-bedroomed house being sold by the Greater London Council ranges from £3,050 for an inter-war house to £4,600 for a recent development, and for one being sold by the Birmingham City Council ranges from £2,510 for an inter-war house to £4,000 for a recent development. The average costs of providing new three-bedroomed houses are respectively £6,400 and £4,500, including land in both cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an assurance that more money will be given for further experiments by the University of Aston in Birmingham regarding scientific discoveries to make empty plastic containers disintegrate in sunlight.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 2nd December.—[Vol. 807, c. 407.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to conclude his consultations regarding the change of housing structure finance with Birmingham County Borough.

My right hon. Friend hopes to have the first meeting with the local authority associations before Christmas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that the new sewage outfall pipeline extended into the Humber will go far enough to be certain not to pollute the beaches of Cleethorpes.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the pipeline from Scunthorpe to Immingham for the discharge of industrial effluent into the Humber. I understand that the Trent River Authority gave the necessary con- sent in 1968, and I do not see that it is open to my right hon. Friend to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why his Department has no plans to construct a tunnel between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Because it seems unlikely that such a tunnel would be either practicable or profitable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he is aware, that under regulations issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pig housing must have at least two inches of thermal insulation in the roof; and what action he is taking to raise the level of thermal insulation in the roofs of housing for human occupation to the same level;(2) what steps are being taken to raise the level of thermal insulation in housing which at present is based on recommendations made 10 years ago and now out of date.

A comprehensive review on the whole question of thermal insulations is taking place at the present time and my right hon. Friend will decide whether any change in the levels of thermal insulation in housing is desirable in the light of the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects a decision on the construction of a Channel Tunnel to be taken.

I have nothing to add to what I told the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 25th November.—[Vol. 807, c. 390–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular to local authorities endorsing the code of conduct to promote better relationships between the Press and local authorities issued by the Local Government Information Office and the Institute of Journalists and endorsed by the Association of Municipal Corporations, a copy of which has been sent to him.

I welcome the initiative of the bodies concerned in agreeing and sending to local authorities this most useful contribution to thinking and practice on the subject. However, it stands in its own right and does not need endorsement from me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to provide for a rest room for disabled staff employed within the House of Commons part of the Palace of Westminster.

I will gladly look into my hon. Friend's proposal and let him know the upshot.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the traffic lights already in position at the Flimwell crossroads on the A21 will be working.

This is a matter for the local highway authority—the East Sussex County Council. But I understand that these temporary signals are used in the summer but not in the winter months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many days have passed since the M6 was opened through Westmorland; how many accidents have been reported to the police

	Number of Members	Salaries of Chairmen	Staff Complement	Expenses of Members	Total Cost*
				£	£
Central Transport Consultative Committee and 11 Transport Users Consultative Committees	252	None	31	5,500*	65,000*
Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council	22	None	1	3,479†	6,800†
* This is the total estimated cost of the Central Transport Consultative Committee and all Transport Users Consultative Committees and is spread more or less evenly over the 12 Committees.
† Actual expenditure for 1969.

M6 through Westmorland has been open for 41 days up to 3rd December. During that time 5 accidents have been reported to the police on A685 between Gaisgill and Kirkby Stephen—1 accident involving serious injury; 1 involving slight injury and 3 involving damage only. A685 is a principal road for which Westmorland County Council is responsible as highway authority. Four schemes for the improvement of this road at an estimated total cost of £1,055,000 are under consideration; a fifth costing £142,000 is programmed and a sixth costing £168,000 was completed and opened earlier this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to amend Section 72 of the Highways Act, 1835, on the lines suggested by the right hon. Member for Kettering in his letter of 1st December.

My right hon. Friend will consider this suggestion but we are not at present satisfied that it would have the practical effect intended.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the names of each consumer consultative council to which members are appointed by him in the railway and waterways industries, the number of members, salaries of chairmen, number of staffs, expenses of members, and the total cost of each council.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there are any members of any consumer consultative organisation appointed by him for any organisation other than the railway and waterways industries; and if so at what cost.

There are two statutory bodies for port users to which I appoint members, the Humber Local Board and the Southampton Local Board. In addition all major ports have port user consultative committees which in most cases have been set up on the invitation of port authorities. No costs fall to my Department in respect of the port user committees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the sums of £10 million and £15 million announced as savings in assistance to British Rail in 1971–72 and 1974–75, respectively, are to be saved in Wales.

None. As indicated in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 27th October, the savings mentioned are to be achieved by reduction in grant to the London area commuter services. This does not preclude the possibility of additional savings elsewhere as a result of the general review of grants for unremunerative rail services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities did not qualify for grant on all rent losses on flats requiring structural strengthening; on how many flats did each authority so not qualify; and what is the estimated rent loss in each case at the latest available date.

This information is not available. Local authorities claiming grant are required only to give details of their admissible expenditure within the terms of Ministry of Housing and Local Government Circular 29/70.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to review the use of the Nationality Act, 1948 in respect of council housing allocation to southern Irish people living and working in the Greater London Council area; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the local councils who have this responsibility laid down by Statute.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will arrange for a higher allocation of Question Time to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the multiplicity of his responsibilities.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will arrange for more Parliamentary Question Time for the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

I am always willing to consider changes through the usual channels, if that appears to be the general wish.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is aware of the many Parliamentary Questions which are arising concerning Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, on matters connected with the negotiations now proceeding on this subject; and whether he will arrange for the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to answer Parliamentary Questions more frequently than is now the case.

I am always willing to consider changes through the usual channels, if that appears to be the general wish.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, in view of the hours spent in the building by Members, he will provide facilities for physical exercise in the Palace of Westminster.

asked the Lord President of the Council what consideration has been given to the provision of facilities for physical exercise in the House.

There is no accommodation available within the Palace of Westminster which could be made available for this purpose. It was recommended by the Services Committee in their Third Report of the 1968–69 Session that

"a total space of about 13,500 sq. feet should be provided for recreational facilities in the proposed new Parliamentary building."

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to terminate the rule which prohibits visitors in the public galleries from taking notes on the proceedings in the House.

No. Reporting is the function of the Press Gallery.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will give the reasons why he will not take steps to set up trade union negotiating machinery to enable him to discuss and negotiate the salaries and working conditions of Members of Parliament.

I have no reason to suppose that the hon. Member's suggestion accords with the wishes of Members generally.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the establishment of the new Select Committee on Expenditure.

I am, of course, aware of the importance of this matter and am concerned that the Committee should be set up with the minimum of delay. I cannot say exactly when that will be, however, because discussions are still taking place.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that, wherever matters affecting Great Britain's inter- national rights of decision and Parliamentary control of endorsement of foreign treaties are placed before the Houses of Parliament for decision, such will not become operative until a two-thirds majority of both Houses has been secured; and whether he will initiate this new legislation in time to ensure that it may become operative in time to apply to Great Britain's possible agreement to enter the Common Market.

No.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, as a means of assisting the Government in their policy of reducing prices, and to see how this can best be done, he will move to appoint a Select Committee whose duty it will be to investigate and report on all matters pertaining to retail prices and the best method of controlling and reducing them.

No.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, during the forthcoming Recess, he will carry out constructional works in the House of Commons to enable the second row of gallery seats now allocated to the Peers to be suitably fitted for wheel-chair cases and allocate them to disabled persons who are confined to wheel-chairs for mobility purposes.

No. Facilities already exist for accommodating wheel-chairs at the back of the Strangers' Gallery.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will move to set up a Select Committee to consider the proposal for a World Ocean Régime.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make regulations for central institutions and colleges of education under Section 15 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1969.

I hope to make regulations for central institutions in time for them to take effect from the start of the academic session 1971–72. So far as the colleges of education are concerned, the requirements of Section 15 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1969 are met by existing regulations, but I am discussing with the interested parties how far amendment is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he has made for the payment of grants to students of the Open University; and if he will give details of the grants.

Education authorities may grant bursaries to Open University students at their discretion. I understand that most authorities will be prepared to consider awarding bursaries in respect of the summer school fee and related travelling expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how degrees granted by the Open University will be treated for recognition for entry to the teaching profession in Scotland.

I propose to treat them in the same way as degrees of Scottish universities. The General Teaching Council for Scotland concur and I hope to publish the necessary regulations in draft very early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to local authorities in regard to their policy towards out-of-town shopping centres; and if he will make a statement.

I am having information collected about recent proposals for such centres, and in the light of it I will consider whether any guidance is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of what the Government considers a reasonable rent of a local authority four-apartment house costing £4,080 to build.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will accept the proposal of the hon. Member for South Ayrshire that as a contribution to arresting inflation he should legislate immediately to freeze all council house rents at their present level for the next two years.

No. To do so would not contribute to arresting inflation but would inflate unfairly the burdens on ratepayers and taxpayers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what, at the latest convenient date, was the average price in Scotland paid to producers for both white and red ware potatoes.

The weighted average price paid to Scottish growers for ware potatoes in the week ending 28th November, 1970 was £12 16s.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide sufficient funds to enable every area in Lanarkshire to have a primary school where one is applied for.

The resources already allocated to Lanarkshire Education Authority for primary and secondary school building to start up to March, 1973 should enable essential primary school places to be provided, although not all in permanent accommodation. The Authority may also apply for a share of the additional £4 million that is now available for primary school improvements starting in 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the schools which run pre-nursing courses and show the number of students in each school.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the publication "Directory of Day Courses of Further Education for 1970–71" which contains details of further education colleges offering pre-vocational nursing courses. Information about current enrolments in these colleges is not available in my Department but may be obtained through the Education Authorities concerned.Pre-nursing courses as such are not run in secondary schools; detailed information about schools in which subjects relevant to nursing can be studied is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is aware of the present situation in which private flying clubs find it difficult to obtain the use of an airfield; and if he will arrange for use by private clubs of those airfield facilities not fully utilised by the Royal Air Force.

I am aware that some proposals for operations by flying clubs have been rejected from time to time, but I am always ready to put reasonable requests for the civil use of military airfields to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for extension of provincial airports to relieve those in the South-East area.

Though we are always ready to offer advice, the development of such airports is mainly a matter for the owners, subject to planning permission. Several can already cope with much more traffic without substantial development.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a further statement on the progress being made in the planning and layout of Turnhouse Airport.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 25th November.—[Vol. 807. c.158.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the air crash at Barcelona on 3rd July, 1970, with particular reference to the information contained in the black box.

The valuable information concerning height, heading and airspeed extracted from the flight data recorder was used in the reconstruction referred to in the statement made by the then Minister of State for the Board of Trade on 23rd July. The results of the examinations subsequently carried out in this country of some of the radio sets and an altimeter are not inconsistent with this reconstruction. These results have been forwarded to the Spanish Commission, who are continuing their investigation. The United Kingdom Inspector of Accidents accredited to them is hoping to discuss progress with them shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has been taking part in concerning the future of Harland and Wolff, Limited; what companies have put forward proposals for the future of the company; if he will ensure that any proposals take account of the employment prospects for the firm; and when he will be in a position to make a complete statement.

The Department is aware of proposals for the future of Harland and Wolff from the company itself, from Mr. Onassis, from the Fred Olsen Group, and from the Swan Hunter Group. The Government wish to see a profitable shipbuilding industry with an associated high level of employment in Belfast. We will make a fuller statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give consideration to extending the principle of special development areas so as to operate in localities such as Mid-Wales which, due to remoteness or any other factors, find it particularly difficult to attract industrialists thereto.

The Government have under review the circumstances of all areas and what status would be appropriate to their needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of active companies at present upon the Register of Companies.

The number of companies, excluding companies in liquidation or in course of removal from the register, is approximately 508,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to secure further agreements with other countries in general and Eastern European countries in particular on the lines of that reached with the Romanian Government on increasing Romanian quotas of agricultural and horticultural products.

The quantitative restrictions which we maintain on imports of agricultural and horticultural products, including those from Eastern Europe, are reviewed annually in consultation, where appropriate, with the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give an assurance that the products chosen in the context of the decision to increase the Romanian quotas of agricultural and horticultural products will be those that will do the minimum amount of damage to home production.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given to my hon. Friends the Members for Weston-super-Mare (Mr. Wiggin) and Dorset, South (Mr. Evelyn King) on 2nd December, 1970.—[Vol. 807, c. 409.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the action to be taken following the Monopolies Commission Report on the supply of beer.

The Commission's sole recommendation was that the licensing laws in England and Wales should be substantially relaxed, with the general objective of permitting the sale of alcoholic drinks, for on or off consumption, by any retailer whose character and premises satisfied certain minimum standards. The Departmental Committee of inquiry into the liquor licensing laws in England and Wales, whose establishment my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has just announced, will examine the social implications of the Commission's recommendation.Meanwhile, I am particularly concerned about places where a large proportion of the licensed premises is owned by the same brewer, and have asked the brewers for information and for proposals to widen the choice available to the public. The Brewers Society have informed me that they are conducting a study of the matter and will send me the results in due course. I shall keep a watch on the situation and it will remain open to me to take further action, if I am not satisfied with the progress being made. Finally, I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to a statement issued by the Brewers Society which describes some of the steps which the brewers are themselves taking to meet points of criticism made by the Monopolies Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to reducing the import quotas of those countries who are not buying British exports on what he considers to be an adequate scale.

None. Such problems are best dealt with through consultation with the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the Government's plans for the future use of industrial arbitration.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mr. Walter Johnson) on 1st December.—[Vol. 807, c. 342.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now review the regulations governing the licensing of employment agencies.

I have nothing to add to my reply on 23rd November, 1970, to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton).—[Vol. 807, c. 46–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the last Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Factories, he will introduce as a matter of urgency a bill to provide for the health and safety of employees.

No. Any major legislation in this field must await the Report of the Robens Committee, which is now actively engaged on its task.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if, in order to expedite the entry of the Boeing 747 into service, he will arrange to meet representatives of the British Overseas Airways Corporation and the British Air Line Pilots' Association in order to find a solution to their disagreement;(2) why he will not meet representatives of the British Overseas Airways Corpora-

Stoppages of work due to industrial disputes—United Kingdom					Industrial injury (industrial accidents and prescribed industrial diseases)—Great Britain
Year ended 31st May				Working days lost in all stoppages in progress (millions)	Year ended	Days of certified incapacity* (millions)
1960	…	…	…	6·0	4th June, 1960†	21
1961	…	…	…	3·3	3rd June, 1961	19
1962	…	…	…	5·9	2nd June, 1962	20
1963	…	…	…	1·8	1st June, 1963	20
1964	…	…	…	2·5	30th May, 1964	22
1965	…	…	…	2·7	5th June, 1965†	23
1966	…	…	…	2·2	4th June, 1966	24
1967	…	…	…	2·3	3rd June, 1967	23
1968	…	…	…	4·7	1st June, 1968	23
1969	…	…	…	4·1	31st May, 1969	23
1970‡		…	…	8·6	30th May, 1970	Not yet available
* Days for which injury benefit is payable on the basis of fix working days a week. Days of incapacity following termination of injury benefit (for which sickness benefit would normally be payable) are not included.
† 53 week period.
‡ Provisional.

My right hon. Friend considers there is still room for discussion between the parties and that it would be inappropriate for him to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what percentage of the total production days available were actually worked in industry in the years 1960 to 1969 and in 1970 to the nearest convenient date; and what percentage was lost due to industrial action and industrial injury in each of these years;(2) if he will state the total number of production days available to industry in each year from 1960 to 1969 and in 1970 to the nearest convenient date, the number of days lost due to industrial action, and the number of days lost due to industrial injury in each year.

The total number of mandays available is of the order of 5,000 million in a year. Precise estimates cannot be made because working arrangements vary greatly between different types of employment and categories of worker.Following is the information for working days lost in stoppages of work due to industrial disputes and for days of incapacity due to industrial injury certified for national insurance purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, owing to the large number of people who were disfranchised during the elections of 1970 because their names were not on the electoral register, he will take steps to ensure that immediate announcements are made to the appropriate age-groups that any person born before 16th February, 1954, is entitled to have his name placed on the new electoral list, and that the closing date for names to be inserted on such lists is the 16th December, 1970.

The Home Office has arranged national publicty on this subject, to supplement the local publicity measures undertaken by electoral registration officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation for simplifying, and making less expensive to the applicant, the process whereby a person held on a criminal charge before trial can apply for bail before a judge in chambers.

The procedure for making application for bail before a judge in chambers is governed by Rules of the Supreme Court. If my hon. Friend has any suggestions for their revision, my right hon. Friend will ensure that they are given careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to extend the provisions of the legal aid scheme to cover applications for bail before a judge in chambers.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my observations on this subject during the debate on the Adjournment on Friday, 4th December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the existing arrangements for the control of security operations in Northern Ireland; what was the date on which the arrangements were agreed with the Northern Ireland Government; and how soon the relevant correspondence and record of discussions between the two Governments can be made public.

The arrangements were agreed on 19th August, 1969, and were set out in the Communiqué and Declaration issued the same day and published as Cmnd. 4154. The G.O.C. in accordance with his overall responsibilities has in practice co-ordinated the assignment of tasks to the R.U.C. in relation to security operations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for encouraging police nearing retiring age to continue in the police force in view of the offer of a 12 per cent. increase being considered unacceptable.

Negotiations in the Police Council will be resumed this week. Both sides are aware of the number of officers approaching the age of retirement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific instructions have been issued by his Department to chemists about the methods they should adopt for the safekeeping of drugs; and when these instructions were last revised.

Regulation 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs (No. 2) Regulations, 1964, requires that drugs and preparations now listed in Part I of the Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1965, shall be kept in a locked receptacle which can be opened only by the chemist authorised to possess the drugs or by some assistant of his who is a registered pharmaceutical chemist. These Regulations came into operation on 1st December, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of serving police officers in the Metropolitan Police Force who will have completed 25 years' service and be eligible for retirement in each of the following years, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977.

The number of male police officers in the Metropolitan Police who will complete 25 years service in each of these years is as follows:

1971	950*
1972	937
1973	774
1974	536
1975	698
1976	464
1977	743
* Including those who have already completed 25 years service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the information sent to him by the lion. Member for West Ham, North, showing that a communication sent to the Home Office on 10th November did not receive a formal acknowledgement or receipt until the 18th November, he will take action to ensure that Members of Parliament receive more expeditious replies to their correspondence.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to his Question on 25th November.—[Vol. 807, c. 174 and 175.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to provide assistance for producers of between 50 and 70 gallons of milk per day in getting their milk to the depot following the gradual withdrawal of churns, and the increasing inability of large tankers to negotiate narrow approach-roads to individual and isolated holdings.

This would seem to be a matter primarily for the farmer himself and the Milk Marketing Board, and special Government aid for these producers would not be justified. Substantial help is already available towards the cost of converting to bulk milk collection and for the improvement of farm roads.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where in Northamptonshire there have been outbreaks of fowl pest this year; how many birds have died; and approximately what proportion of these birds had been vaccinated.

There have been 17 confirmed outbreaks in the following 14 parishes in Northamptonshire this year:

• Earls Barton.
• Gretton.
• Whitton.
• Kettering.
• Denford.
• Paulerspury.
• Silverstone.
• Hargrave.
• Brackley.
• Cosgrove.
• Staverton.
• Wilby.
• Wood Newton.
• Easton Maudit.

No information is available about the number of deaths that have occurred. Of the 17 flocks, comprising a total of over 15,000 birds, only 1, with about 5,000 birds, was fully vaccinated, though 2 others were partly vaccinated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to introduce a scheme for the licensing of wild ponies exported from the United Kingdom which would register the place of origin, circumstances of their sale, port of embarkation and their final destination.

No.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the Government's decision to increase the pay of certain of the higher paid civil servants by 43 per cent., he will now increase the pay of the industrial civil servants by the same percentage, to operate as from 1st January, 1971.

No. As announced yesterday, those civil servants whose salaries are to be increased by the largest amounts from 1st January, 1971 have agreed to forgo the increase for a period of six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what amount of grant was provided to various Welsh language periodicals and newspapers in 1969–70 from public funds; if he will list the papers and periodicals concerned; and how much was provided for each one.

In 1969–70 the Welsh Arts Council made subsidies available, of the amounts shown, to the following periodicals in Wales:

	£
Anglo-Welsh Review	760†
Barn	1,230*
Llwyfan	600*
Planet	500†
Poetry Wales	645†
Second Aeon	105‡
Taliesin	760*
Y Cardi	270*
Y Genhinen	600*
Yr Eurgrawn	148*
Y Traethodydd	270*
	£5,888
* Periodicals wholly in the Welsh language.
† Periodicals party in Welsh and partly in English.
‡ Periodicals wholly in the English language.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the grants paid by the Welsh Arts Council to various organisations, periodicals, &c., in Wales in 1969–70.

Of the Welsh Arts Council's grant of £568,000 in 1969–70 subsidies totalling £427,434 were made available to 143 organisations, and awards totalling £17,941 were made to 78 individuals. In addition, expenditure of £68,578 was incurred in the direct promotion of arts activities in Wales. The balance of £54,047 was used to meet the administrative costs of the Council.Details of individual grants and other awards made by the Welsh Arts Council in 1969–70 will be given in the Annual Report of the Arts Council of Great Britain to be published on 14th December. I will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a copy of the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations have been made to her regarding the future of the Southwell Minster Grammar School and the Edward Cludd School at Southwell, Nottinghamshire; what reply she has sent; and what is her policy towards the proposals she has received for the reorganisation of secondary education at Southwell.

Some local residents have sent me a copy of their petition to the local education authority opposing the plan to reorganise these schools as two separate comprehensive schools, and urging their amalgamation as one comprehensive school.I am awaiting the authority's confirmation, under Circular 10/70, that it wishes me to give further consideration to the plan, and I have therefore told the petitioners that I shall take their views into account when considering the authority's and the school governors' proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek agreement to a clarification amendment to the Geneva Protocol removing any doubt that the prohibition of chemical and biological warfare extends to the use in war of all lachrymatory agents and plant defoliants.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the declaration of three senior Russian trade officials in this country as persona non grata.

Officials of diplomatic status whose activities are unacceptable may be declared persona non grata by the host Government. No such action has been taken against any of the three senior members of the Soviet Trade Delegation who enjoy diplomatic status. Permission to remain in this country has been withdrawn from four officials this year, on various occasions between February and July.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what are the names of each consumer consultative council for postal and telephone services, the number of members, salaries of chairmen, number of staffs, expenses of members, and the total cost of each council.

Apart from local advisory committees, there are four councils: the Post Office Users' National Council, and the Post Office Users' Councils for Scotland, for Wales and Monmouthshire, and for Northern Ireland. The National Council is limited to 33 members, the other three Councils to 25 each.Chairmanship of the National Council carries a salary of £1,500, but the present Chairman has agreed to forgo it. The other Chairmen and the members of all four Councils are unpaid but eligible for expenses and allowances on the normal scale.The National Council has five staff, the Councils for Scotland and for Wales and Monmouthshire, two part-time staff each. The Council for Northern Ireland is provided with secretarial services by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.All four Councils were appointed this year, and it is too soon to say how much each will cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek powers to augment the money allotted for unemployment winter relief schemes by payments out of the National Insurance Fund equivalent to the amount saved by way of unemployment benefit.

In regard to the authorisation of a winter programme of essential works, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development on 9th November. The Government's view is based on the merits of the question and these would not be altered by meeting the cost partly out of national insurance contributions.—[Vol. 806, c. 67.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he could indicate what were the factors taken into account in deciding the membership of the Attendance Allowance Board; and whether it was intended that the members should be in any sense representative of the interested bodies or of the different regions.

The Attendance Allowance Board has been constituted in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of the National Insurance (Old persons' and widows' pensions and attendance allowance) Act 1970. The main point we have had in mind in making appointments has been the need to secure the services of people best fitted to carry out the functions assigned to the Board by the Act. The membership of the Board therefore consists of experienced medical practitioners and one person from outside the medical profession; all of them have a special interest in and knowledge of the needs of the disabled.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an estimate of the revenue return which would have resulted to the Treasury if, during the past two years, stamp duty on share transactions were raised by 1 per cent., 2 per cent. and 3 per cent., respectively; what would be the resultant gain or loss to the Treasury if the long-and short-term capital gains tax were re- placed by an increased contract stamp duty on this basis; and whether he will consider this method of raising revenue in his forthcoming Budget.

The rate of stamp duty on share transfers is approximately 1 per cent. If the rate had been increased by adding a further 1 per cent., 2 per cent. or 3 per cent., the estimated additional yield for the last two years on the same volume of transfers is as follows:

	1968–69	1969–70
Increase of:	£m.	£m.
1 per cent.	55	62
2 per cent.	110	124
3 per cent.	165	186

No figures are available of the accrual of capital gains tax with which to compare the above figures.I have noted the hon. Gentleman's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give instructions to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise that after 1st January next timber importers shall be allowed to present documents in Imperial as well as metric measure; and on what grounds he has given instructions that only metric should be used.

Metric units for measurement of timber will be introduced in the Customs Tariff and Overseas Trade classi- fication from 1st January, 1971 in response to the wishes of the industries concerned. It is not feasible to allow consignments to be declared in units different from those specified for the particular goods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how Great Britain's position, so far as taxes and social security percentage of gross national product is concerned, will change if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community in the present situation of the Six.

So far as I am aware, there are no proposals which would oblige us, on joining the European Economic Community, to alter either our existing tax rates or the level of our social security contributions.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the sums of £5 million and £15 million to be saved on roads in 1971–72 and 1974–75, respectively, are to be saved in Wales.

The saving in 1974–75 is £25 million. The sums saved in Wales are £0·4 million in 1971–72 and £0·8 million in 1974–75.