asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have sought approval for educational schemes involving restoration of fee-paying in local authority schools.

On 27th January Edinburgh Corporation submitted to me a modification of its scheme of educational provision proposing the restoration of fees at three schools. This modification is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prison officers have volunteered to go from Scotland to work in internment camps in Northern Ireland.

Thirteen prison officers from Scotland who volunteered to serve temporarily with the Northern Ireland Prison Service are now in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many approved pelican or similarly controlled pedestrian crossings have been delayed in installation due to the deliveries of the equipment being more than three months from the placing of the order, in the last three years.

Since July, 1969, 54 "Pelican" crossings have been authorised. The delivery period for equipment has generally been of the order of 22 weeks, but discussions have recently taken place with the manufacturers with the object of shortening this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on estimates available to him on the demand for water for all purposes in Scotland and the supply position in 1980, with forecasts for capital expenditure.

The present daily amount of some 450 million gallons supplied by water boards seems likely to rise to about 550 million gallons by 1980. Available supplies at present total 600 million gallons per day and they are due to increase to about 640 million gallons by 1980. Capital expenditure is expected to average about £12 million annually over the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to attend the national assembly to be held in Edinburgh by the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave on 27th January to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton).—[Vol. 829, c. 521.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dwellings in Scotland have become decontrolled and had their rent increased since the passing of the Housing Act, 1969; and what were the average amounts of the increases in rent.

To 31st December, 1971, rents had been determined for 3,605 dwellings decontrolled under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1969. Significant information about increases is not yet available, as the bulk of these cases were dealt with in the later months of 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when considering the new local government boundaries in Scotland, how many representations he received from industrialists, trade unions, and professional bodies, respectively, in favour of dividing Fife between two other regions.

The Confederation of British Industry, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the National and Local Government Officers Association, and seven national professional bodies, have supported the general structure, which includes the division of Fife, proposed in the Wheatley Royal Commission's Report and in the Government's White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will ascertain which local authorities have circulated parents of pupils in primary schools asking them if they wish their child to be issued with free school milk.

No. I understand that several education authorities have asked all parents of primary pupils over 7 whether they wish their children to be considered for the issue of free milk at school on health grounds. I do not think that such a general inquiry is necessary, but this is a matter for each education authority to decide.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate, on a percentage basis, of the number of tenants in local authority housing who will receive rent rebates when the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill becomes law.

Perhaps 30 per cent., but there will be no limit on the number who can get rent rebate if they qualify.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are on the waiting list for operations in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, for orthopaedic and general surgery, respectively.

710 for orthopaedic surgery and 810 for general surgery.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek to amend Section 12(1) of the Land Compensation (Scotland) Act, 1963, to allow an element of compensation for the extra costs involved to firms seeking new premises as a consequence solely of compulsory purchase.

All aspects of the compensation code, including compensation for business interests, are being studied in the comprehensive review of the code at present being carried out by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he agreed that prison officers should be allowed to go on detached duty to work in the Northern Ireland Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend agreed, at the request of the Northern Ireland Government, that prison officers in Scotland should be invited to volunteer on secondment to help the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of local authority housing provision for the aged, including the number of units of sheltered housing available, under construction and planned for the future in the parliamentary constituency of Midlothian.

I have no information about the number of houses provided specifically for the aged, but I estimate that there are about 1,100 one-and two-apartment local authority houses available in the area. I have not yet received any proposals in respect of sheltered housing.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is able to make a statement about the building of a replacement for Peel Hospital.

I am considering proposals from all regional hospital boards in connection with an extension of the hospital building programme, and I hope to make an announcement in the spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent in each of the last two years by each local authority in Scotland on family planning services.

This information is not available, since many Scottish authorities do not differentiate between family planning other related health services in the returns submitted to my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many localauthority-sponsored nursery schools there are in Scotland; and what are the figures on a county basis.

The table set out below gives information about the numbers of nursery schools and nursery classes attached to primary schools and departments and the numbers of children attending. The figures are those for January, 1971, and are the latest available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to increase the number of trained social service workers from the current 40 per cent. in the service.

I am giving teaching institutions financial help to expand their courses for social workers, and the numbers entering courses have increased from 202 in 1970 to 248 in 1971. A substantial increase in numbers of students is planned for the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in his review of the Social Work Act, he has studied the number of cases where the hardship can be partly attributed to the system whereby the South of Scotland Electricity Board demand that their bills be paid quarterly, rather than weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

I do not know the number of cases involved, but I am aware that some families have had difficulties in meeting quarterly electricity accounts. The Electricity Board is studying the feasibility of more frequent billing which is entirely for its decision. Meantime consumers who wish to pay monthly may use the monthly payments scheme and the Board's stamp scheme is available to all consumers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will invite the Scottish Economic Planning Council to consider the effects on the Scottish economy of the regional and steel pricing arrangements of the Common Market.

The benefits of entry into the European Economic Communities have been discussed in general terms in the Scottish Economic Council and the relevance of pricing arrangements noted, but the exact methods of operating those arrangements have yet to be determined by the industries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the present arrangements for licensing taxis, betting shops and public houses; and if he will make a statement.

I know of the recent controversy regarding the licensing of taxis in Glasgow, but I see no urgent need for a review of the system. The arrangements for licensing public houses are at present being examined by the Clayson Committee. When the committee reports, I will consider any implications that its proposals may hold for the licensing of betting shops; but I have no plans at present for legislation on that subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what acreage of sugar beet was grown in Scotland in 1971.

11,306 acres.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has received regarding those economic matters for which he is responsible.

I receive frequent representations on economic matters and these are usually of assistance to the Government in considering measures for helping the Scottish economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants were in receipt of a merit award in non-teaching hospitals in Scotland for the years 1970 and 1971.

In 1969 and 1970, the latest years for which figures are available, the numbers were 129 and 140 respectively in hospitals other than those where some undergraduate teaching is given. The figures exclude consultants employed in both teaching and non-teaching hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many divorces were granted in Scottish courts in 1971; and what were the comparable figures in 1961 and 1966.

4,819 decrees of divorce were granted in the Court of Session in 1971. The figures for 1961 and 1966 were 1,804 and 3,546.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in considering plans submitted by local authorities to reorganise primary and secondary education, he will take steps to ensure that the authorities will, so far as possible, permit children to complete their education at their existing schools.

This is primarily a matter for the education authorities concerned, but I would expect them to ensure that any proposals they put forward take full account of the needs of present pupils.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many Civil Service Departments conduct official pre-retirement courses for their staff; and how many staff have attended such courses.

It is not the general practice to run such courses but pre-retirement guidance is given in other ways.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will direct the Post Office to insert in the next retirement pension book to be issued a leaflet giving details of the scheme whereby a television licence can be bought over a period of 52 weeks by means of saving stamps.

A direction to the Post Office would not be appropriate. I am constantly looking at ways of making this scheme more widely known, and I am grateful for my hon. Friend's suggestion, which I should be glad to consider.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will conduct a departmental survey into the percentage next-day delivery rate of first-class mail.

No. I do not think that such an inquiry by my Department would be justified at the present time.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he now expects the Post Office to achieve their quinquennial financial target.

I am considering the Post Office's financial performance and prospects in the light of recent developments including the C.B.I. policy of price restraint.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will arrange to place in the Library a copy of the Post Office National Users' Council Report on the postal tariff proposals.

I did so on 27th January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the total acreage of derelict land in the county borough of Sunderland; and how many acres were cleared in 1971.

There were 202 acres of derelict land in Sunderland justifying treatment at the end of 1970. Three acres were cleared in that year. Figures of land cleared in 1971 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for an independent review of the finances of the West Penine Water Board.

No. I will send the hon. Member a copy of the Inspector's report following a public local inquiry and of the decision letter on the board's application for increased maximum charges.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has refused the London Borough of Newham the necessary authority to build their new civic centre; and, as unemployment in the London Borough of Newham has more than doubled since last year and there is a need for work and industry in the borough, if he will reconsider his decision.

More applications were received from London boroughs for supplementary capital allocations to build new civic centres than could reasonably be accommodated within the large projects pool for 1972–73. Those accepted were for schemes in a more advanced state than the Newham proposal. Additional public works of this type have not been approved outside the development and intermediate areas where the problem of unemployment is most acute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of his letters to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, on the subject of correspondence from Mr. Bert Reeves marked A and B.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has now made of the date for the start of the construction of the Humber Bridge; and how the contract will be awarded.

The construction programme and the awarding of the contract are responsibilities of the Humber Bridge Board. I suggest that the hon. Member approach the Board for information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what inquiries he made as to the effect on parking problems in Manchester arising from his decision to give consent to the closure of the passenger rail service from Oldham to Rochdale;(2) what inquiries he made as to road congestion in the area affected by his decision to give consent to the closure of the passenger rail service from Oldham to Rochdale;

I gave full consideration to all these factors, and to the considerable cost of providing the rail service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will pay an official visit to the area affected by his decision to give consent to the closure of the passenger rail service from Oldham to Rochdale.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will meet a delegation from the areas affected by his decission to give consent to the closure of the passenger rail service from Oldham to Rochdale, to consider the future of passenger transport services in the area in the light of his decision.

No. This is now a matter for the S.E.L.N.E.C. Passenger Transport Executive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times consent to the closure of a passenger rail service has been given against the advice of a transport users' consultative committee.

None; these committees advise on potential hardship, not on whether consent should be given to closure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of his letter to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, on the death of a schoolboy in West Ham.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce the date of the proposed national conference on the better use of water space; and if he will publish the names of those bodies who will be invited to attend.

The national conference on the better use of water space for sport, recreation, amenity and commerce will take place on 28th February at Church House. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as a complete list of those bodies to be invited has been drawn up.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT his conclusions on the inquiry into the Camden Rent Officers Service arising from correspondence he has had with the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North, on the matter.

As the Under-Secretary said in his letter of 22nd December to the hon. Member, my right hon. Friend, after making inquiries, concluded that he should take no further action on the accusations made in the anonymous communications concerned. As the hon. Member is aware, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General had earlier considered that the allegations did not merit police enquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning appeals have been dealt with by his Department in the last 12 months; and how many appeals are outstanding at the present time, if possible sub-divided into residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Some 5,500 planning appeals were decided during 1971 and at the end of the year just under 7,500 were outstanding, including 1,200 held in abeyance. No subdivision of the outstanding appeals is available, but of those decided in 1971, 59 per cent. related to residential, 3 per cent. to industrial and 11 per cent. to commercial or mixed commercial and industrial proposals. Those percentages include both new development and changes of use. The remaining 24 per cent. comprises a great variety of miscellaneous proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many allegations about the dumping of dangerous chemicals have been received by his Department since June, 1970; and whether he has informed the appropriate local council in each case.

The Department has not maintained records of such allegations either before June, 1970, or since, in a way which enable a statistically correct answer to be provided. Where the information is provided with sufficient accuracy to enable the location of the material to be immediately identified I would expect the appropriate local authority to be informed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a representative of his Department was told on 21st December, 1971, about the allegation that dangerous chemicals had been dumped at Barnt Green; when this in- formation was passed to the Bromsgrove Urban District Council; whether this action was at the request of the Bromsgrove Urban District Council or on the initiative of the Department of the Environment; and to what extent there was any delay due to an error of judgment by the Department.

A representative of the Department was advised on 21st December, 1971, that a former employee of a waste disposal contractor had alleged that chemical waste had been dumped on a site at Barnt Green, Bromsgrove. (At that time the Department had been asked to treat the source and nature of the information in confidence.) This allegation was one of several about the dumping of wastes in different parts of the West Midlands and was made in very general terms. In particular there was no information about the nature of the waste or about its location in a tip. The Department's informants were pressed to provide more specific evidence.Following the Press reports on 10th January, the Clerk of Bromsgrove U.D.C. wrote to the Department's Regional Office in Birmingham asking whether it had information about the allegations. The Department conveyed by telephone to the Clerk on 12th January all the information it could and advised that if evidence as to the precise location and nature of the waste were forthcoming, liaison with the appropriate river authorities and water undertakings would be desirable.I do not consider, in view of the difficulties of obtaining indisputable evidence as to the exact location or nature of certain wastes said to have been dumped more than a year ago, that the sequence of events is rightly described as an error of judgment on the part of the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he received a letter addressed to him by a resident of Wythall on 17th February, 1971; whether this letter contained an allegation that cyanide had been dumped at the Shirley Quarry; what action was taken as a result of this allegation; when this action was taken; and whether he will send an apology to the man who wrote to him.

A letter dated 17th February, 1971, was received in the Department. It was a letter four pages long, concerned primarily with a complaint that Shirley Quarry was being used for unauthorised purposes. There were a number of subsidiary issues, including a passing reference to the dumping of drums of cyanide. The correspondent said that he had made many representations to the local authorities in the area responsible for general questions about the control of tipping. The complaints made in that letter, and in a subsequent one of 13th March, are, with the agreement of the writer, signified on 15th June, being treated as a representation concerning an appeal against an Enforcement Notice made by the local authority in respect of the quarry. An apology for the delay in dealing with the letter of 17th February was sent on 12th July, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is his policy to welcome information from members of the public about the possible dumping of dangerous chemicals; and whether he will establish a special section of his Department to ensure that such information is communicated to the appropriate local council for their investigation.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, Yes, and to the second part, No—the work will be done by the appropriate section.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a representative of his Department met members of the Warwickshire Branch of the Conservation Society on 21st December, 1971; whether allegations were made at this meeting about the dumping of cyanide and other dangerous chemicals at other places besides Wolston and Barnt Green; and when this information was communicated to the appropriate local councils.

Yes. The allegations which were made at this meeting were in very general locational terms. The Society was asked to provide specific information as to the local authorities in whose area the alleged dumping had taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning representation of the disabled on the Sports Council; what replies he has made; and if he will make a statement.

I have had correspondence and a meeting with representatives of the British Sports Association for the Disabled. None of the members of the Sports Council has been appointed to serve in a representative capacity; but one member with long experience of work with the physically handicapped has been asked by the Chairman to take a special interest in the sports interests of the disabled.The experience and help of bodies representing the disabled is being actively sought by the Council. The British Sports Association for the Disabled, while maintaining the hope that the Council membership may at some time include a disabled person, expressed appreciation of the arrangements made. I have referred to these also in reply to an inquiry from the Central Council for the Disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received, and what consultation he has had, with the Central Council for the Disabled on the housing and environmental problems of the chronically sick and disabled; what replies he has made; what further action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend had a meeting last month with the Central Council for the Disabled. Among other matters, my Department, in consultation with the Central Council, is now examining the possibility of a document setting out examples of access provision for the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres of derelict land exist in the Yorkshire and Humberside region; how many acres are scheduled for reclamation; how many acres have been reclaimed; and if he will list the names of the local authorities.

1,893 acres of derelict land were reclaimed in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region from 1964 to 1970 inclusive, and it is estimated that a further 1,070 acres were reclaimed

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the progress of the Forbes Committee, in view of the fact that it was appointed over three years ago, meeting on four occasions in the period February, 1969, to September, 1971, with no meeting in 1970; what departmental secretarial or other service it has received; whether he will take action to expedite the Committee's work; and whether he will make a statement.

I understand that the final report of the Forbes Inquiry into the Registration of Builders is now being considered by the chairman and members, and that I may expect to receive it around the end of February. The Inquiry decides its own methods of working. My Department has provided the services of a Secretary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will examine the possibility of speeding the setting-up, availability and mobility of specialised squads to deal with emergencies such as those occasioned subsequent to the loss of m.v. "Germania".

Help was sent to the Cornwall County Council within hours of their request. All necessary additional assistance was made available as required. My right hon. Friend is, however, considering whether any improvements are needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to announce the result of the application for grant aid made by the Liskeard and District Swimming Pool Committee; and if he will give details of this award.

The South Western Sports Council has awarded the application sufficient priority to be considered further. Before an offer of grant is made, the Department will need to be satisfied that the plans and specifications have been revised to meet the requirements of public health and safety.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present method of financing the construction of new sewerage schemes by local authorities; and what changes he envisages will take place after the proposed introduction of regional water authorities in 1974.

New sewerage schemes are at present financed by borrowing, the annual provision for payment of interest and redemption of the loan being met out of the general rate fund. In most areas part of the provision is

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the expenditure on public service investment in the North-East expressed as a percentage of total public service investment in Great Britain for each of the last 10 years.

The figures available on a comparable basis relate to public investment in new construction analysed by new standard regions and by type of ser-

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total of public investment in new construction for the years 1961 to 1971, inclusive, giving both the absolute figures and those per capita for the North-West Region.

The bulk of the information requested is published, for recent years only, in the Abstract of Regional Statistics. The only per capita figures available for the North-West Region are given in the table below.vice for 1965–66 onwards. They are published in Table 37 of the Abstract of Regional Statistics. Public investment in new construction in the Northern Region, which comprises Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland, Westmorland and the North Riding of Yorkshire, as a percentage of public investment in Great Britain was as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated percentage increase in company gross trading profits during the third quarter of 1971 compared with the corresponding period of 1970; and how this compares with the percentage increase in salaries, wage rates and earnings.

No estimate of the percentage increase in salaries is available. Estimates for the remaining items are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the aggregate value of privately owned fixed capital assets in Great Britain at the most recent date for which figures are available; and how this compares with the figure for the same date 12 months earlier.

The latest available figures are those for the United Kingdom published in Table 64 of the Blue Book "National Income and Expenditure 1971" which show that the value of fixed assets (excluding land) held by the personal sector and by companies was estimated at £64,700 million at the end of 1970, compared with £57,800 million a year earlier. These estimates are at current replacement cost (after deducting depreciation) and the increase therefore includes the effect of increases in the value of existing assets as well as new investment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has so far been obtained in respect of capital gains tax or corporation tax for those transactions which were formerly subject to Betterment Levy; and what is the anticipated yield for the present financial year.

No figures are available for the first part of the Question because betterment values are no longer assessed. It has been estimated that the extra capital gains tax, corporation tax and estate duty which will be paid this year as a result of the abolition of the Betterment Levy will be about £5 million. There is no break-down of this figure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the loss of revenue in a full financial year which would result from the cancellation of all increases in Road Fund licence charges, hydrocarbon oils duties, and additional fiscal burdens imposed on the road haulage industry since October, 1964.

As regards the hydrocarbon oil duty the answer is estimated to be of the order of £30 million. No corresponding estimate can be given for Vehicle Excise Duty on the basis of available statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the British Aluminium Company Limited concerning the decision to close their works in Newport, Monmouthshire; and if he will make a statement.

As I have told the hon. Member in correspondence, I have been in touch with the firm before and after their decision was announced in July, 1971.

asked the. Secretary of State for Wales what provision is being made in the new General Hospital at Withybush in Pembrokeshire for mothers in units.

Two rooms will be available for mothers to stay with their children. There will also be four overnight stay rooms for visitors in general.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will establish a committee to inquire into the provision of help with travel costs incurred by families of children in hospital, and to eliminate the shortcomings in the present arrangements to which the interim report of the Working Party on Children in Hospital in Wales drew attention.

No. The Welsh Hospital Board has the interim report of its Working Party in hand, and, as suggested in that report, it has appointed a committee to collate and disseminate to all hospitals relevant information about financial and other help for travelling. The Committee has already met three times.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the two farming unions in Wales concerning the problems of Welsh agriculture in the European Economic Community.

On behalf of my right hon. and learned Friend, I have met representatives of the two farming unions in Wales in recent months when problems of Welsh agriculture, including aspects of entry into the E.E.C., were discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to reduce unemployment in the western area of Cornwall, particularly within the area of the Falmouth and Camborne constituency; and if he will make a statement.

With its development area status, Cornwall should gain in employment from the faster economic growth to which Government policies are directed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further action the Government is taking to create job opportunities for young people in Scotland.

The services of the Department and the benefits provided under the Local Employment Acts are available to assist in the creation of employment for the young as well as for others throughout Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of Great Britain's exports in value terms was accounted for by the top 10 foreign-owned exporting companies in 1970.

About 9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he proposes to assemble figures relating to the proportion of the labour force employed by foreign-owned companies, and the proportion of fixed investment in manufacturing industry accounted for by foreign-owned companies for a later year than 1963.

There are no plans to compile separate employment figures for companies of this kind outside the field covered by the Census of Production. Particulars of the numbers they employ, and of their fixed investment, in private manufacturing industry in 1968 and 1970 will be published towards the end of this year in the Reports of the Censuses of Production for those years.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of imports of cars manufactured abroad by foreign-owned companies with manufacturing subsidiaries in the United Kingdom; and how this compares with the previous year or comparable period.

The information is not available as imports by make are derived from registration statistics, which are collected by number only.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the value of exports during 1971 of cars manufactured in the United Kingdom by foreign-owned companies to countries in which those companies have manufacturing facilities; and how this compares with the previous year or comparable period;(2) what was the percentage rate of increase and the actual rate of increase during 1971 of exports of cars manufactured in the United Kingdom by foreign-owned companies to countries in which those companies have manufacturing facilities;(3) what was the value during 1971 of exports of cars manufactured in the United Kingdom by foreign-owned companies; and how this compares with the previous year or comparable period;(4) what was the percentage rate of increase and the actual rate of increase during 1971 of exports of cars manufactured in the United Kingdom by foreign owned companies; and how this compares with the previous year or comparable period.

Cars produced for export by foreign-owned companies in the United Kingdom in 1971 totalled 326,000, a decrease of 26,000 or 7 per cent. on 1970. Value information is confidential and no separate figures for exports by foreign-owned companies to particular countries are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will assemble figures concerning imports from related concerns comparable with those already available with regard to exports to related concerns.

No. The information on exports was assembled from replies to a special question included in the inquiries relating to overseas transactions in 1966 and 1970, but there was no corresponding question on imports, the value of the information being thought not to justify the trouble and cost its collection would entail.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will now take to provide improved consumer protection in general and to improve after-sales service in particular.

It is the Government's announced intention to introduce legislation to strengthen the protection given to the consumer by the Sale of Goods Act. If the civil or criminal law is shown to be defective in other respects relevant to the consumer's protection, I will gladly consider improving it; but in a competitive economy the standard of after-sales service is a matter which must primarily depend on the good commercial sense of the businesses concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of investment grant paid by Her Majesty's Government to industrialists in Wales in the first half of 1970; and what was the total amount of investment allowance allowed to Welsh industrialists in the first half of 1971.

Investment grant paid to industrialists in Wales between 1st January and 30th June, 1970, amounted to £16·4 million. I understand from my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that a figure of the comparable amount of investment allowance made in the first half of 1971 is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a general direction to electricity boards to request public hearings when they apply for warrants in order to enter the homes of consumers to disconnect supplies.

The manner in which electricity boards' applications for warrants are dealt with is a matter for the magistrates.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a general direction to electricity boards to involve welfare and social organisations where the possibility of disconnection of electricity supplies to a consumer arises.

There is already good liaison between electricity boards and the welfare services, and discussions are in progress to see whether the working arrangements can be improved.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date representations were first made to the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation by Great Britain that agreement should be reached whereby countries whose coastline may be at risk will be notified immediately of any shipping incident involving hazardous cargoes.

The question of international notification has been under consideration as a proposal to come before the 1973 International Conference on Marine Pollution. However, we decided that more urgent action was also desirable.The United Kingdom proposal foreshadowed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment in his statement to the House on 24th January has therefore been formally put to the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation today. It is for discussion at the 12th Session of the Sub-Committee on Marine Pollution which

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date his Department was informed that drums containing dimethylamine had been lost overboard from the Somali motorship "Atlantic Ocean" on 19th December; what action was taken; on what date his Department informed the Department of the Environment; and why the delay occurred.

The Coastguard, which is in my Department, was informed on 19th December, 1971, the day the loss occurred, and immediately notified local authorities and interests in the area likely to be affected if the drums came ashore. The Coastguard sent a reminder to local authorities when the drums from the "Germania" began to appear. It would be for local authorities to decide whether to call on the Government for assistance and in that event they would seek such assistance through the Department of the Environment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the weight and value of imports from Denmark of salmon and rainbow trout, frozen and fresh, into the United Kingdom during 1970–71.

I have been asked to reply.Following is the available information:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of wage-stopped supplementary benefits paid per week at the latest available date in Bradford; what proportion this represents of supplementary benefits paid to those unemployed in Bradford; and how this compares with the proportion of wage-stopped benefits among those unemployed nationally and receiving supplementary benefit.

On 23rd November, 1971, there were 313 unemployed persons in Bradford receiving supplementary benefit who had their allowances restricted under the wage-stop provision. This figure represented 7·6 per cent. of unemployed persons receiving supplementary benefit in Bradford. The corresponding national percentage was 5·2 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the county of Cornwall had, at the most recent date, been granted family income supplement; how many had been refused; and how many appeals had been lodged.

Statistics of awards of family income supplement are at present available only for departmental regions, but, as I told the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 17th December, 1971, I am considering whether they can be provided for smaller areas. Up to 21st January, 1972, awards of family income supplement had been made to about 6,000 families in the South-Western departmental regions. Statistics of rejected claims are available only for Great Britain as a whole. Thirty appeals have been lodged in Cornwall.—[Vol. 828. c.291]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to publish the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Whittingham Hospital near Preston.

I hope to lay the Report before the House on 15th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to require all chiropodists practising outside the National Health Service to be State registered.

I have no proposals for further legislation at the present time.

the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost to the State and local authorities of maintaining an unemployed householder and his family on unemployment benefits, together with the estimated cost of extra free school meals, rate rebates and other means-tested benefits which may be incurred because of his unemployment.

This information is not available in the form requested. In December, 1971, the average weekly payments of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit for unemployed persons totalled approximately £8 million, but the available statistics do not differentiate between householders and non-householders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects the Parker Committee on interrogation techniques to produce its report.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received the report. It will be published in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have volunteered to go from England and Wales to work in internment camps in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers in England and Wales have volunteered to work in Ulster since 1st January, 1971; and if he will make a statement.

Seventy prison officers who volunteered to serve temporarily with the Northern Ireland prison service are now in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he agreed that prison officers should be allowed to go on detached duty to work in the Northern Ireland Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

At the request of the Northern Ireland Government my right hon. Friend agreed that prison officers from England and Wales should be invited to volunteer for a period of secondment in order to help the Northern Ireland prison service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet in a position to announce details of his proposed strengthening of safety standards on the sale of toys.

My right hon. Friend will soon be circulating detailed proposals for consideration by interested organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that the police have adequate powers to arrest members of organisations engaged in armed insurrection within the United Kingdom and in the murder and intimidation of Her Majesty's subjects and the destruction of their property; and if he will make a statement.

The police have adequate power to arrest persons known to be engaged in those activities. In England and Wales membership of a particular organisation is not in itself an offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered drug addicts there were in the Southampton area on 31st December, 1971; and what are the comparable figures for the years 1965 to 1970. inclusive.

The number of narcotic drug addicts in Hampshire known to the Home Office to be receiving narcotic drugs on prescription or from other sources at 31st December, 1971 was 50; the figures at the end of 1969 and 1970 were 53 and 47 respectively. Figures for earlier years are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess and publish the ecological hazards now presented by the depredation of deciduous trees by grey squirrels.

The effects of squirrel damage are generally well understood by the forestry and other interests concerned. I doubt whether an assessment on the lines proposed is necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) in view of his Department's shareholding of £,280·00 in the Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited, what is his policy in relation to the activities of the company;(2) on what date shares were purchased by Her Majesty's Government in the Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited.

This shareholding. which was acquired on 11th July, 1959, is held by the Land Settlement Association on my behalf, along with similar shareholdings in other co-operative organisations, in order to assist the trading activities of the Association, which provides purchasing and marketing services for tenants on a number of smallholding estates which it manages as my agent. My policy in relation to the Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. is of course no different from that which I follow in relation to any other commercial enterprise and is not in any way influenced by the small number of shares which I hold in the Society.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will request the European Economic Community Commission to agree to have certain areas of the United Kingdom, which experience particular problems in relation to production and marketing, designated as areas where exemptions to restrictions under Article 92 of the Treaty of Rome would be allowed.

I take it that the hon. Member has agricultural problems in mind. He may know that under Article 42 of the Treaty aid may be authorised to undertakings handicapped by structural or natural conditions or within the framework of economic development programmes. The application of this to the United Kingdom will be discussed as the situation develops.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to give compensation to British wine producers who will have to change the names of their products on British entry into the Common Market.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to make a statement concerning the future of the Milk Marketing Board.

My right hon. Friend has no changes in mind.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many former Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve personnel have joined the Ulster Defence Regiment since 1st November, 1971.

Eighty-nine, of whom 23 transferred under the special arrangements to which I referred in the supplementary answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 20th January. The rest had concluded their normal T.A.V.R. engagements. I am sorry that my original reply did not make this difference clear.—[Vol. 829, c. 641.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence what defence commitments Great Britain has which are not also commitments accepted by her North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies.

I have been asked to reply.Great Britain has responsibility outside the N.A.T.O. area for the security of her remaining dependent territories and for the defence of the Caribbean Associated States. She is a member of the Central and South-East Asia Treaty Organisations and has bilateral defence agreements or treaties with Ceylon, Malta, Mauritius and Brunei. She is also a party to Five-Power Defence Arrangements related to Malaysia and Singapore.