asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current employment situation.

Employment is at present seriously affected by the restrictions on the use of electricity made necessary by the reduction of coal deliveries to power stations. As soon as the supply of coal is adequate, electricity restrictions can be lifted and employment prospects improved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a consultative document containing the proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act 1971 which have been sent to him.

I have no plans at present to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how he proposes to ensure the necessary degree of control in the payment of unemployment benefits when the employment and unemployment sides of the employment service are to be both administratively and physically separated.

The Employment and Training Act requires the Manpower Services Commission to provide information necessary for the determination of claims to benefit. The arrangements for transmission of information between the employment and training services of the Manpower Services Commission and the benefit service of my Department will be broadly the same as those operating now where the functions are separately performed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he and members of his Department have had with representatives of the CBI and the TUC about the efficacy of job evaluation techniques in ensuring that wage differentials reflect current rather than historical job differentials.

There have not been any discussions with the CBI and TUC on this topic.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many full-time workers employed in the St. Helens area have been reduced to a three-day week ; and how this change has affected weekly earnings in terms of cash and as a percentage.

I estimate that about 1,900 workers in the St. Helens area were laid off and claiming unemployment benefit on 14th January. Information about the effect on weekly earnings is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the public spending cuts will have on the Government's plans for expanding facilities for industrial retraining.

The Government's current plans for providing a substantial increase in training facilities under the Training Opportunities Scheme will not be seriously affected by the cuts in Government spending, but there will be a slight slowing down in the expansion of training places at Government training centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what capital projects of his Department in Scotland have been affected by the public spending cuts ; and what is the total cut in capital and other expenditure within Scotland.

The only capital project in Scotland involving my Department which is affected by the public spending cuts is the rehousing of the factory of Remploy Ltd. at Springburn. After discussion with the company it has been decided that a saving of £70,000 should be achieved in 1974–75 by delaying the start on the new premises. The existing factory will continue to operate until the new premises are ready.The cut in other expenditure in Scotland in 1974–75 is estimated at about £0·2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of workers laid off as a result of the fuel situation for each day since 27th December 1973.

The following are estimates of the numbers of workers temporarily stopped and claiming unemployment benefit each day in Great Britain up to the latest date for which they are available. Estimates of the total number

Region		Thursday 27th December 1973	Friday 28th December 1973	Monday 31st December 1973	Wednesday 2nd January 1974	Thursday 3rd January 1974	Friday 4th January 1974
Northern	…	21,000	31,000	27,000	24,000	42,000	46,000
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	60,000	98,000	92,000	107,000	130,000	120,000
Eastern and Southern	…	10,000	13,000	50,000	69,000	77,000	63,000
London and South East	…	10,000	18,000	32,000	42,000	63,000	66,000
South West	…	4,000	5,000	8,000	21,000	13,000	16,000
Wales	…	1,000	3,000	5,000	5,000	13,000	30,000
Midlands	…	200,000	256,000	280,000	292,000	243,000	253,000
North West	…	95,000	109,000	146,000	170,000	124,000	123,000
Scotland	…	3,000	11,000	No figures available	No figures available	24,000	34,000
Total	…	404,000	544,000	640,000	730,000	729,000	751,000

Region		Monday 7th January 1974	Thursday 8th January 1974	Wednesday 9th January 1974	Thursday 10th January 1974	Friday 11th January 1974
Northern	…	50,000	55,000	54,000	59,000	58,000
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	107,000	111,000	109,000	82,000	83,000
Eastern and Southern	…	73,000	74,000	70,000	64,000	70,000
London and South East	…	62,000	69,000	73.000	65,000	68,000
South West	…	21,000	25,000	24,000	18,000	18,000
Wales	…	25,000	25,000	26,000	35,000	37,000
Midlands	…	320,000	319,000	321,000	297,000	294,000
North West	…	176,000	173,000	174,000	114,000	109,000
Scotland	…	51,000	64,000	65,000	66,000	72,000
Total	…	885,000	915,000	916,000	800,000	809,000

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement giving details of the

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the regional distribution of lay-offs from work each week since Christmas 1973.

The estimates made by my Department show the numbers of workers temporarily stopped and claiming unemployment benefit on each working day from 27th December 1973 to 11th January 1974 inclusive. Following is the information:—number of workers who have been unemployed or on short time during the energy shortage.

Details of the January count of the unemployed will be published on 24th January 1974.Daily estimates of those on short time in Great Britain during the energy shortage and claiming benefit each day are given below:

27th December 1973	404,000
28th December 1973	544,000
31st December 1973	640,000
2nd January 1974	730,000
3rd January 1974	729,000
4th January 1974	751,000
7th January 1974	885,000
8th January 1974	915,000
9th January 1974	916,000
10th January 1974	800,000
11th January 1974	809,000

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the date of the agreement between employers and firemen in Glasgow regarding payments for travelling expenses ; whether this agreement has yet been referred to the Pay Board, and when ; whether the Pay Board has yet reached a conclusion on the compatibility of this agreement with the Pay Code ; and what is his estimate of the aggregate percentage increase in the earnings of Glasgow firemen resulting from this agreement and that approved by the Pay Board on 14th December last.

I understand that, at the request of the Pay Board, full details of the settlement under which Glasgow firemen would receive travelling expenses from 5th November 1973 were submitted to it on 8th January 1974. The settlement is still under consideration by the board and I cannot, therefore, estimate the aggregate percentage increase in earnings which will result.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Pay Board has concluded its discussion with the NJC for local authorities' fire brigades regarding the unsocial hours premia included in the agreement which it approved on 14th December, and with what result ; and what is the aggregate percentage addition to the wages of firemen resulting therefrom.

The application of unsocial hours payments to the small proportion of firemen on the day manning system of duty is still being considered. Apart from this, the stage 3 settlement has been approved by the Pay Board. This will provide an average increase on basic rates of about 7 per cent. Most firemen not on the day manning system work a 56-hour week, and because of the number of unsocial hours involved their earnings could be increased further by about 11 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the £105 million 13 per cent. pay increase negotiated for local government manual workers is in conformity with the Government's counter-inflation policy.

The pay settlement reached on 14th December 1973 for local government manual workers has been accepted by the Pay Board as consistent wtih the pay code and was formally approved on 2nd January 1974. The settlement includes an equal pay increase from 1st January 1974 permissible outside the pay limit. Increases subject to the limit add about 11·2 per cent. to the pay bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with the machine tool industry about reducing noise levels in the equipment it produces ; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome this opportunity to announce that a draft code of practice for the reduction of machinery noise has now been prepared. The code was drafted by a small expert working group set up by the Noise Sub-Committee of the Industrial Health Advisory Committee, and was issued at the end of last month to a large number of industrial organisations, including the representative bodies of the machine tool industry. All comments received by 31st March 1974 will be carefully considered in the preparation of the final version of the code.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now invoke the Industrial Relations Act and cause a ballot to be held on the offer made to the miners.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will rearrange the timetable for the appointment of dental officers in the new National Health Service administration to ensure that the appointment of district dental officers follows the appointment of area dental officers and not vice versa as provided in the existing arrangements.

It has always been the intention to appoint area dental officers before district dental officers. The area posts were advertised at the beginning of this month, and it has now been decided not to appoint district officers until the area officers have been able to assess the needs of their areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to remove the three waiting days before unemployment benefit is payable.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will announce his decision in relation to the emergency and accident unit of the Victoria Memorial Jewish Hospital, Manchester.

I am studying the report of the regional hospital board on this matter and hope to announce my decision in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the cuts in public expenditure for the services for which he is responsible in the Northern Region arising from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's latest Budget Statement.

My Department hopes to discuss this matter with the regional authorities in the very near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what capital projects of his Department in Scotland have been affected by the public spending cuts ; and what is the total cut in capital and other expenditure within Scotland.

Social security benefits are not affected. Reductions in capital expenditure on social security accommodation are included in the answer given to the hon. Member by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what hospital and other building works within the city and county of Bristol will be delayed in view of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement of public spending cuts.

My Department will be discussing these matters with the authorities concerned as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the effect on projects for health and social welfare of the measures announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 12th December 1973.

It will be necessary to defer a number of projects that were expected to start in 1974–75 in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many projects previously agreed will be undertaken, and how many will not, in the year 1974–75 in the city of Plymouth.

My Department will be discussing these matters with the authorities concerned as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his meeting with the officials of the National Council for the Single Woman and her Dependants ; and what action he will take to assist the requirements of this organisation.

There has been no recent formal meeting with representatives of the national council ; but we are well aware of the council's work and its aims. The assurance has been given that the current review of cash provision for the disabled extends to the families with whom they live.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now name the date on which he intends to publish the report of Lady Sharp's inquiry into the vehicle service for the disabled.

I am not yet able to give a firm date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled, the Disabled Drivers Action Group and other appropriate organisations with copies of Lady Sharp's report one or two days prior to the date of general publication.

No, but copies will be sent free to all individuals and organisations who gave evidence to Lady Sharp on the same day that they are available to Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now, in the light of the recent statement by the Minister for Transport Industries to Mr. Graham Hill, publish the results of the tests on the model P70 invalid tricycle carried out by the Motor Industry Research Association, together with the report of Lady Sharp's inquiry into the vehicle service for the disabled ; and if he will make a statement.

HOME HELPS
					Part-time Staff
Area				Number of whole-time staff	Number	Whole-time equivalent	Total Whole-time equivalent
Hampshire County Council	…	…	…	1	1,094	464	465
England and Wales	…	…	…	2,717	77,931	34,912	37,629
These figures represented the following numbers of home helps (whole-time equivalents) per 1,000 population aged 65 and over:

Hampshire County Council	…	…	…	3·6
England and Wales	…	…	…	5·8

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total of hospital beds in the Hartlepool

I cannot usefully add to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 6th November 1973.—[Vol. 863, c. 150.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each authority administering the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act the total expenditure, and expenditure per head of known or registered qualified persons under the Act, for the end of the first year of the Act, and for the latest available date.

I regret that such information about expenditure under particular enactments is not available. I expect, however, that in 1973–74 the total of local authorities, expenditure on welfare services for the handicapped will be 50 per cent.—in constant prices—above the corresponding total for 1971–72, which was the first full year of working of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many home helps were available to the Hampshire County Council at the nearest convenient date ; how many this number represented per 1,000 population aged 65 years and over ; and how this figure compares with that for England and Wales.

The numbers of home helps employed by the Hampshire County Council and in England and Wales at 30th September 1972, the latest date for which figures are available, were as follows:group of hospitals ; and how many were not in use at the latest available date.

On 31st December 1973 there were 682 staffed beds available of which 248 were unoccupied. The number of unoccupied beds is invariably high at the end of December because as many patients as possible are sent home for Christmas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers on the hospital waiting lists nationally, in hospital regions, and in the Hartlepool group of hospitals.

The numbers at 31st December 1972 were as follows. Figures for the end of 1973 are not yet available.

England	479,199
Hospital regions (including teaching hospitals)
Newcastle	25,856
Leeds	23,132
Sheffield	49.652
East Anglian	16,393
North-West Metropolitan	49,234
North-East Metropolitan	29,692
South-East Metropolitan	34,093
South-West Metropolitan	26,540
Oxford	22,247
South-Western	41,453
Birmingham	56,660
Manchester	63,263
Liverpool	20,157
Wessex	20,827
Hartlepools HMC	1,219

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has to reduce prescription charges.

None. Anyone who cannot afford to pay prescription charges is entitled to claim exemption or a refund.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total increase in hospital and social service costs during 1973 in the Northern Region arising from value added tax ; and what estimate has been made for 1974.

For the personal social services provided by local authorities VAT is refunded ; but the revenue allocations to the hospital service for 1973–74 were increased to take account of the introduction of VAT. The additional allocation to the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board was £1·3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the new departmental offices in Rugby to be opened.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 23rd January 1973. No suitable premises have yet become available but it still remains the intention that a new office will be opened when accommodation is found.—[Vol. 849, c. 86.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will waive the restrictions on places approved under the Abortion Act which effectively prevent them from undertaking day-care treatment.

No. I have, however, authorised a pilot scheme at an approved place in Brighton, owned and managed by British Pregnancy Advisory Service, under which the proprietors will be freed from the requirement that they should endeavour to persuade their patients to remain overnight after treatment. The scheme will apply to a small number of selected patients and the approved place will continue to be bound by its undertaking to limit operations to the number of beds available for overnight stay. I am satisfied that appropriate arrangements have been made for the proper care and after-care and assessment of patients. It is hoped that this scheme when fully assessed will provide information as to whether the existing restrictions should be revised and, if so, in what way.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the establishment figure for nurses ; and how it compares with the number employed in the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board.

There is no nationally accepted basis for determining the nurse staffing establishment of hospitals. Individual hospital authorities, in association as appropriate with regional hospital boards, are responsible for assessing the nurse staffing requirements of the hospitals which they administer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will name the hospitals in the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board area which use nursing agencies to recruit nurses.

Agency nurses are currently employed in the Dudley Road and Groundslow hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of employing agency nurses during 1971–72 and 1972–73 by the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board ; and what would have been the cost of these nurses had they been employed directly by the hospital board.

As follows:

	Total expenditure £	Estimated equivalent expenditure for directly employed nurses £
1971–72	39,273	35,000
1972–73	19,306	17,000

Because agency charges vary from one agency to another and directly employed nurses are paid on a scale and not on a flat rate, the comparative cost of agency nurses and directly employed nurses can vary from case to case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what instructions he has given to the Attendance Allowance Board regarding the regulation of its procedures.

None.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
		£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Basic	…	1,212	1,263	1,314	1,368	1,425	1,485	1,542	—	—
Senior	…	1,395	1,449	1,506	1,566	1,620	1,680	1,740	1,803	—
Head I	…	1,491	1,542	1,599	1,653	1,707	1,764	1,821	1,878	—
Head II	…	1,617	1,668	1,722	1,773	1,830	1,890	1,950	2,007	—
Head III	…	1,743	1,809	1,875	1,941	2,007	2,076	2,148	2,223	—
Head IV	…	1,872	1,956	2,043	2,130	2,223	2,313	2,403	2,499	—
Head V	…	2,058	2,160	2,268	2,376	2,487	2,595	2,706	2,820	—
Assistant Head I	…	1,440	1,494	1,545	1,602	1,656	1,710	1,767	1,824	—
Assistant Head II	…	1,491	1,542	1,599	1,653	1,707	1,764	1,821	1,878	—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that the entitlement to constant attendance allowance is made known to those likely to be entitled by using medical, local authority and ancillary services ; and whether he will make such entitlement retrospective.

We have taken steps to ensure that the benefit is widely known. Lord Amulree, Chairman of the Attendance Allowance Board, has written to all general practitioners, directors of social services and medical officers of health on four separate occasions explaining the scheme to them and asking them to encourage claims from those who might be entitled ; and there has been a series of advertising campaigns in the national Press and relevant periodicals, together with the usual distribution of leaflets and posters. Under the National Insurance Acts 1970 and 1972 payment of attendance allowance cannot be made for any period prior to the date of claim, and it is not proposed to amend this provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider the wages and conditions of service of remedial staff such as speech therapists and physiotherapists ; and whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT their levels of pay and entitlement to fringe benefits.

The pay and conditions of service of the remedial professions and speech therapists are matters for the Whitley Council in the first instance. The current salary scales for whole-time staff in these professions, effective from 1st April 1973, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider allowing doctors to prescribe on the National Health Service a gluten-free diet for people suffering from multiple sclerosis bearing in mind that such a diet is regarded as helpful and lacking adverse side effects: and if he will make a statement

Gluten-free products are regarded as foods except in certain conditions for which the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances has recommended that they should be regarded as drugs. Multiple sclerosis is not one of these conditions and it is, therefore, not possible for them to be prescribed under the National Health Service.The use of gluten-free products in the management of multiple sclerosis is still in the experimental stage. If further research were to show that such use is beneficial the advisory committee would no doubt reconsider its recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the amount allowable as expenses for a meal by pensioners making an earnings declaration from 15p to 50p.

We have no proposals in this sense. The amount of 15p is not intended to cover the cost of a meal but is a recognition of the extra cost of a meal taken away from home.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the law against the employment of children is being observed.

It was because of disregard for this branch of the law, which was believed to be fairly widespread, that the Employment of Children Act 1973 was passed. Work is proceeding on regulations to be made under the Act, which will be brought into operation as soon as they are ready to be laid before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many general practitioners in England, in Scotland and in Wales, respectively, employ related ancillary staff.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement on the action she is taking to ensure that no students are compelled to give up their studies as the result of reduced parental income during the current emergency.

The award regulations provide that where the annual income of parents drops by more than 20 per cent. their contribution may be reassessed on the basis of current income. My Department will be considering, in consultation with the local authority associations, difficulties arising in the present situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she expects to give final approval for the building of St. James' Junior and Infant School, Gorton, Manchester.

As explained in Circular 15/73, school improvement projects will not be eligible for approval in the period up to 30th June 1975. St. James' Junior and Infant School falls into this category and its likely date of starting cannot be forecast at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give the total amount of grant cut back from the Agricultural Research Council ; and what she estimates to be the effect on students holding postgraduate grants.

As a result of the statement on 17th December by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer it is expected that the total sum available in 1974–75, subject to parliamentary approval, to the Agricultural Research Council will be reduced from £23·9 million to £22·5 million. The figures include both the council's allocation from my Department and its receipts from funds transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This reduction will have no effect on support for postgraduate students, which is in the main provided separately by the Ministry of Agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she expects to give final approval for the building of the Linden Road Primary School, Denton, Lancashire.

I understand that the local education authority expects to receive a tender for Linden Road Primary School towards the end of May 1974. Providing the tender meets the Department's requirements, approval will be given quickly and work can start immediately afterwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, as a large number of women in industry will now have to work at weekends, if she will advocate the opening of schools on Saturdays for meals and recreation.

Where local education authorities are satisfied that there is a need sufficient to justify the extra costs involved, they have the necessary power to provide meals and recreational activities at schools on Saturdays.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will take steps to provide free school meals and milk for the duration of the present emergency situation, at least for children of parents whose incomes have fallen due to three-day working.

The present arrangements for remitting the charge for school meals entitle a parent to free school meals for children at school during any week in which his income falls below the prescribed levels or he receives supplementary benefit or family income supplement. No change in the arrangements to meet the present emergency situation is therefore required.The issue of free milk at school is not related to a parent's financial circumstances. Pupils of all ages in special schools and children up to seven in other schools receive milk automatically ; a junior pupil over seven may receive it if a school medical officer decides that he needs it on grounds of health. When so deciding the medical officer need not wait until the child shows overt signs of malnutrition, but may take all the child's circumstances into account.There is no justification for providing free school meals for all pupils at school. The additional cost would be nearly £6 million a week, allowing for the additional demand created, and most of this would be for the benefit of parents well able to pay the small charge for the meal which is now made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many times Army units have been instructed in Northern Ireland not to arrest IRA terrorists using rifles because of the possible escalation of violence ;(2) why the Army has been refused permission to arrest armed IRA terrorists on the grounds of political expediency.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for overall security policy. The Government's declared intention is to defeat politically motivated violence from whatever source, and all decisions on arrests are directed to this end. It is not practicable to ascertain how many times orders on any particular point have been given by Army commanders to their units, but every effort is made to arrest armed terrorists, except where there would be undue risk to innocent lives.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the annual defence budgets for the years 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 has been spent on capital expenditure, defined as moneys spent upon arms, equipment and infrastructure.

The bulk of the defence budget is classified as current expenditure for national accounts purposes. The information on "capital" expenditure as requested is not readily available. In the Defence Estimates, percentages of expenditure, other than expenditure on personnel, for the years in question are:

1968–69	59
1969–70	57
1970–71	55
1971–72	49
1972–73	51
1973–74	53

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future of the through-deck cruiser in the context of the recent cuts in defence spending.

The building of the cruiser will continue but the phasing of the work may be affected by the current economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future of the Harrier aircraft with the Royal Navy in the context of the recent cuts in defence spending.

I have nothing to add to what I told the House on 18th December 1973.—[Vol. 866, c. 1129–31.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the implications for facilities and development plans in Royal Naval dockyards of the recent cuts in defence spending.

A number of projects will necessarily be curtailed or deferred, but I am not yet able to give details. Every effort will be made in consultation with the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment to minimise the effects of such changes to the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the implications for recruiting and for pay and conditions of service for Service men of the recent cuts in defence spending.

The factors which affect recruiting are complex and I do not expect that the recent cuts in defence spending will be significant in this respect. These cuts will not affect pay and conditions of service generally, but will slow down the rate at which we can make improvements in accommodation standards.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement detailing the economies to be made in the British defence programme following the recent cuts in public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the public spending cuts will have on his Department's capital and other expenditure in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the cuts in defence expenditure in Her Majesty's establishments in the city of Plymouth and surrounding areas, including Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport.

The cuts will be provided for in the Defence Estimates, but the examination of their effect, in detail, on the defence programme is not yet completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the unavoidable delays which took place before Leading Writer Peter Francis Bryant was summarily tried under the Naval Discipline Act on 19th June 1973.

The sequence of events in this case was as follows:(

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for Dundonald Camp, Troon, following the closure of the Junior Tradesmen's Regiment there ; and if he will make a statement.

The Junior Tradesmen's Regiment will vacate Dundonald Camp, Troon, by 31st March. There is a continuing need for the married quarters there, and we are now considering whether there is a further defence requirement for the rest of the site.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extra cost to the present date, expressed as a percentage of the total cost to the present date, of international collaboration on each of the following aircraft projects: Jaguar, WG.13, MRCA.

It is generally recognised that collaboration will involve extra costs in some areas, although it is not possible to quantify these precisely. These extra costs are, however, offset by the overall savings resulting from having one or more partners with whom to share the total development costs and through savings to the participating countries from economies of scale in production.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the rules concerning the acceptance by recently retired senior officers of the Services of appointments in industrial companies with which they had customer/contractor relationships whilst in the Ministry of Defence.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave on 2nd April 1973—[Vol. 854, c. 11.]—in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for the Western Isles (Mr. Donald Stewart), in which he stated the rules applying to civil servants wishing to take up appointments on retirement or resignation. These rules apply equally to senior Service officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the fact that he has now agreed to the building of married quarters at Raglan Barracks, he will ensure that this project is carried out, or alternatively hand this site over to the local authority.

It is still the intention, as I said on 5th November 1973—[Vol. 863, c. 54.]—to begin building married quarters on the Raglan Barracks site in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement regarding the loss of the fishing trawler "Ian Fleming" of St. Andrew's Dock, Hull, off the Norwegian coast on Christmas Day 1973.

The fishing vessel "Ian Fleming" struck the coastline at Hammer-fest, Norway, on the morning of 25th December 1973 and subsequently foundered. I have ordered a preliminary inquiry into this casualty under Section 465 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. I am sure the House would wish to join me in offering sympathy to the relatives and friends of the three members of the crew who lost their lives in this tragic occurrence.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the effect on his Department's capital and other expenditure within Scotland of the public spending cuts.

Forecasts of expenditure by DTI are prepared for Great Britain as a whole and separate figures for Scotland are not available. Regional expenditure under the Industry Act 1972, however, is expected to continue to build up in 1974–75 and this will benefit Scotland along with other assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any of the provisions of the Industry Act are affected by the Government's economic measures ; and if he will make a statement on the rate of inquiries by industrialists involving these provisions since the Chancellor's latest Budget Statement.

The powers in the Industry Act 1972 are principally for the benefit of the assisted areas and are not affected. As hitherto they will be available in appropriate cases.Records are not maintained of the number of inquiries. Moreover, it is too soon to assess the rate of applications for regional development grants, selective assistance and shipbuilding credits and grants since my right hon. Friend's statement on 17th December.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on present and prospective exports of United Kingdom goods to Saudi Arabia with special reference to capital goods and armaments.

The value of United Kingdom exports to Saudi Arabia for each year since 1970 was as follows:

	million
1970	£35·2
1971	£38·9
1972	£45·2
January to November 1973	£54·0

Approximately half of the value of United Kingdom exports to Saudi Arabia is represented by machinery and transport equipment.It is expected that the upward trend in our exports will continue in the future.The figures which I have given include exports of a small quantity of defence equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on recent negotiations which have taken place with the Arab countries on trade between them and Great Britain.

We are in regular touch with the Governments of the Arab countries about our commercial relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of citrus fruits and juices supplied to the United Kingdom in each of the last three years by Commonwealth Caribbean countries.

Following is the information on United Kingdom imports from Commonwealth Caribbean countries:

	Citrus fruits Tons	Citrus fruits juices*Tons
1970	3,144	8,925
1971	6,663	11,621
1972	6,110	8,807
Jan./Nov. 1973	4,028	5,078
* The figures include a negligible amount of juices of vegetable and non-citrus fruit

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of industrial development aid in annual terms currently being provided by Her Majesty's Government to the regions ; what proportion of the total is represented by regional employment premium ; what Great Britain's annual contribution to the EEC regional fund will be in 1974 ; and what sum he estimates will be repaid to the British regions.

I estimate that in 1973–74 Government preferential assistance to industry in the assisted areas will amount to about £360 million, of which REP will account for about £104 million, or nearly 28 per cent. These figures are based on those given in the White Paper Cmnd 5519 "Public Expenditure to 1977–78" published in December 1973.Until final decisions have been taken on the size and other details of the Regional Development Fund it will not be possible to estimate the size of Her Majesty's Government's contribution, nor the amount of aid to be received.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coking coal was exported during the month of December 1973.

I will publish the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT when the December 1973 issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics is published.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was exported during the month of December 1973.

The information is not yet available ; it will be given under SITC (R) 321.4 in Table VI of the December 1973 issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics, the publication of which, due on 29th January 1974, will be delayed by the electricity restrictions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was imported in 1971 and 1972 ; and how these figures compare with 1973 to the latest available date.

4·2 million tonnes in 1971. The later information is published under SITC (R) 321.4 in Table III of the December 1972 and November 1973 issues of the monthly Overseas Trade Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial arrangements are still current for the development of the linear motor.

Contracts for assessment and development of linear motors have been placed with the GEC Hirst Research Centre and Brush Electrical Machines Limited, and negotiations with a third firm are in progress. A committee is being set up to co-ordinate these contracts and other related work.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total value of investment in the British Steel Corporation in each of the last six years.

Capital expenditure by the British Steel Corporation over the last six years was as follows:

	£m(outturn prices)
1968	69
1969	70
1970	112
1971	202
1972	207
1973 (estimated)	173

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of reduction in expenditure in the British Steel Corporation announced during the past nine months ; how much is this a percentage cut of the annual average investment of the Government's 10-year programme ; and to what extent these cuts affect the timetable of steel plant closures and outputs.

Capital investment proposed by the British Steel Corporation for 1974–75 was reduced by £18 million as a result of the Government's measures in June 1973, and by a further £67 million as a result of the December measures. Both figures are in 1973 prices, and are equivalent to a cut of 23·9 per cent. in the corporation's proposed investment for the year. The cuts affect only one year of the 10-year investment programme averaging £300 million a year at 1972 prices. The timetable of plant closures and production levels remains flexible and decisions will be taken in the light of future developments. The major schemes at the core of the development strategy will not be affected by the reductions in expenditure.

			BSC Prices = 100
Product			West Germany	France	Italy	Belgium	Netherlands	Luxembourg
Plates	…	…	146	142	126	164	143	173
Light Angles	…	…	124	113	118	123	—	126
Heavy Angles	…	…	136	124	132	133	—	139
Channels	…	…	138	129	131	138	—	142
Beams	…	…	138	131	134	139	—	143
Reinforcements	…	…	129	117	127	137	144	143

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what numbers of new jobs have been created in setting up new consumer advice centres.

I regret that this information is not available and could not easily be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he proposes to inform Parliament what progress has been made by the task forces ; and if he will reconsider his refusal to publish their reports.

The task forces' reports are now being considered by Ministers against the background of the present industrial situation. Meanwhile work is continuing to attract new projects to the areas concerned. A full statement will be made in due course, but the report will not be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the price of structural steel in the United Kingdom and state how this compares with prices in the rest of the Common Market.

The steel producers are responsible for publishing their own prices, which vary according to product, size, quality, etc. Comparison with European prices is made more difficult by the differences in the specifications in the various countries, but the following table, provided by the British Steel Corporation, gives a broad indication of the relative levels of home trade prices in countries of the European Communities and BSC prices for typical structural steels on 6th January 1974. It does not cover prices charged by United Kingdom private sector steel producers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to be able to make a statement on Government aid to the ship repairing industry ; and whether the report of the consultants which he has received will be published.

The ship-repair industry is already eligible for assistance under the Industry Act. I am considering publishing the report of the consultants, but I will not be ready to make a statement until I have discussed the report with interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the estimated cost of the adaptations needed to make the Concorde acceptable to the requirements of Japan Airlines in respect of noise, range, payload and economics of operation.

Japan Airlines are in contact with the manufacturers about the possible use of Concorde on their routes. As I informed the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 19th November 1973—[Vol. 864, c. 935–936]—studies of possible future improvements recently submitted by the manufacturers and their cost implications are being evaluated by the British and French Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress that has been made in research into methods of de-inking wastepaper, in view of the world shortage of wood pulp.

A major paper manufacturer is successfully operating a de-inking plant for the production of newsprint from waste paper. The Department is shortly hoping to place a pre-production order for a new, United Kingdom-developed de-inking system. This arrangement will enable it to be evaluated by another leading paper manufacturer. The development of a de-inking system is therefore being actively pursued by industry, but other resources are available such as those of PIRA—the Research Association for the Paper and Board, Printing and Packaging Industries—should specific problems arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with airlines using British airports on the use of JP 4 as an aero-engine fuel ; and if he will make a statement.