asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will appoint a commission to examine the living standards of retirement pensioners, and to report thereon.

We now have an annual review of pensions with a commitment to maintain their value ; and the Government are kept well informed of the living standards of pensioners by regular surveys and other inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what is the average delay in admission to those hospitals serving the Petersfield constituency for patients awaiting minor remedial operations and for those awaiting major surgery.

The length of time a person may have to wait for admission to hospital for a minor or major surgical operation depends on a number of factors including the choice of consultant and hospital, the degree of urgency of the need for the operation, the specialty concerned and the length of the appropriate waiting list. Consequently waiting times vary considerably and a meaningful figure for average delay in admission is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board area have been waiting for longer than 12 months for admission to hospital.

The information is not available, but of 125,252 patients admitted from the waiting lists to hospitals in the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board area during 1972—the latest year for which such figures are available—8,840 had been on waiting lists for more than 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board's area have been on the waiting list for admission to hospital for longer than 12 months ; and what were the comparable figures for each of the past five years.

The totals for each of the years 1968–1973 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families with severely handicapped children have been helped by the Family Fund ; and what has been the total amount of grant paid.

I am advised that by the end of 1973 grants totalling £286,363 had been paid to 1,918 families and interest-free loans totalling £50,908 to 10 families.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for attendance allowance have been made to the Department of Health and Social Security on behalf of physically and mentally handicapped children in the year 1972 and to the latest date for 1973 ; and how many of those were given entitlement.

About 16,000 claims to attendance allowance for disabled children were dealt with in 1972 and 14,000 in 1973. Entitlement was established for about 10,000 children in 1972 and for 12,000 in 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further guidance he has issued to the various services concerned with the problem of battered babies.

The professional guidance which I promised has been drafted and will be issued as soon as consultations have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why it took his Department until 11th January 1974 to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Ham, North dated 7th December 1973 regarding wages of hospital workers ; what was contained in this reply which could not have been sent before 31st December 1973 ; and whether he will take action to expedite replies in future.

I have written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that essential hospital and health centre building in development areas is not cut as part of the recent economies in public spending.

My Department is discussing with regional authorities the implications of the reductions for their regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants in Wales are in receipt of supplementary benefit and the full 90p rate of heating allowance, respectively, at the latest date.

As at November 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, about 168,000, of whom approximately 1,000 were in receipt of the 90p rate for extra heating.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply he has made to the request of the National Council for the Single Woman and Her Dependants that an invalid care allowance should be provided for those who give up work to care for a sick relative at home ; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the council's latest publication. The current review of cash provision for the disabled extends to the families with which they live.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the delays in establishing the rights of social security benefit of United Kingdom citizens who have returned to the United Kingdom after a period of insurable employment in Common Market countries, and of the consequent inconvenience and hardship that this is causing to persons who have a full contribution record ; and what steps he is taking to remedy this state of affairs.

Delay can occur in deciding claims to pension in these circumstances as other EEC countries need to determine pension entitlement under their social security laws. In such cases, pension arising from United Kingdom national insurance is paid pending final determination of the claim. Delay should be gradually reduced through a new Community procedure, shortly to be implemented, whereby centralised records of persons employed in more than one EEC country will be held in each member State concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to require executive councils under the National Health Service to ensure that all necessary items of treatment, including the provision of dental crowns, are made available by dentists under the service.

No. Except where the treatment provided is solely occasional treatment a dentist is required to provide a National Health Service patient with any form of treatment necessary for dental fitness, including a crown where appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures of total expenditure on new hospitals and other social service establishments in Exeter during the last eight years, on a year by year basis.

The information on new hospital expenditure is:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now give permission for the building of the extension to St. George's Adult Training Centre, Stonehouse, Plymouth, in view of the fact that otherwise it will be necessary to reduce the numbers or close it down.

I understand that the existing centre has rather more trainees than its facilities can comfortably accommodate and that the extension aims to provide 175 new places, some of which would afford relief to the existing accommodation. The proposals for the extension involve some very high abnormal costs which we have asked the authority to justify. My right hon. Friend is also presently reviewing the social services building programme in the light of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement on 17th December—[Vol. 866, c. 952–66]—and present indications are that it will not be financially possible to approve projects such as this one earlier than about the middle of next financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that retirement pensions in Scotland have the equivalent purchasing power to those elsewhere in the United Kingdom, in view of the fact that living costs are higher in Scotland, and having due regard to climatic factors.

No. The National Insurance Scheme is a contributory one and people in all parts of the country pay the same rates of contributions to qualify for the same rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the rise in the price of petrol, he has any plans to increase from £5 the annual petrol duty allowance for disabled drivers.

This allowance was discontinued two years ago except that a decreasing number of earlier beneficiaries still get it as a "reserved right". In these circumstances there would be no question of increasing the sum they receive.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to alter a disabled person's car to accommodate a passenger.

Questions of this kind must await the outcome of Lady Sharp's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if it is his intention to publish the report of Lady Sharp's inquiry into the vehicle service for the disabled during January 1974.

I cannot at present add anything to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 15th January.—[Vol. 867, c. 17.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many strikers who received supplementary benefit for their dependants had been involved in stoppages lasting less than two weeks ; what was the amount of payments involved ; and what percentage this represents of total payments to strikers and dependants, in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available. Final wages received before a dispute begins and the week's wages in hand available to most employees mean that there is not normally any entitlement to supplementary benefit for strikers' families in trade disputes lasting less than two weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the cost of the services of social workers provided to health authorities will be borne by area health authorities ;(2) if the cost of the services of medical, dental and auxiliary health staff made available to local authorities under Section 11 of the Act will be met by those authorities.

I have accepted the recommendation of the Working Party on Collaboration that the cost of these types of staff shall be borne by the employing authority rather than be recharged to user authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, when additional staff are employed to service joint committees consisting of several local authorities and health authorities, how the cost will be met.

The costs incurred in servicing joint committees of local and health authorities will be met in accordance with an order to be made under Section 10(4) of the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973, which will pro-vide for costs to be shared equally between the health authority on the one hand and the local authorities on the other, with apportionment by mutual agreement where more than one local authority is involved on any one such joint committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will authorise the use of computer services to work out the expenditure allocations to be the responsibility of local authorities and health authorities when the goods, plant, accommodation, services of other staff, etc., belonging to one authority are used by another.

The means to be used, such as computer services, for calculating the financial adjustments to be made between health and local authorities is a matter for the authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his provisional estimate of the effect of the reduced working week resulting from the introduction of the Electricity (Industrial and Commercial Use) (Control) Order 1973 upon the number of applications for, and the number of payments of, social security benefit on a weekly basis.

A provisional estimate is that, as a result of the present electricity restrictions, about 1½ million people working short time claimed unemployment benefit in each of the weeks ending 11th and 18th January ; but it is not yet possible to estimate the number of payments made. The number of people claiming supplementary benefit in the week ending 15th January was somewhat higher than at the same time last year, but it is impossible to say how much of the increase results from the introduction of the reduced working week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the total cost of the four journals sent free of charge by drug companies to 20,165 general practitioners in England each week, the two others sent each fortnight, the 10 others sent each month, and the two others sent bi-monthly, and of the total expenditure on postage for the 7,640,000 packets mailed ; if this promotonal expenidture is itemised in the accounts which he negotiates upon in accordance with the Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme of the National Health Service ; and if he will make a statement.

The cost of these journals is not itemised separately in the returns rendered under the Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme and I cannot therefore give an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has considered the format and the efficacy of the Data Sheet Compendium 1974, information about which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West ; if he will consider issuing regulations under the Medicines Act 1968 to have a common format and to make such a compendium comprehensive for all drugs prescribed under the National Health Service ; if he will negotiate with the five major suppliers which have refused to join this scheme ; and if he will make a statement.

The Data Sheet Compendium 1974 to which the hon. Member refers was prepared by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry under the provisions of the Medicines (Data Sheet) Regulations 1972 (Statutory Instrument 1972 No. 2076). These regulations were drafted in the light of advice received from the Medicines Commission and after extensive consultation with interested professional and trade bodies and require among other things that each entry in a data sheet compendium must have a common format and a standard set of headings under which essential information is given to assist practitioners in the understanding of the medicinal products concerned. While companies are required to issue data sheets for those products that are promoted to practitioners, participation in a compendium is not compulsory, as stated in my answer to the hon. Member on 29th January 1973.—[Vol. 849, c. 320–1.] I have no proposals for changes in the regulations referred to above and it is for companies themselves to decide whether to participate in the compendium.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the 10 drugs upon which the National Health Service met the highest cost with the amount spent on each in the last year to a convenient date.

Information about the volume of sales of individual pharmaceutical products to the National Health Service is confidential between the Department and the manufacturers concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if all local authorities are now carrying out the statutory duties laid upon them by Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 ; and if he will make a further statement.

I am satisfied, on information available to me, that all authorities are now taking steps to implement the section.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will institute an inquiry into the pay and conditions of technicians on heart/lung machines.

My Department has been keeping the pay and conditions of these technicians under review pending agreement on bringing them within the scope of the Whitley Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects community health councils to be in operation.

As I explained to the House during the debate on the National Health Service on 11th December—[Vol. 866, c. 273–4]—our aim is still to establish community health councils by 1st April. Regional health authorities will do their best to achieve this objective.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the proposal to build a rehabilitation resettlement centre for single homeless males on the Ennersdale Road Drill Hall site at Hither Green, Lewisham, has had its starting date put back as a result of the public expenditure cuts announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17th December ; and whether he will announce the new proposed starting date.

I have been asked to reply.This project has not been deferred as part of the recent cuts. But the estimated starting date given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Housing and

Construction in answer to the hon. Member's Question on 10th May 1972—[Vol. 836, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will now devote to the improvement of primary school education the money earmarked for the extension of nursery schooling.

No, Sir. Considerable progress has now been made with the improvement and replacement of old primary schools. Within the resources available in the immediate future my right hon. Friend has considered it right to attach priority to the first stage of the nursery expansion programme which will benefit children who would not otherwise be able to attend school at all.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the undertakings given by the then Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. van Straubenzee), during the Report stage of the Museums and Galleries (Admission Charges) Bill that the disabled would be treated as sympathetically as the old, he will make clear that free admissions apply to the disabled as well as to the old.

My hon. Friend gave no undertaking in terms of the Question, but in two respects arrangements favourable to the disabled have been made. First, an attendant required to assist a registered handicapped person on a visit to one of the national museums and galleries may be admitted without charge. Second, a handicapped person registered under the National Assistance Act 1948 will throughout the year pay a reduced charge of 5p. I suggest my hon. Friend should see how these arrangements work out in practice. I am sure that the trustees and others at museums and galleries whose responsibility it is to administer the arrangements will do so conscientiously and reasonably.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give the names of all the organisations she is in process of consulting with regard to the recommendations of the Russell Committee.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South (Mr. John E. B. Hill) on 20th December.—[Vol. 866, c. 383].

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list all the research work being financed by her Department directly or indirectly into a cure or method of preventing multiple sclerosis ; if she is satisfied with the efforts being made to overcome the problems associated with this illness ; and if, in view of evidence that younger people are now contracting multiple sclerosis, she will give urgent attention to this problem.

The Medical Research Council supports research work into multiple sclerosis at its demyelinating diseases unit and is also currently making 12 grants for other work, mostly in university departments, directed towards improving understanding of the fundamental causes of the disease. Other research in university departments is funded through the University Grants Committee.As far as I am aware, there is no evidence that the disease is affecting younger people than it did formerly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether her inspectors have visited the new Ryton Independent School near Coventry.

Her Majesty's inspectors visited Ryton-on-Dunsmore Independent School on 19th October 1973. The school is provisionally registered under Section 70 of the Education Act 1944 and will be visited again by Her Majesty's inspectors from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether her Department will review the reorganisation of primary and junior education in Warwickshire, particularly as it affects Ryton-on-Dunsmore.

No. There is no current proposal before my right hon. Friend under Section 13 of the Education Act 1944.

asked the Minister for Energy on what date he received a letter from Dr. Clifford Hill, of the Newham Community Renewal Programme, dated 7th January 1974, concerning various aspects of Government policies affecting retirement pensioners dealt with by several ministerial Departments, such as Social Security, Environment, and Trade and Industry ; and what action he has taken or intends taking to deal with these matters ; and whether he will personally discuss this with the hon. Member for West Ham, North.

The letter in question was received in the Prime Minister's office on 10th January. It was transferred to my right hon. Friend and a reply has already been sent to Dr. Hill's letter.

asked the Minister for Energy, excluding electricity generated at nuclear power stations, what saving has been made in the consumption of coal and oil at power stations by closing television broadcasting at 10.30 p.m. ; and how this saving has been identified.

The electricity industry estimates that the overall saving of electricity is 1 million units or 2 per cent. of normal usage during the last 1½ hours of the day. It is very difficult to estimate the precise savings, but I have asked the CEGB to see whether it can produce an estimate of the actual fuel savings achieved. It is essential that we obtain all savings, however small, which can be made by the domestic sector.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will amend the regulations so as to require the rotation of the three-day working week every three weeks so that the burden of weekend working may be spread more evenly among industrial firms ; and if he will allow night shift working to avoid weekend working.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will now make a statement about rotating the three-day week so as to avoid Saturday working.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy indicated, the Government are reviewing this week the possibility of easing the present electricity restrictions.

asked the Minister for Energy when he expects to be able to give his decision on whether or not to set up a committee to hear appeals, particularly from smaller firms, on the working of the three-day week.

We do not consider it necessary to set up such a committee. Appeals should be addressed to the appropriate regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry.

asked the Minister for Energy whether he is aware that under appropriate arrangements a five-day week can produce more for less power than can a three-day week ; whether he is further aware that these circumstances apply in the cases of the exporters Listers of Dursley and Benson's International of Brimscombe ; whether he will now issue instructions that these firms be given permission to work a five-day week, provided the Midlands Electricity Board can provide the power within its allocation ; and whether he will make a statement.

Both these firms applied for special treatment to the DTI regional office at Bristol and they have been granted continuous working for a substantial part of their process.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will extend the same fuel and lighting concessions now being given to certain trade unions to professional, trade, employers and other associations with which the former have regular contact or negotiate.

Such concessions have already been extended to trade unions and professional, employer and other associations where they are essential for dealing with matters arising from the present emergency, and only for the matters so arising. Applications should be made to the appropriate regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will permit the use of North Sea oil at the proposed Inswork Power Station as this is a light oil and assurance has been given that no oil with a greater sulphur content than 3 per cent. would be used.

It is a condition of my right hon. and noble Friend's consent to the siting of this power station that no fuel oil having a sulphur content greater than 3 per cent. shall be burnt in the station without approval.I do not, however, consider it appropriate to specify the geographical source of any oils burnt.

asked the Minister for Energy whether permission has been given to commence constructing roads to the proposed Inswork Power Station.

I have been asked to reply.This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board and Cornwall County Council. Subject to land availability and completion of other preliminary processes and the cuts in public expenditure recently announced, I understand that their programme provides for work to start on the power station access road in September 1974 and on the adjacent county road improvements in April 1974.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will sanction, under the emergency regulations, the reopening of youth clubs in those areas in Wales so far affected by the emergency regulations.

Youth clubs are not prohibited from opening but must comply with the orders regulating heating and lighting in so far as these apply to the premises where they meet. I am led to believe that most youth clubs are only too willing to help in this fuel crisis.

asked the Minister for Energy what exemptions from fuel emergency restrictions apply to the activities of (i) returning officers at parliamentary elections and their staff and (ii) parliamentary candidates and their helpers.

When necessary I shall consider most fully what exemption should be given for these activities.

asked the Minister for Energy how many miners are entitled to free coal ; what quantity they receive annually ; how many miners can buy coal at concessionary rates ; in what quantities ; and at what prices.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board, and I am asking the chairman to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister for Energy what percentage of coal-fired power stations have less than eight weeks' stocks of coal.

This is a matter for the CEGB, and I shall ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister for Energy what has been the level of power station coal stocks for each week since 1st October.

On 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th October 1973, stocks were 20·3 million, 20·1 million, 19·8 million and 19·6 million tons respectively. Stocks up to 5th January were given in an answer to the hon. Member on 15th January.—[Vol. 867, c. 51–3.] The most up-to-date information on coal stocks is published in the weekly Press statement of the Department of Energy. Copies are held in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will now publish in full the assumptions, contingencies, calculations and figures contained in both the request of the Government and the reply from CEGB, or his own information, referred to in the paragraph headed "Critical Coal Stock Level" in the Press notice of the Department of Trade and Industry of 1st January 1974.

The statement issued by my hon. Friend the then Minister for Industry on 1st January 1974 explained the situation that would have developed if the Government had not taken action. The calculations were based on the CEGB's assessment of anticipated coal burn and expected fuel deliveries.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will now make arrangements for special allocations of fuel to be made to garages in outer London which have given undertakings to the Owner Drivers' Society of Taximen to provide fuel for taxis whose owners live in outer London.

I am not aware of any problems at the present time in regard to fuel supplies for such taxi drivers. However, if my hon. Friend has further information I shall be pleased to receive it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what indications there are of a further fall in milk production and consequent shortages for the consuming public.

Sales of milk off farms in the nine months ended 31st December 1973 are estimated to be 2,275 million gallons compared with 2,255 million gallons in the same period of 1972. However, production in the last four months has been below that of a year ago and production for the year ending 31st March 1974 is expected to be slightly lower than in the previous year. The quantity of milk required for the liquid market in the nine months to 31st December 1973 was about 1,246 million gallons compared with production of 2,275 million gallons in the same period, so there is no shortage of milk for liquid consumption.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs for England, taking production against consumption there.

This information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member about it at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in considering the salary claim of veterinarians in the State service ; if he will ensure that the claim is settled on the basis of equality of treatment with administrators and executives who have recently had salary awards ; and if he will make a statement.

The pay of the veterinary staff has for some years been linked with that of the Science Group of the Civil Service. The basis on which the pay of the Science Group should be determined has been referred to the Pay Board for consideration. When the Pay Board produces its report, discussions will take place between the Civil Service Department and the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, having regard to the board's recommendations and to the counter-inflation policy. Any consequential settlement for the veterinary officers must await a settlement for the Science Group. There is an outstanding claim by the IPCS for improving the level of linkage between the veterinary grades and the scientific grades. The question whether this and other similar claims can be implemented during the present stage of the counter-inflation policy is under discussion between the Civil Service Department and the National Staff Side.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the average price of 1 cwt. of rice at 31st December 1972 and 31st December 1973, respectively.

The average cif price of rice imported during November 1973, the latest month for which information is available, was £8·88 per cwt., compared with £4·42 per cwt. in December 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present position regarding the claim of Darcy Construction, Tattyreagh, Omagh, County Tyrone, against the Ministry of Defence ; and if he will make a statement.

Substantial claims by Darcy Construction Ltd. of Tattyreagh, County Tyrone, were made against the Ministry of Defence as a result of incidents which were alleged to have occurred between August 1971 and September 1972. Inquiries made through military and police Channels have failed to produce any real evidence which would substantiate the company's claims and the company itself has been unable to provide any such evidence. Last October my Department asked the claimants' solicitor for certain evidence about the claims, but this has not yet been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an assurance that no new works or alterations to existing works by his Department are in hand or are contemplated on Rainham Marshes which would jeopardise the proposed diversion of the Al3 roadway to the south of Rainham Village.

Some work is in hand on modernising facilities on one of the ranges at Purflet ; it does not affect the existing range safety area and does not in itself debar a diversion of the A13.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy towards the compilation of separate cost-of-living indices for Scotland, Wales and the regions of England ; and if he will make a statement.

The Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee considered the possibility of compiling separate price indices for Scotland, Wales and the regions of England in 1971. Agreement was reached on the way such indices should be compiled if it were decided to introduce them, but the committee was not unanimous on the question of whether or not they should be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made in the setting up of a computerised vacancy matching system for use in local employment offices, with particular reference to the information required for the matching registrants' file.

My Department is in discussion with computer bureaux with a view to awarding later this year a contract for an experimental computerised vacancy matching system in part of London. In the meantime we are studying a number of features of the matching system, including the information about registrants which would need to be stored on computer.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in his review of the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1965, he will consider amending the Act so as to ensure that a person employed for the time being outside Great Britain shall be entitled to redundancy payment on termination of his employment, even though on the relevant date he is outside Great Britain.

Since an employee who ordinarily works in Great Britain under his contract of employment does not lose his entitlement to a redundancy payment if he is outside Great Britain on the relevant date, no amendment of the Act would appear to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department will undertake a survey to ascertain whether the introduction of the three-day week has increased productivity, and what steps can be taken to ensure that the rate of productivity pertaining during the period of the three-day week can be maintained when normal weekly working is resumed.

There is a good deal of evidence to suggest that management and workers have co-operated very well to overcome the limitations imposed by three-day week working but the overall estimates of the effects on output are not yet available. I do not therefore at present propose to initiate a survey of the kind proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were registered as unemployed at the employment exchanges in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region on the latest available date ; and if he will give comparable figures for each of the previous four months.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list giving the average agreed wage payment for miners in November and December 1972 ; and, on the basis

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the total numbers of boys, girls, men and women, respectively, unemployed in each employment exchange area in Fife in April of each of the last four years.

Following is the information:of the £ sterling being worth l00p in November 1972, what were the comparable figures for November and December 1973 after allowing for the depreciation in the purchasing value of the £ sterling.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee has made a recommendation on the re-basing of the Retail Prices Index ; and if he will make a statement.

The advisory committee has considered the rebasing of the Retail Prices Index and has recommended to me that the reference base should be changed to January 1974 = 100. It has also recommended that figures on the existing base of January 1962 =100 should continue to be published in parallel with the new series during 1974. I have accepted the committee's recommendations, which will be introduced in March in respect of the index for February.This is a purely arithmetical change which will make no difference to the percentage change in the index between any pair of months. It will not affect the regular revisions of the weights of the index which are made each January.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish the report by the Pay Board on the problems of pay relativities.

The report will be published as a Command Paper on Thursday 24th January 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the proposal

No. The driving test centre is to be built in conjunction with a much larger project, a rehabilitation centre for the Department of Health and Social Security, and there have been planning difficulties resulting in delays. A site start is not now expected before the summer of 1975.

asked the Secretaryof State for the Environment if he will establish an appeals procedure to which there can be recourse by persons refused a discretionary improvement grant.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the average level of council rent for tenants not in receipt of rebates compared with June 1970.

Unrebated rents of council housing in England and Wales averaged £2·23 in March 1970 and £3·70 in October 1973. Separate figures are not available for those tenants not receiving rebates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Amble Urban District Council about the absence of an appeal procedure against decisions of the rent scrutiny board ; and whether he has any proposals to deal with this problem.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received a copy of the council's resolution requesting an independent appeal procedure for local authorities and tenants against determinations by rent scrutiny boards. Local authorities have the right within a period of two months to make representations to the boards if the boards report that they disagree with any of the fair rents assessed by authorities. We have advised authorities to consult their tenants during this period. The boards must have regard to these representations and may subsequently make amendments to their determination of fair rents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of motorway have central crash barriers ; and what proportion of the whole this represents.

Approximately 800 which represents 83 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has caused the increase during the last year from £5 to £25 in the cost of a period non-quota permit issued by his Department to carry freight by lorry from Great Britain to France.

The fee fixed nearly three years ago was well below the cost of administration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, because the Keswick bypass section of the A66 scheme in the Lake District is to cost £3·8 million instead of the £2 million estimated, he will now include this scheme among those to be cut or postponed.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many other major industrialised countries ban the use of non-metallic fuel tanks for motor cycles ; and whether he will list them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I am not aware of any, but the information at my disposal is not comprehensive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to lift the ban on the use of non-metallic fuel tanks for motor cycles.

As soon as an acceptable performance standard is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many motor cyclists have been killed and how many injured through the explosion of plastic fuel tanks in each of the last five years ;(2) how many fatal and serious accidents he estimates have been saved by the ban on the use of non-metallic fuel tanks for motor cycles.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made towards finding a suitable British standard for non-metallic fuel tanks for motor cycles.

Discussions are taking place between my Department's vehicle engineers and the industry. A considerable amount of work remains to be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received the Water Resources Board's report on water resources in England and Wales ; and if he will make a statement.

The board's report is being published today. I wish to congratulate the board on its comprehensive and far-sighted report which will provide valuable assistance to the Government, the National Water Council and the water authorities.The report deals with two periods: first, how we should meet the demand up to 1981, and then the period 1981–2001. The board recommends a series of projects to be carried out to meet the pre-1981 situation. Most of the projects have already been approved or are at an advanced stage of planning. While I cannot, of course, comment on the merits of particular schemes which may need to come to me for decision, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I agree that the board's report provides a suitable basis for planning for the period to the beginning of the 1980s.The board's post-1981 strategy sets out a most useful basis for the formulation of a national policy on the development of water resources. The Government intend, therefore, to refer the report to the National Water Council and to the water authorities so that they can advise on it before mid-1975, by which time policy decisions affecting the post-1981 situation will begin to be required. Any necessary further studies will be undertaken by the Central Water Planning Unit. The Government will then set out national policy guidelines for the water authorities, probably in the form of a Green Paper.The Government have also considered the procedures for dealing with major reservoir schemes, which inevitably arouse great public interest. We attach great importance to the proper consideration of alternative sites or schemes and we propose to ask the new water authorities, wherever practicable, to provide a suitable means of public participation in the formative stage of the development of their plans before firm positions are taken up. It is hoped that in this way a local consensus on the most suitable site or scheme will develop. Where, however, water authorities face a genuine difficulty of choice between alternatives, we would expect them to submit parallel applications for planning permission for those sites.In this context we wish to state that we fully endorse the view of the board that no firm proposals affecting a national park should be made before every possible alternative has been explored. Where no practical alternative can be found, we also support the board's view that steps should be taken to ensure that there is a minimum of interference with the existing landscape and that the best use is made of the land.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to improve the time taken by the British High Commission in Islamabad in granting interviews to those wishing to join their families in Great Britain.

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department informed the House on 6th December 1973 that, in the course of his projected visit to the sub-continent, he would look at the problem of delays in granting interviews to those wishing to join their families in Britain. It is not possible to say more at this stage, as my hon. Friend has only just returned to London.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report further on the agreement to replenish the resources of the International Development Association, details of which he gave to the House on 2nd November 1973.

A Command Paper is being published today setting out the report of the Executive Directors to the Board of Governors dated 30th October 1973. It also contains a draft resolution which would give effect to a replenishment of approximately $4,500 million, over three years, to which the British contribution would be about 11 per cent. On the basis of past experience, these resources might be disbursed over about 10 years. The United Kingdom Governor will vote in favour of this resolution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now completed his inquiry into the leakage about London taxi fares which appeared in the Dally Express on 19th December ; and if he will make a statement.

Inquiries have been made but have not located the source of the leak.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of wages and salaries in May 1970 and each year, respectively, up to the latest convenient date for which this information is available, in real terms ; and if he will make a statement.

Monthly figures for total wages and salaries are not available. Quarterly estimates of wages and salaries in money terms up to the end of 1972 will be found on pages xxii and xxiii of the October 1973 issue of Economic Trends. The latest figures for the first three quarters of 1973 are given in the table below. Separate estimates for wages and salaries respectively are not available. Between the second quater of 1970 and the third quarter of 1973 total wages and salaries in money terms increased by 43½ per cent. while the General Index of Retail Prices increased by 29½ per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further representations he has now received from charities and voluntary organisations, including the National Council of Social Service, concerning the implications of existing tax legislation, including value added tax, for their work ; what replies he has sent ; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from a number of sources, including the National Council of Social Service. Depending on the nature of the suggestions made, a full reply has been sent or else the customary acknowledgment of budgetary representations made at this time of year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider for his forthcoming Budget proposals the desirability of zero-rating all taxi cabs.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what way the annual take-home pay figures for 1973–74 given by him on 10th December (column 45–46) are affected by his subsequent Budget statement.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th January 1974 ; Vol. 867, c. 136], gave the following information:The figures given in the reply of 10th December were on the basis of the tax payable in respect of the year of assessment. The 10 per cent. surcharge therefore affects the 1972–73 figures: these require to be amended as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the case of a married man with two children under 11 years of age, earning a national average wage and paying not-contracted-out national insurance contributions, what was his gross and net income, respectively, in 1945, and for each subsequent year in the case of a man in the same situation, what was his gross and net income, respectively, the annual percentage increase in the retail price index, his net real income,