asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish a detailed list giving the grades of civil servants, the number in each grade and their current salaries, who have not had an increase in their salaries since January 1972.

There are no Civil Service grades which have not had an increase in their salaries since January 1972.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how much money was spent in Government advertising; how much time it bought on commercial radio and TV during December 1974, January 1975, and February 1975; and how this compares with expenditure for the same period last year and the year before.

The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, bills paid by the Central Office of Information for all forms of Government advertising in the periods stated were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage take-up of free school meals among those children estimated as eligible for them.

It is estimated that about 80 per cent. of the pupils eligible for free school meals make use of their entitlement. The Department has stressed in a recent circular—1/75—the need for authorities to make every effort to bring free school meal entitlements to the notice of parents whose children are likely to be eligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers in England and Wales in 1972–73 and 1973–74 gained no passes at GCE O level or CSE.

In 1972–73 the proporion of school leavers who had gained no GCE pass or CSE qualification of Grade 5 or better was 7·6 per cent. Information for 1973–74 is not yet available. Due to the raising of the school leaving age, most of the school leavers in 1972–73 were pupils who had stayed at school in order to take examinations and the proportion was therefore much lower than it had been in previous years. The comparable figure for 1971–72, for example, was 43–4 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount spent on the arts by central Government in each year since 1968.

The table below gives details of the expenditure carried on the Arts Vote for England, Wales and Scotland for the years 1968–74:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimate at current prices of the cost of the British Library, including the cost of acquiring and developing the Bloomsbury and/or Somers Town sites, the cost of building, and of equipping the building and moving stocks.

As the Government are now examining with the British Library Board the practicability of constructing the library in a phased programme on the Somers Town site, there would be no case for attempting to update provisional estimates of the cost of developing the Bloomsbury site. Design and other preparatory work for the Somers Town site has not reached the stage at which cost estimates can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of concern amongst university teachers at the delay in the negotiations for their salary increases, he will make a statement as to when he expects the negotiations to be concluded.

That will depend upon the progress of discussions when the negotiating committee resumes its adjourned meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what level of school building programme for the years 1975–76 and 1976–77, respectively, he is prepared to authorise for the county of Hampshire.

The lump sum authorisation to cover all building projects at maintained primary and secondary schools and minor works projects at special schools and establishments for further education and teacher training in Hampshire to be started in 1975–76 is, as announced on 27th January 1975, £6.083 million. Allocations for 1976–77 are yet to be determined.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will specify the allocations to public institutions of individual works of art pre-eminent for aesthetic merit or artistic interest which have been accepted by the Treasury in satisfaction of estate

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department seeks to recover from foreign Governments subsidies made available to their students attending university and further education establishments in this country.

No; but overseas students generally pay higher fees than home students.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of costs are recovered from overseas students in the form of course fees.

This information is not available. I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make duty during the period since the enactment of the Finance Act 1973 on 25th July of that year, together with information, where applicable, as to wishes expressed in the matter of allocation by testators and executors.

The information is as follows:—a statement on his departmental contribution to foreign aid and development.

My Department does not contribute directly to foreign aid and development but co-operates with the Ministry of Overseas Development in its programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the figures for men and women unemployed in Halesowen and Stourbridge, and for those on short time, at the latest count.

In March 1975, 895 males and 200 females were unemployed in the Halesowen and Stourbridge employment office areas. My Department also knows of 443 males and 2,266 females who are currently on short time in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which ports are not in the dock labour scheme.

The best estimate available is that at least 600 places might be defined as ports for the purposes of the dock labour scheme but are not covered by it. A very large number of these are not in active use, or could be used only by very small craft or are used only by fishing vessels.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many commercial airline pilots are at present unemployed.

In September 1974, 318 unemployed people in Great Britain were registered for employment as aircraft flight deck officers. I regret that separate figures are not available for pilots or for commercial airlines. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency the normal quarterly analysis of the unemployed by occupation is not available for December 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will reinstate the Government grant to the Women's European Committee of the Standing Conference of the Women's Organisations.

No. The grant has been paid from a short-term programme of financial assistance to encourage European links. This programme is coming to an end.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in Cyprus.

On 12th March, the United Nations Security Council adopted a further resolution on Cyprus. Her Majesty's Government support that resolution which we hope will lead to an early resumption of the inter-communal negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the Government have not yet completed ratification of the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and when the ratifications are likely to be completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to obtain the ratification of the United Nations Covenants on human rights.

We are actively considering the question of ratification of the International Covenants on Human Rights. This involves a careful study of the law and practice of both the United Kingdom and the dependent territories. Our studies are going ahead with all possible speed but I cannot yet give a date by which ratification may be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied that United Kingdom interests will not be adversely affected by the decision of the European Court in the Binsbergen and Rayners cases.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's assessment that long-term employment prospects in the United Kingdom will be greater within the EEC than outside it.

The Government believe that membership of the EEC is in the best interests of the British people. These include the achievement and maintenance of a high and stable level of employment.

asked the Lord President of the Council why no copies of the Finance Act are available for Members in the Vote Office or Library; and when he expects copies to be made available for Members so that they may be able to advise their constituents.

The Finance Act will be published on Wednesday 26th March and copies will be available to Members in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have for further nationalisation of existing firms in Northern Ireland or for the creation of new State-controlled enterprises.

Control of firms may be acquired, or new enterprises created, by Government or, in appropriate cases, by the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation where this appears to be in the interests of preserving or creating employment in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road deaths there have been in Northern Ireland in the years 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively; and whether he is satisfied that all possible measures are being taken to prevent this loss of life in the. Province.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many disabled persons there are in the Province, classified by the various types of disablement.

The numbers of disabled persons included on registers maintained by health and social services boards are as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, of the postmen who have been killed in Northern Ireland during the present troubles, how many were married with children; and what amounts of compensations have been settled in these cases.

The three postmen who have been killed during the present troubles were married with children. Claims for compensation under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 have been received in all three cases. One case has been settled in the sum of £7,100. Settlement has not yet been reached in the other two cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hon. Members representing Northern Ireland constituencies and members of the Northern Ireland Assembly receive police protection.

It would not be in the interests of security to give this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what accommodation was provided by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, for their former chairman; at what cost; and what plans there are for disposing of it.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many employees from the Continent were employed by Harland and Wolff from 1972 to 1st January 1975; and how many have resigned from their post in the past two years;(2) whether all staff from the Continent employed by Harland and Wolff had their salary paid through a Swiss bank; and what was the total amount.

All such matters are the responsibility of the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is the Government's assessment that the economic prospects for Scotland will be greater within the EEC or outside it.

It is the Government's view that the general economic prospects for the United Kingdom, including Scotland, will be better within the EEC than outside it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the costs to each education authority in Scotland for transporting pupils to school for the last 12 months for which figures are available, and also showing the number of children so transported.

The costs for the education authorities' financial year 1973–74 were as follows. The numbers of children transported are not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many square feet of space there are per patient in the living quarters at Broadmoor Hospital.

The living quarters at Broadmoor Hospital are divided between day and night space. The average day space per patient is 47 sq. ft. for men and 60 sq. ft. for women. Of the 650 beds for men 365 are in single rooms with an average of 65 sq. ft. each and the remainder are in dormitories with an average allowance of 46·5 sq. ft. each. The corresponding figures for women are 119 in single rooms and 21 in dormitories with an average of 88 sq. ft. per patient.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many square feet of space there are per patient in the living quarters in all National Health Service psychiatric hospitals.

This information is not available. However in 1973, the latest year for which statistics are available, over 90 per cent. of in-patients in hospital and units for the mentally ill and men-ally handicapped in England and Wales had at least 50 sq. ft. of night space and 30 sq. ft. of day space.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many mental hospitals there is overcrowding, according to the criteria used by her Department.

At the end of 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, 142 hospitals and units for the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped in England and Wales had not met for all in-patients the Department's minimum standards of 50 sq. ft. of night space and 30 sq. ft. of day space. However, as I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, East (Mr. Clemitson) today, the proportion of inpatients affected was less than 10 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what expenditure would be necessary to overcome the lack of basic resources, considered a necessary minimum, in mental hospitals in Great Britain.

It is not possible to make reliable estimates centrally of the cost of achieving all the minimum standards set for hospitals for the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped. However, the cost of employing the additional medical, nursing and domestic staff, chiropodists and dentists still required at the end of 1973 to achieve the relevant standards in hospitals for the mentally ill in England is estimated to be between £1½ and £2 million per annum at current earnings levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects the new mental hospital at Park Lane, Liverpool, to be completed.

It is proposed to complete the hospital in phases and on present information the expected date of completion for the first phase is 1980 and the second approximately one year later.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the frequency of inspection of psychiatric hospital kitchens and the standards found on inspection.

The frequency of inspection is a matter for arrangement between the environmental health officers and the health authorities concerned. The Association of Environmental Health Officers has been asked for notification to my Department if there are any difficulties in gaining access to hospital catering arrangements or delay in carrying out the recommendations of its officers; none has so far been received from psychiatric hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many 12- to 17-year-olds are detained in adult wards in mental hospitals in England and Wales.

I regret that this information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff are involved, and at what annual cost, in checking prescription charge exemption forms to prevent abuse.

I regret the information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons working in the social services are holders of social service qualifications and are not recognised as professionally qualified social workers by the Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work.

At 30th September 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,301 full time and 201 part-time staff employed in local authority social services departments in England who held qualifications in social science but did not qualify for recognition by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will give publicity to the fact that the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 apply equally to the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, where appropriate, and to the physically ill and physically handicapped.

A good deal of publicity has already been given, for example, in local authority circular 17/74 of 18th March 1974 and in the major speech by my right hon. Friend to the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children's Conference on 26th February 1975 in which she drew attention to the Act. I welcome my hon. Friend's suggestion which I shall, of course, have in mind on future occasions when I give advice on the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she has yet been able to consider the views of the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority, transmitted to the regional health authority, on the proposed closure of the maternity unit at the Herts and Essex Hospital; and if she will make a statement as to her reconsideration of the matter.

I understand that the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority's views have not yet been transmitted to the regional health authority and are not yet known to me. I am therefore not able to make a statement on the proposed closure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which authorities now have the power to decide whether to put fluoride into the water supply; and with what constraints.

Under the National Health Services Reorganisation Act 1973 each health authority is fully responsible for deciding in respect of its own area whether it wishes fluoridation to be introduced and, if so, for approaching the appropriate regional water authority. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment would expect a regional water authority to give effect as soon as it reasonably could to a health authority's request for flouridation, provided this was acceptable to any other health authority whose area would receive supplies of the fluoridated water.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is the Government's assessment that social services provision within the United Kingdom will be adversely affected in any way by Great Britain's continued membership of the EEC.

This depends on developments which may or may not take place.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region qualified to claim for the increase in family allowances have so far tailed to do so.

No precise information is available, but as far as can be judged the uprating has been carried out satisfactorily. Anybody whose order book still contains orders at the old rate from 8th April should without delay send the book into the Department's local office for overstamping.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the publicity used by her Department to draw the public's attention to the increase in family allowances; what proposals she has to increase the publicity; and if she will make a statement.

It is too early to make any final assessments but over £91,000 has been spent, mainly on daily and Sunday newspaper advertising. There were also posters in post offices, and leaflets handed to those cashing allowances in the week beginning 3rd February.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware that the radiotherapy centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which covers the North of England, has been closed down for a month, thus causing concern to patients, their families, consultants and others; and if she will use her powers to get this opened immediately so that the treatment of patients can continue.

The radiotherapy centre at Newcastle is not closed. Thirty of the 90 radiotherapy beds at Newcastle General Hospital have been closed for one month from 17th March 1975, as part of a programme of ward closures, drawn up to enable the nurses at the hospital to take the extra holidays they were awarded in consequence of the Halsbury Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the range of establishments normally concerned to provide day care facilities for children; in respect of each category, how many such establishments at present exist; how many further establishments in each category are to be provided in each year of the period covered by the current public expenditure White Paper; and if she will express this in terms of a percentage growth rate, and provide a comparable growth rate in percentage terms for each of the last five years.

I shall arrange for the available information to be collected and shall write to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adult males were received into custody per 1,000 found guilty of indictable offences in 1973; how many females; how many boys; and how many girls.

The following table shows for 1973 the number of persons in England and Wales received into cus- tody after sentence having been found guilty of an indictable offence per 1,000 persons found guilty of such offences:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that any person committing an indictable offence in possession of a gun should automatically be sentenced to five years' imprisonment, that possession of a gun without a licence should entail an automatic six months' imprisonment and that wounding of any person by a gun in pursuit of criminal activities would entail 10 years and if the victim dies 15 years, these being mandatory sentences in each instance.

No. I believe that the penalty to be imposed on a convicted person in any particular case should be left to the discretion of the court, within the limits laid down by law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases of common assault in each of the last four years for which figures are available, were committed by persons related to or known to the victim;(2) how many cases of grievous bodily harm in each of the last four years for which figures are available, were committed by persons related to or known to the victim.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders in each of the last four years for which figures are available were committed by persons related to or known to the victim.

Comparable figures showing the relationship of victims to principal suspects in respect of offences decided by a court to be murder in England and Wales are available only for 1971 to 1973. The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of rape were reported in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and in each year, how many of these assaults were committed by a boy friend, a member of the family or persons known to the victim.

The number of offences of rape recorded as known to the police in England and Wales during the last four years for which figures are available are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what instructions he has given to post offices, as his agent, in connection with issuing new colour television licences which expire after April next, or where users now desire to renew licences which may expire within April;

When annual licences run from different months a situation in which some licence holders will have to pay a higher renewal fee earlier than others cannot reasonably be avoided; and the rate for the new licence fee was assessed on the footing that all new licences taken out, and all those falling due for renewal, after 31st March would be charged at the higher rate. It has, therefore, been necessary, by virtue of the discretion contained in the Wireless Telegraph Act 1949 as to the issue of licences, to ask the Post Office not to renew a licence until its full term has expired.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the references in Command Paper No. 5724 to difference and similarities between the purposes, aims, methods, and provisions of the Sex Discrimination Bill and the Race Relations Acts; if he will further elaborate these references to show other such differences and similarities not specifically mentioned in Command Paper No. 5724, and likewise list them; and if, in respect of these lists and references, he will specify the places in the respective Bill and Acts to which they refer.

Many of the differences and similarities between the Sex Discrimination Bill and the Race Relations Acts are not of a kind which can sensibly be reduced to tabular form. I regret, therefore, that the information cannot be provided in the form requested by the hon. Member.The Government's strategy for the Sex Discrimination Bill was fully developed in Cmnd. 5724. In addition I am sending the hon. Member a note summarising the main provisions of the Bill and indicating the most important changes from the proposals in the White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how far the Dorset and Bournemouth constabulary is below strength; and what plans there are for recruitment.

On 18th March the strength of the Dorset Police was 1,050, and there were 39 vacancies, 18 of which have been offered to suitable candidates. There is appropriate local publicity, and the force benefits from the central recruiting campaign for which provision of over £750,000 has been made for 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report those projects in the Merseyside area sanctioned under the urban aid programme.

Following is the information requested:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made with his inquiries into the use of dogs in experiments to develop new smoking materials.

We are aware of the strong feelings that have been aroused by the use of dogs in experiments to develop new smoking materials. My right. Hon. Friend has decided to refer this matter to the Advisory Committee on the Administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 and ask it to report as as soon as possible. He is taking this opportunity to add to the membership of the committee, which at present consists of 10 persons qualified in human or veterinary medicine, under the chairmanship of Lord Cross of Chelsea, four independent lay persons, as recommended by the Littlewood Committee. The advisory committee is being asked to consider the question in consultation with the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking aad Health set up in 1973 by the then Secretary of State for Social Services under the chairmanship of Dr. Hunter.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to reduce the defence establishment at RAF St. Mawgan in the light of the recent defence cuts.

RAF St. Mawgan is one of the stations affected by the deployment proposals announced in the statement on Defence Estimates. No final decisions have yet been taken but I am writing to the hon. Member giving details of the implications of these proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the effect on the number of RAF personnel in Cyprus of the resent transfer of units to the United Kingdom and closure of the maintenance unit.

The effect has been to reduce the numbers of RAF personnel in Cyprus by about 1,550.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the effects that proposals contained in the Government's White Paper on Defence Expenditure will have upon the current size, range of activities and functions of HMS "Raleigh" and HMS "Fisgard", Tor-point; whether there will be any reductions in the number of civilians employed at these establishments; and what is the proposed time-scale of any changes.

It is too soon to say. Work is proceeding on the detailed implementation of the proposals contained in the Government's White Paper on Defence Expenditure. There will be no unnecessary delay in making announcements about particular establishments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to continue the research and development by Hawker Siddeley of a new airborne early warning system after 1st April 1975, using an existing or a new contract.

An airborne early warning system based on the Nimrod aircraft is one of the options we are considering and we shall shortly be placing a contract with Hawker Siddeley for the project definition of that option. The final choice of system will not be made for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why Irish regiments are not employed in Northern Ireland; and whether, having regard to the depletion of Her Majesty's Forces and the frequent tours served by many British units in the Province, he will reconsider Her Majesty's Government's policy in the matter.

It has been the policy of successive Governments that Irish regiments should not be employed in Northern Ireland, and I do not propose to change it. These regiments, which are recruited from both religious groups in the community, have not been stationed in Northern Ireland since 1933 except for training, staging or ceremonial duties, and it has always been considered that it would not be right to involve them in the sectarian bitterness which is such a tragic feature of the situation in Northern Ireland. The regiments do, of course, take their share of unaccompanied service in the Army as a whole, thereby helping in the problem of finding units for emergency tours.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of Servicemen for each Service, and the number of civilians in support of the Services, actually in post on 1st April 1974 and at the latest available date, respectively.

The numbers of Service personnel and of civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence on 1st April 1974 and 1st February 1975 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the admission of officers from non-aligned countries as students at the Staff College, Camberley.

It is our policy to allot vacancies at the Staff College, Camberley, to officers from the Armed Forces of other countries. Priority is naturally given to countries with which we have particular ties but applications from other countries are considered on their merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 10th Battalion of the UDR, stationed at Girtwood Barracks, Antrim Road, is permitted to do road checks between Limestone Road and Carlisle Circus.

The UDR is not employed in areas or circumstances likely to involve it in sectarian conflict, crowd control or riot duties. Subject to these restrictions the regiment may be employed as and where required by the military situation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the total annual cost of exempting all State pensions at current levels of payments from income tax.

The estimated cost of exempting national insurance retirement pensions from tax is £320 million for 1974–75. Information on which to base an estimate of the cost of exempting other forms of state pensions is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the annual estimated costs to the Exchequer of granting subsidies to the fishing industries, horticulture, farming and all other types of subsidised assistance as requested in Early Day Motions tabled since February 1974; and to what extent tax could be reduced if the cuts in public expenditure as suggested by similar motions were implemented.

The total extra cost of implementing proposals arising from two early day motions on 4th March about the glasshouse industry and the fishing industry would be about £20 million a year. The Government, as announced on 27th February, have agreed to a temporary aid to the fishing industry for the first six months of the year, costing £6·25 million. Hence the total extra cost of implementing in full the proposals arising from these motions would be about £13·75 million a year. I regret it would cost disproportionate time and effort to provide the information requested on all early day motions tabled since February 1974, in respect of all types of subsidised assistance in general.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the talks held by the Inland Revenue and the Life Offices Association regarding the availability of full tax relief on unit linked insurance funds until 5th April 1975; whether any agreement was reached that possible tax avoidance measures should not be advertised; and whether he is satisfied that no such advertisements are being published.

The Inland Revenue has held no talks about the availability of tax relief on life assurance policies or funds "until 5th April 1975" and no change in the rules for life assurance relief is effective on that date. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind and would like to send me details, I shall look into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to alleviate the impact of the Government's policy of reducing petrol usage by duty increases on private motorists in rural areas where there is no alternative transport available.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if in any given tax year a father gives £1,000 to his son and a further £1,000 to his wife which she in turn gives to their son, her gift to the son will be treated as an "associated operation" and thus be subject to capital transfer tax.

Normally, no, but I would refer the hon. Member to the statements I made when this matter was discussed during the Report stage of the Finance Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the maximum marginal rates of capital transfer tax where a gift is made (a) during the lifetime of a donor and (b) under his will, distinguishing between cases where the donor and the donee assume liability to pay the tax; and, in the light of information available to him, in which foreign countries these rates are exceeded with similar taxes on gifts or inheritances.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to authorise the acquisition of office space to administer his proposed wealth tax; and what is his estimate of the cost of the accommodation concerned.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13th March.—[Vol. 888, c. 214.]It is not possible to give a firm estimate of the cost, as the precise accommodation requirements are still to be determined.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the circumstances which led to VAT officers on four occasions making inquiries between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.; whether they found evidence sufficient to warrant prosecution against the taxpayers concerned; and if he is satisfied that the officers concerned acted reasonably in searching during the night.

In each case the inquiries followed the issue of a search warrant under Section 37(3) of the Finance Act 1972. In two cases criminal proceedings are under consideration by Customs and Excise; in the third case inquiries are continuing and in the fourth case sufficient evidence has now been obtained to warrant prosecution. I am satisfied that in the circumstances of each case execution of the warrant during the night was necessary. In three of these cases police were present when the inquiries were made, and in two of them officials of Inland Revenue were also present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there have been any cases when VAT officers without a search warrant have interrogated taxpayers between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there have been any cases when VAT officers have searched premises without a search warrant.

Customs and Excise have no knowledge of a VAT officer having exercised his powers of inspection of premises and goods by searching premises as such without a warrant or without the trader's consent. There have been, however, isolated cases of the examination of, for example, a wastepaper basket, without the trader's consent. Customs and Excise take appropriate action in any such case.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures available for the financial benefits to the South-West assisted areas from EEC membership from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, European Social Fund and European Investment Bank; and what percentage these financial amounts represent of the total benefit to the United Kingdom in each category.

Information on the financial benefits from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and the European Social Fund to the South-West assisted areas is not separately available. During 1973 and 1974 the United Kingdom received about £175 million from the EAGGF for market regulation and restructuring under the common agricultural policy. Receipts from the European Social Fund during the same period amounted to about £16 million. In addition, there are commitments to pay the United Kingdom about £12 million from the guidance section of EAGGF, and the United Kingdom has also been allocated further sums from the European Social Fund.The South-West assisted areas have not received any loans from the European Investment Bank, but the bank has to date made loans totalling £136 million to United Kingdom organisations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has regarding the flow of capital specifically designed for job-creating investment from the EEC to Great Britain and from Great Britain to the EEC, respectively, since Great Britain joined that body.

Information on capital flows which can be identified as specifically designed for job creation is available only with respect to loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Coal and Steel Community. Since the United Kingdom joined the EEC in January 1973, the EIB has made loans totalling £136·2 million in the United Kingdom, of which about £129 million had the creation of new jobs as a main objective: lending by the ECSC has included £14·8 million for reabsorbing redundant steelworkers.In addition, much private investment is likely to have had an impact on employment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the size of Great Britain's net annual contribution to the EEC which would be required for Great Britain to attract the full amount of the £125,000,000 rebate under the scheme approved by the EEC Ministers at their recent meeting in Dublin; and if he will make a statement.

Reimbursement under the correcting mechanism is related to the gross rather than the net contribution. Its size in any year will depend on a number of factors including the size of the Community budget and the relationship between the United Kingdom's share of the budget and its share of Community gross national product. It is not possible to give realistic estimates for these factors whose development is subject to considerable uncertainty.