asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will pay an official visit to Rossendale.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much money is being paid out annually to provide new jobs in the Nelson and Colne area.

I regret that records of the amount of regional assistance paid to industry are not kept below regional and assisted area level.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what conversations he has had with the Commission of the EEC to ascertain whether the policy contained in the Ryder Report concerning British Leyland is in conformity with the Treaty of Rome; and what reply he has received.

The Commission was informed of the Government's proposals for British Leyland in accordance with established procedures. The Government have now been informed that the Commission has raised no objections to these proposals. The Commission has asked to be kept informed at the appropriate time of the details of the various successive phases of implementation of the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on the criteria adopted in excluding confidential information in the Ryder Report on British Leyland.

The information that has been excluded from the Ryder Report is of a commercial nature which would be of value to British Leyland's competitors.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will ensure that investment plans for British Leyland are undertaken in consultation with the British machine tool industry.

It is the Government's hope that the investment planned for British Leyland will have a beneficial effect on production and employment in other parts of the engineering industry. My Department has arranged for discussions to be held between British Leyland and the machine tool industry about future machine tool requirements, and an initial meeting took place on 2nd June.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has made recently any senior appointments to his staff from outside the Civil Service.

Since January my right hon. Friend has made one such appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about financial assistance to Chrysler (UK) Limited.

Chrysler (UK) Ltd. has made no application for financial assistance under the Industry Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress he has made in preparing for the establishment of the NEB.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress he has made in his preparations for the establishment of the National Enterprise Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress he has made with his preparations for the establishment of the National Enterprise Board.

An organising committee for the National Enterprise Board has been appointed which, in close consultation with my Department, is making arrangements to set up the National Enterprise Board as soon as the Industry Bill becomes law.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry from what sources the National Enterprise Board will obtain its funds for industrial investment.

The National Enterprise Board will obtain its funds for industrial investment from public and private sources, in sterling or otherwise, as prescribed in Schedule 2 and Clause 7 of the Industry Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what proposals he has for the early establishement of the National Enterprise Board.

The National Enterprise Board will be established shortly after the Industry Bill has become Law.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the National Enterprise Board will open regional offices.

The Government have already made clear their view that the NEB should have offices in the North-East and the North-West.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will bring forward plans designed to improve confidence in the private sector of industry.

The Government's policies for the regeneration of British industry are intended to improve confidence at all levels within industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will establish an early warning system by which he may be informed of companies' probable cash-flow difficulties at least nine months before redundancies are to become imminent.

The Government's plans to introduce planning agreements and to require certain periods of notice of redundancies under the Employment Protection Bill go as far as is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what consideration he is currently giving to the future expansion of the public sector in British industry; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's programme for the extension of public ownership was set out in the White Paper "The Regeneration of British Industry", and three Bills from my Department to give effect to it are before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what action he is taking to increase opportunities for industry in the London area.

I recognise that there are particular employment difficulties in some parts of London, mainly in the inner boroughs. These are being closely studied by various Departments.The needs of industry in these areas and in London generally are taken into account when applications for industrial development certificates are considered and in practice a high proportion are approved. My hon. Friend will appreciate, however, that the Government's regional policies must continue to give priority to the longstanding problems of high unemployment in the assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will bring forward proposals to stimulate investment in new industrial projects in the United Kingdom by overseas firms wishing to take advantage of tariff-free access to the market of the European Economic Community.

The full range of measures to stimulate investment in the United Kingdom will continue to be available to firms investing in Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what estimate he has made of the likely trend of investment in industry in the light of the result of the referendum.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on prospects for industrial investment following the EEC referendum.

I must ask the House to await future forecasts of investment intentions for British industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will arrange a meeting with the chairmen of all the nationalised industries.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) on 20th May 1975 that he had received a request to arrange a meeting with the chairmen of the nationalised industries and had agreed to do so in the fairly near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what general directions he has issued in the last five weeks to chairmen of nationalised industries.

I have not issued any general directions to any of the chairmen of the nationalised industries for which I am responsible since I was appointed Secretary of State for Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has made any manpower level comparisons between the nationalised industries in the United Kingdom and the nationalised industries of other member countries of the EEC.

I regret that such comparisons are not possible because the international sources of statistics do not distinguish the employment of publicly-owned industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give figures of manpower levels in nationalised industries under his departmental control for 1964, 1974, and estimates for the next five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give figures of manpower levels in nationalised industries under his departmental control for 1964, 1974, and his estimates for the next five years.

Following is the information:

Post Office:
1964	…	376,601
1974	…	420,914
1975	…	434,000
British Steel Corporation:
1964	…	N/A
1974	…	220,000
1975	…	220,000

Litttle change is expected in Post Office manpower over the next five years. The British Steel Corporation's development plans provide for a reduction to 195,000 by the turn of the decade.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the FAA public hearings on Concorde landing rights in New York and Washington.

The recent hearings on Concorde in the United States of America were about the request by British Airways and Air France to the American Federal Aviation Administration to introduce commercial Concorde services to New York and Washington. They were part of the consultative procedures laid down under United States environmental legislation. An Anglo-French team of officials and representatives of the manufacturers and the airlines attended the hearing and gave evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a note on the work programme for his Department for 1975–76.

I have done my best to keep the House of Commons and the public fully informed about the work of the Department of Industry, which I intend should follow all the policies described in the Labour Party manifesto.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total amount of public financial assistance given to the different sectors of the British textile industry since 1965, shown on an annual basis.

Records of expenditure on certain regional incentives are not kept for individual industries, and I regret therefore that this information is not avail-

IDENTIFIABLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY 1965–75
1. Research associations—(£'000)
1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
320	338	342	355	417	386	371	357	320	349

2. Grants and loans under Local Employment Acts (excluding factory assistance)—(£'000)
		1965–66	1966–67	1967–68	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71	1971–72	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75
Loans	…	2,117	840	2,180	1,907	6,263	1,972	1,360	890	—	—
Grants	…		1,388	2,139	1,679	7,511	4,790	3,170	1,992	1,736	21

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of discussions with the British Steel Corporation on the size of the work force needed in the next few years, and the question of redundancies.

On 19th May the British Steel Corporation and the Steel Committee of the Trades Union Congress reached agreement on measures to deal with the problems created by the downturn in demand for steel. In the light of the agreement the earlier proposals for over 20,000 redundancies among steel workers have, I am glad to report, been dropped by the BSC.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he now proposes to dismiss the Chairman of the British Steel Corporation.

No. I do not intend to dismiss Sir Monty Finniston.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he is satisfied that the extent and character of regional policies at present applying in East Anglia are best suited to meet the needs of the Isle of Ely, particularly in respect of assistance to local industry and the problems facing small firms.

The principal aim of regional policy is to help the assisted areas. Nevertheless the industrial development certificate control is operated flexibly and a sympathetic view is taken of projects in areas with special unemployment problems.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish his latest estimate for current and continuing deficits by the Post Office.

I have nothing at present to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) on 1st May.—[Vol. 891, c. 222.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much revenue was received by the Post Office in the past financial year from charges on overseas surface printed papers to Commonwealth and foreign countries.

The Post Office estimates revenue for 1974–75 at between £13 million and £14 million.

				Telephone calls Millions	Telex calls Thousands	Telegrams Thousands	Staff employed in Telecomms. Business Thousands		Telecomms. Fixed Assets Gross Book Value Additions during year £ Thousands
1965	…	…	…	6,342	25,289	32,300	202	*	156,944
1966	…	…	…	6,900	28,107	31,900	211		175,140
1967	…	…	…	7,391	37,802	31,000	218		216,823
1968	…	…	…	7,960	43,217	30,900	223		255,493
1969	…	…	…	8,640	47,510	29,200	226		283,129
1970	…	…	…	9,638	52,419	29,300	228		324,620
1971	…	…	…	10,766	65,256	25,800	232		362,557
1972	…	…	…	12,051	74,840	27,000	234		518,227
1973	…	…	…	13,564	80,480	27,000	240		523,768
1974	…	…	…	14,874	86,163	27,500	242		610,154
* Prior to Corporation, estimated numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is now his latest estimate of the profit or loss of the Post Office for the current year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he is satisfied with co-ordination between his Department and the NEDC.

Yes. The relations between the Department of Industry and the National Economic Development Council are working very well.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he proposes to announce the names of the chairman and other members of the board of British Shipbuilders.

I intend to appoint the organising committee for the new British

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish figures for the total number of calls and telegrams handled, the number of staff employed and the value of capital equipment installed in the telecommunications service of the Post Office for each year since 1965.

The following are the statistics requested, mainly drawn from the Post Office Reports and Accounts.Shipbuilders Corporation, consisting of the chairman-designate and other key members of the Board of British Shipbuilders, after the Second Reading of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met shop floor and management representatives of Hawker Siddeley Aviation to discuss HS 146.

The most recent tripartite meeting on the HS146 in which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I participated was held on 13th December last year. Since then a tripartite working group, agreed by that meeting, has held a number of discussions and has made good progress in preparing a report which I understand I should receive shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the latest forecasts for motor car production for 1975.

Official forecasts of car output are not published; but the low rate of car output in the United Kingdom so far this year reflects the depressed demand which is currently affecting car markets throughout the world.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made to date in formulating proposals for the establishment of a co-operative development agency; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in a written reply on 19th May, the Government are considering the proposal to establish a co-operative development agency. We are not in a position to make a statement on the timing of introduction of any legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he has received from private industry concerning the implementation of planning agreements.

A number of views have been expressed both to my Department and in the media. They reflect a range of attitudes and concerns. The Government have said that they intend to extend their consultations with both sides of industry about the best means of implementing planning agreements. Firms will be better able to form a view as those consultations progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now make a statement on his discussions about footwear with the three COMECON countries, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania.

These discussions have now been completed. We announced on 23rd May that the countries concerned have undertaken that their exports to the United Kingdom in 1975 of men's leather footwear—excluding sandals—will be at a level between 5 and 10 per cent. below that of comparable exports in 1974. This represents a decline of some 300,000 pairs. The situation will be reviewed later in the year; meanwhile imports will be closely watched.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the direct reduction of iron ore to steel using natural gas, the method scheduled to be used in the United Kingdom at Hunterston, the estimated capacity of the project, its cost and whether similar plants are intended to be used in other plants in the United Kingdom bearing in mind the availability of natural gas on the eastern seaboard.

There are several processes for the production of directly-reduced iron using natural gas as an energy source. The Midrex process was the first to be established and proved on a commercial scale. The British Steel Corporation has not yet announced its detailed plans for Hunterston but the hon. Gentleman will have seen the recent Press reports that Midrex plants of about 800,000 tonnes a year capacity are in mind. The corporation estimates that such a plant would provide all its requirements for directly reduced iron for the foreseeable future. I understand that the private sector steel industry is also giving consideration to the construction of a direct reduction iron plant, but I have no details of its plans.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what percentage of British Leyland's sales of equipment and vehicle components are marketed by Chrysler (UK) in Iran; and whether he is prepared to make a statement about the continuance of business in that country following the acquisition of a significant part of the company's assets by the State.

I understand that there are no marketing arrangements between the two companies in Iran. The Ryder Report drew attention to the opportunities for British Leyland's sales of trucks to certain countries including Iran.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the United Kingdom output of steel in volume and in value in each of the last five years and in each of the last 18 months for which figures are available.

Volume figures through February 1975 are contained in "Annual Statistics" and "Monthly Statistics" of the Iron and Steel Industry, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Weekly average United Kingdom crude steel production in March and April 1975 was 494·7 thousand and 429·5 thousand tonnes respectively. Monthly value figures and value figures for 1969 are not available. Annual value figures of sales by the industry for 1968 and 1970 through 1973 are contained in reports on the Census of Production, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the amount of Government money, in cash grants and in loans, given to the steel industry in each of the last five years, and in the current year until the latest available date for which figures are available.

Comprehensive data for the steel industry are not readily available. The following table gives grants authorised for the British Steel Corporation and loans drawn by it from the National Loan Fund in the last five financial years. Figures for 1974–75 are provisional.

		Grants Authorised	Net Drawings from the National Loan Fund
		£m.	£m.
1970–71	…	27·9	58·3
1971–72	…	12·3	129·5
1972–73	…	44·0	142·9
1973–74	…	30·8	3·0*
1974–75	…	39·1	83·2*
* Net repayment.

The Government invested £45 million in public dividend capital in BSC in 1974–75.

Undertaking	Accounting period Year ending:		Profit or Loss before taxation and extraordinary items
			£
Appledore Shipbuilders Limited	30th September 1974	…	+303,447
British Steel Corporation	31st March 1974	…	+98,000,000
Cable & Wireless Limited	31st March 1974	…	+15,047,000
Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Limited (50 per cent. holdings)	31st December 1974	…	+1,108,143
Govan Shipbuilders Limited	27th December 1974	…	-5,317,000
Rolls Royce (1971) Limited	31st December 1973	…	+22,847,000
Sunderland Shipbuilders Limited	30th September 1973	…	-179,000
The Post Office	31st March 1974	…	+101,914,000

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is estimated to be the under-usage of capacity in the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

Shipyards in Scotland building vessels of 100 gross tons or more, which constitute the substantial majority of tonnage built in Scotland, have generally full order books. In this sense under-utilisation of capacity is low. No other estimates are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what effect the EEC referendum result will have on the assistance given by his Department to British industry.

Her Majesty's Government will continue to develop their present policies within the framework set by EEC membership.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the latest available figure in annual terms for the pretax trading profit or deficit, before payment of interest, of the public sector of industry.

There follows the latest available information for profits or losses made by public sector undertakings for which I am responsible. Because accounting methods differ in the shipbuilding industry, it is not possible to distinguish interest charges in particular cases; otherwise the figures shown are before payment or receipt of interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on the implications of the referendum result for the work of his Department; and what initiatives he now plans to take with members of the EEC.

At this stage I have nothing to add to the statement made this afternoon by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many clerical and other white collar workers were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974 and 1st January 1975, respectively.

The number in non-industrial grades employed on 1st April 1974, the first date for which information was collected following the creation of my Department on 5th March 1974, was 9,395 and on 1st January 1975 was 9,490.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he has received from the British Textile Confederation; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, Ministers, and officials of this Department have in recent months received representations from the British Textile Confederation making three proposals. First, it requested import surveillance arrangements on certain manmade fibres. On 3rd April we introduced surveillance arrangements covering not only all man-made fibres but yarns and fabrics manufactured from all the main fibres. Secondly, the BTC proposed a 20 per cent. across-the-board cut in textile imports. I would refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House recorded in cols. 1803–1821 of the Official Report. Thirdly, the BTC has requested the extension of the existing surveillance arrangements to cover clothing, made-ups and knitwear; we are considering the feasibility and desirability of this proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met representatives of the British Textile Confederation.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met the BTC on 11th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether Her Majesty's Government intend to provide financial assistance for the development of the Rolls-Royce RB401 engine; and whether he will make a statement.

My Department has received no request for financial assistance for the RB401 engine.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many clerical and other white collar workers were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974 and 1st January 1975, respectively.

The numbers of nonindustrial staff employed on these dates were as follows:

1st January 1973	…	…	33,033
1st January 1974	…	…	32,217
1st January 1975	…	…	18,256

The 1st January 1975 figure includes the staff of the Health and Safety Executive. The reduction in figures between 1974 and 1975 is due to the creation of the Manpower Services Commission and its agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied with the implementation of the recommendations of the Duncan Report; and what further measures he intends to implement to secure the more efficient use of diplomatic and consular staff in foreign and Commonwealth countries and their increased application to the promotion of British trade.

Yes. British diplomatic and consular missions are regularly reviewed to ensure the efficient use of our manpower in support of overseas objectives, including the promotion of British trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied that the independent commission against corruption in Hong Kong is being given the necessary resources in finance and manpower to deal with its task.

Yes. Notwithstanding the present restrictions on governmental expenditure in Hong Kong, financial provision for the commission in the financial year 1975–76 is 42 per cent. higher than in 1974–75. The commission's staff, which at present numbers 480, will be increased to over 700 by the end of this financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many clerical and other white collar workers were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974 and 1st January 1975, respectively.

The figures, which relate to the non-industrial grades, are as follows:

1st January 1973	…	…	10,191
1st January 1974	…	…	9,955
1st January 1975	…	…	10,020

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that no arms will be supplied for use in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus by Turkish Cypriots or others; and how many sales of this nature have taken place since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

It is not our policy to supply arms for use in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus. My right hon. Friend set out Her Majesty's Government's position on the question of arms sales to Turkey in the House on 21st May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of United Kingdom citizens permanently resident in Australia; and if he will take steps to improve the services of the High Commission in dealing with individual anomalies under the Australian immigration regulations which adversely affect persons who were originally United Kingdom citizens.

About 1 million of the present Australian population were born in the United Kingdom; many of them now have citizenship of both countries. No estimate is available of United Kingdom citizens by descent permanently resident in Australia. There is no need to take steps to improve the services of the High Commission in Australia, which I consider to be satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the constitutional future of the Solomon Islands.

I held discussions last month with the Chief Minister of the Solomon Islands and other members of the Legislative Assembly. It was agreed that internal self-government should be introduced if possible by 1st November 1975, but at any rate not later than the end of the year, on the understanding that, subject to the approval of Parliament, independence should follow within 12 to 18 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consult the Governments of the countries with direct interests in the Indian Ocean, including Mauritius, the Maldives, India, Bangladesh and Australia, with a view to establishing a strategy for the exploitation of ocean bed mineral resources for the benefit of the inhabitants of the region and with particular reference to the United Kingdom responsibilities for the Indian Ocean Territory.

Under international law the coastal States, in the Indian Ocean as elsewhere, have sovereign rights for the exploitation of the resources of their continental shelves out to the edge of the continental margin. The establishment of an international regime for the exploitation of seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction is one of the aims of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, which resumes in New York in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement with regard to the determination by the Spanish courts of all matters outstanding against Brian Wall, at present incarcerated in Cadiz Prison.

Mr. Wall is in Jerez Prison serving a 10-year sentence imposed on 21st November 1974 for drug trafficking. His appeal against sentence was rejected. A contraband tribunal hearing on 7th February 1974 has been postponed pending valuation of the drugs. Provisions exist for appeal against the tribunal's findings and in due course for a petition for clemency.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the considerations that prompted him to close Her Majesty's embassy in Saigon when the recognised Government of the Republic of South Vietnam was functioning; how many British subjects remained in the country; what advice was given to them; how many Vietnamese employees of the embassy who desired evacuation were left behind; and what is the estimated cost to public funds of closing and later reopening a British mission in Saigon.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2nd May 1975; Vol. 891, c. 287], circulated the following information:An estimate of the cost of closing our mission in Saigon is given below:

	£
Total cost of air passages	26,500
Cost of freight for cars and effects	6,000
Subsistence paid to FCO personnel	1,500
Terminal gratuities to staff	1,500
Miscellaneous	300
	35,800

The cost of reopening the mission in Saigon will largely consist of the expenses incurred in sending United Kingdom staff and their baggage to the mission. However, it is not yet known what number or status of staff will be required.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the implications of the referendum result for the work of his Department; and what initiatives he now plans to take with members of the EEC.

At this stage I have nothing to add to the statement made this afternoon by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in the study of the factors affecting the controls governing the coal and steel industries raised at the renegotiations held at the Dublin summit on 3rd March; and if he will make a statement.

The study of how to re-establish effective control over private sector investment in the steel industry is being pursued in accordance with the objectives set out in Command 5999 and 6003. We have met no comparable problems in connection with the coal industry.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the total number of civil servants employed in the United Kingdom, in each department, on the latest available date, and on the same date in each of the preceding 10 years; and to what extent the numbers are not comparable.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 8th May 1975; Vol. 891, c. 483–4], gave the following information:Central records do not distinguish between United Kingdom-based civil servants working in the United Kingdom or abroad. The numbers of United Kingdom-based civil servants in each department on 1st January in each year were as follows: