asked the Secretary of Slate for Defence what discussions he has had recently with the South African Government about the problems of anti-submarine warfare in the South Atlantic.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the income received by his Department from the activities of military bands and musicians.

About £33,000 for 1974–75.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the defence budget is spent annually in each of the standard regions of the British Isles.

The broad percentages for 1973–74—the latest available year—were: England, 77½ per cent.; Scotland, 6½ per cent.; Wales, 2½ per cent.; Northern Ireland, 2¾ per cent.The remainder was spent overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of development and production work on the Franco-German Milan anti-tank guided weapon which might be undertaken by United Kingdom manufacturers if it were purchased.

It would be premature to quote figures in advance of detailed negotiations which would have to be undertaken if it were decided to purchase Milan. If such a decision were taken our objectives would be to secure a substantial amount of work to be done in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of future development and production work in the United Kingdom on the British Beeswing anti-tank guided weapon which would be lost if the British army did not buy it.

Development work has been virtually completed. Estimates of the loss on production could only be speculative.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the value of British weapons of each main type purchased by France in the last five years.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of arms sales to individual countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the value of United States military, naval and air weapons and equipment, respectively, purchased by the United Kingdom and of the corresponding British weapons and equipment purchased by the United States in the past 10 years.

This information is not available in the precise form requested.The total values of contracts placed for defence equipment of United States manufacture—but excluding subcontracts placed by Ministry of Defence contractors—in the last four years were:

	£million
1971–72	6·3
1972–73	12·8
1973–74	9·1
1974–75	39·5

To differentiate between military, naval and air equipment and to give similar information for earlier years would involve disproportionate time and effort.The United States Government have so far purchased few items of British defence equipment, in terms of complete weapons systems. However, over the last decade, United States purchases have included Harrier aircraft, head-up displays for American military aircraft, aircraft training simulator systems, military aircraft engines, and certain electronics equipment. In total, these sales are estimated to be worth approximately US$600 million. It would be impractical to subdivide this figure between military, naval and air equipments with any accuracy. In addition to the sales covered by this figure there will have been sales of some equipment which it is impossible to segregate from civil business in the trade statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what priority is being given to changes in Service widows' pensions which will take into account service before 1st September 1950.

Where there is an entitlement to pension, all service from the ages of 21 for officers and 18 for Service men is taken into account and is reflected in the widow's pension.The hon. Member may, however, be concerned about certain widows who, because their husbands retired from the Armed Forces before 1st September 1950, do not receive a pension from the Ministry of Defence. I would refer him to the answer which I gave to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Sandelson) on 22nd July.—[Vol. 896, c. 271–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for expansion of facilities and for new buildings at RAF Hospital Wroughton, Wiltshire; and at what estimated cost.

Some minor works services are planned, namely, the provision of extra X-ray facilities, improvements to the outpatients' department, and the erection of a small new building for nurses, at an estimated cost of £80,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, concerning the review of arrangements for the disposal of housing properties in his possession and surplus to requirements, who is to carry out the review; what are the terms of reference; by what date he requires to receive the results of the review; how he proposes to make known the results; and if he will make a statement.

The review of my Department's arrangements for ensuring that houses are not retained unnecessarily is being carried out internally and as quickly as possible as part of the normal process of continually improving our administrative procedures. Once a property is found to be surplus to defence requirements its disposal is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people received (a) rate rebates and (b) rent rebates in each year since commencement of these payments.

The number of households in England and Wales, excluding householders receiving supplementary benefits, were:

RATE REBATES
(thousands
1966–67	896
1967–68	787
1968–69	792
1969–70	808
1970–71	796
1971–72	807
1972–73	905
1973–74	910
1974–75	2,500

RENT REBATES
(thousands
March 1968	360
March 1969	350
March 1970	350
March 1971	350
March 1972	270
May 1973	700
April 1974	840
January 1975	820

RENT ALLOWANCES
(thousands
	Unfurnished	Furnished
May 1973	48	—
April 1974	120	12
January 1975	135	10

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to impose a statutory duty on district councils to provide accommodation for the homeless.

This is one of the questions discussed in the joint consultation paper on homelessness. We shall reach a final decision in the light of all the comments received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will issue a circular advising local authorities to evict council tenants who operate a business from their council houses and do not actually live there.

No. So far as I am aware, such cases occur only rarely and I see no need for general advice to local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation in the Dobry Report on the Development Control System that planning applications should be more widely publicised either by notices on site or by the notification of neighbours.

My right hon. Friend is considering this recommendation together with the others in Mr. Dobry's report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the Steering Committee reviewing the local authority allowance system, and chaired by an Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, to consider replacing the present system with a salary structure based on the principle of part-time service.

The new system of attendance allowances has been in operation for only a short time. For that reason the review is principally directed to the operation of the present allowances and it is not proposed to extend it to the possibility of introducing salaries for members of local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why there is a shortage of common bricks on the Isle of Wight.

There is generally no shortage of common bricks, but during the current holiday period delivery times have lengthened slightly. I am informed that once the holiday period has passed any temporary supply difficulties should be overcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to enable local authorities to charge property developers the cost to local authorities of processing their plans; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. George Dobry, QC, in the Final Report of the Review of the Development Control System, recommended a standard charge for planning applications. My right hon. Friend is considering this together with Mr. Dobry's other recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total anticipated expenditure during the current financial year on the construction and refurbishing of Government accommodation overseas; and what is the total committed future expenditure on this accommodation.

The amounts included in Estimates for 1975–76 for the defence and civil estates are approximately £39 million for new construction and approximately £59 million for maintenance. At constant prices the expenditure in the next few years is expected to decline slightly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance to local authorities as to the provision of funds to tenants who are willing to undertake redecoration so as to establish a uniform system of financial allowances.

I do not consider that a case has been established for the issue of guidance on this subject, which is best left to the decision of individual local authorities, according to circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of dwellings and the proportion of all dwellings in (i) Great Britain, (ii) England and (iii) each English region in the following categories at the

STOCK OF DWELLINGS
				Percentages of all Dwellings
		Number of Dwellings (thousands)	Owner Occupied	Rented from Local Authority or New Town	Rented from Private Owners	Other Tenures
April 1951
Great Britain	…	13,900	29	18	45	8
December 1960
Great Britain	…	16,215	42	26	26	6
April 1971
Great Britain	…	18,833	50	30	20
England	…	16,065	52	28	20
Northern	…	1,099	41	39	20
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	1,742	49	32	19
East Midlands	…	1,283	52	28	20
East Anglia	…	611	52	26	22
South East	…	5,835	52	25	23
South West	…	1,456	59	22	19
West Midlands	…	1,735	51	34	15
North West	…	2,304	55	28	17
December 1973
Great Britain	…	19,414	52	31	17
England	…	16,572	54	28	18
Northern	…	1,126	44	39	17
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	1,775	52	32	16
East Midlands	…	1,333	54	28	18
East Anglia	…	646	55	26	19
South East	…	6,027	54	25	21
South West	…	1,530	61	21	18
West Midlands	…	1,779	54	33	13
North West	…	2,356	56	29	15
December 1974
Great Britain	…	19,625	52	31	17
England	…	16,755	54	29	17
Northern	…	1,139	44	40	16
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	1,789	52	32	16
East Midlands	…	1,350	55	28	17
East Anglia	…	659	55	26	19
South East	…	6,100	54	26	20
South West	…	1,552	61	22	17
West Midland	…	1,796	54	33	13
North West	…	2,370	57	29	14

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total cost to date of the advanced passenger train.

£12·279 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the total cost of track and signalling improvements to be undertaken in connection with the introduction into service of the advanced passenger train.

Available estimates are below:

The British Railways Board estimates that this will be about £2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in view of his Department's circular of 12th December 1974 on the priority to be given to housing the elderly in England, what proposals he has to encourage local authorities to improve staff training and pay for wardens of grouped housing or sheltered housing schemes; and if he will make a statement.

This is for the local authorities as employers to pursue, through the machinery that exists in local government to deal with these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to receive the report of the Stevens Committee on mineral control.

My right hon. Friend and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales have received the report of the Stevens Committee on Minerals Planning Control and it is expected to be published in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of driving test examiners are women.

1·4 per cent.—17 of 1,256.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the fact that local authorities in the North-East of England are in some cases raising the limit on the value of contracts being put out to competitive tender, he will send out a circular to encourage the lowering of limits in order that spare capacity in the building industry might be utilised.

I think such matters are best left to the discretion of local authorities, subject to the advice in various existing circulars on the award of contracts without competition. In whatever manner contracts are awarded, the capacity of the building industry is used.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the sales of defence land that have taken place in the past year, (b) the purchasers of the land and (c) the average price per acre of the respective sales.

I regret that the detailed information requested cannot be provided without undue research at prohibitive cost. However, during the financial year 1974–75 terms were agreed by the Property Services Agency of my Department, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, for 287 separate sales comprising 2,439 acres at prices totalling £16 million. As the properties concerned varied from farm land to factories an average price per acre would have little meaning.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what correspondence he has received from district councils in Gwynedd during the past month relative to rate support grants; and what reply he has sent.

My Department has received a letter dated 20th June from Ynys Mon Borough Council about the effect on the council's finances of a possible reduction in the rating assessment of a large hereditament in its area. The Department replied on 2nd July, explaining the statutory provisions governing the calculation of the resources element of rate support grant and setting out the circumstances in which a significant reduction in an authority's aggregate effective rateable value would be taken into account in a recalculation of the resources element payable to the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the cartographic standard of the new 1:50,000 map series of the Ordnance Survey.

Yes. If, however, my hon. Friend has any particular points to raise in relation to this map series I shall be glad to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to publish lists in the relevant local newspapers of residential properties remaining empty for more than six months.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he expects to announce the Government's views on the Greater London Development Plan and the Layfield Panel of Inquiry before the end of this year.

I have nothing to add to my answer on 31st July 1975 to the hon. Member.—[Vol. 896, c. 563.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now seek a full report, jointly with the New Forest District Council, and the Hampshire County Council, on the problems of cliff and coastal erosion at Barton-on-Sea; and if he will undertake an independent investigation into the cause of the problem, and seek recommendations for further action to alleviate the problems for the affected residents of properties on the clifftop.

The problems of cliff and coastal erosion at Barton-on-Sea were considered at a meeting on 18th July at which representatives of this Department, Hydraulics Research Station, the New Forest District Council and the council's consulting engineers were present. The recommendations put forward by the district council's consulting engineers for protecting the cliffs were examined and endorsed. Action on these recommendations is the responsibility of the New Forest District Council as the coast protection authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received on the need for introducing immediate legislation on the rating of caravans with the aim of putting the rating authorities in the position where they can send one demand to each site owner in its area; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from the Association of District Councils and four individual rating authorities asking for legislation of this sort. As I told the House on 24th July, my right hon. Friend is considering these representations and I shall make a further statement when this consideration is complete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the latest actual traffic figures with comparisons of these forecast in June 1974 before the Sunbury-Lightwater section of the M3 was opened, and forecasts for one, two and five years' time, of traffic passing along the A316 (Great Chertsey Road) per peak hour, and daily—16 hours—at the Hope and Anchor Roundabout, Hanworth; and at either St. Margaret's Roundabout or Twickenham Bridge.

The information is not available in the form asked for. I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Mr. Hayhoe) on 30th July 1975 for a comparison between estimated and actual traffic flows on the Great Chertsey Road A316.—[Vol. 896, cols. 507–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the increase in the number of lorries daily, expressed in absolute figures and as percentages of all vehicular traffic, which he would expect in the event of implementation of the Greater London Council's proposals to introduce lorry routes along the A316 (Great Chertsey Road) at St. Margaret's; and along the A312 (Uxbridge Road, Hampton Hill and High Street, Hampton).

Both the A316 and A312 are roads for which the Greater London Council is the highway and traffic authority. The council is currently considering representations about lorry routes and I suggest that the hon. Member should seek its views in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which authorities have received a share of the £100 million recently made available under Section 105 of the Housing Act 1974; what amount has been allocated to each authority; and by how much each authority's planned expenditure has been reduced, taking into account any extra allocation above.

The additional amount of public expenditure made available in 1975–76 for the renovation of council-owned dwellings in England amounted to £44 million at 1974 survey prices. Details of the information requested by the hon. Member will be published in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will complete the updating of the strategic plan for the South East; and if he will make a statement.

In November last year I announced that I had invited the South East Economic Planning Council and the Standing Conference on London and South East Regional Planning to join with my Department in updating and further developing the Strategic Plan. I said then that the broad principles for the development of the region which were set out in the plan remained valid; there have been no subsequent reasons to change that view.A professional team was set up to undertake the study in January of this year. It consisted of staff with a wide range of relevant disciplines drawn jointly from both my Department and from the Standing Conference, together with several officers seconded from county councils. Other Government Departments are closely associated with the work. The team are concentrating on seven main areas of study—the South East economy, resources, housing, land, population, transportation and the implementation of the strategy. The interrelationship of problems in Greater London with those in the rest of the South East Region is being examined as a general theme running throughout all studies.These studies deal with interlocking issues and it would be misleading to publish them in isolation. I am hoping, however, that it will be possible to produce an interim report early in 1976. The intention is to complete the final report, which will be made public for wide consultation, towards the middle of next year. The planning authorities are being kept in close touch with the progress of the study through the standing conference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of local authority current expenditure in 1975–76 and its implications for 1976–77.

The level of expenditure in 1975–76 in England and Wales was discussed at the last meeting of the consultative council on 1st August. The council agreed that on the best evidence now available, total current expenditure was likely to be some 2 per cent. over what had been estimated for the 1975–76 rate support grant settlement.I have said previously that if local authority current expenditure in 1975–76 turns out to be higher than was allowed for in last autumn's rate support grant settlement, there will be less room for increases in expenditure in 1976–77. In very broad terms, the excess of local authority current expenditure this year amounts to the level of real growth previously allowed for next year. This means that there is no scope for increased expenditure in total, in real terms, in local authority current expenditure in 1976–77. There will have to be a standstill.Authorities will therefore need further advice on how to limit expenditure. While detailed advice will need to wait upon this autumn's rate support grant settlement, I am urgently considering with local authority associations what preliminary advice can be given now.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to announce a timetable for the implementation of the Control of Pollution Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the implementation of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

My right hon. Friend and I have had further discussions with the Local Authority Associations about the implementation of the Act in England and Wales.Provisions which introduce only discretionary powers or which do not involve significant public expenditure will be implemented as soon as practicable. This means that a number of provisions in Parts I (Waste on Land) and II (Pollution of Water)—notably those dealing with the reclamation of waste and the discharge of trade effluent—and the whole of Parts III (Noise), IV (Pollution of the Atmosphere), V (Supplementary Provisions) and VI (Miscellaneous and General), will be brought into force within the next few months.As regards the main provisions of Part I, the Government have formed the view that the need to strengthen controls over the disposal of waste on land make it essential to introduce the site licensing system provided for in Sections 3 to 11. Funds are therefore being transferred so as to enable local authorities to operate the new system, and we hope to bring the appropriate provisions into effect by or very soon after April 1976. It will not, unfortunately, be possible for the time being to make resources available for the survey and plan provided for in Section 2, but I hope that local authorities who are in a position to do so will go ahead with the survey and the plan in advance of the statutory provisions. It will in any case be essential for all authorities to have regard to the need for adequate facilities for all the waste that requires to be disposed of in their areas, including that generated by industry, and to operate the new system with this in mind.The implementation of the major provisions of Part II of the Act would place water authorities in a position where they would have to incur substantial capital expenditure, at a time when they are operating under increasingly severe capital investment restrictions and when they are under great pressure to keep their charges as low as possible.Industry is also under severe economic pressure. In these circumstances we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that it would not be reasonable to implement the major provisions of Part II of the Act. At the same time, we attach particular importance to making the administration of pollution control as open as possible, and I shall be in touch with water authorities and industry about more voluntary disclosure of information. We shall of course keep the position under constant review, with a view to implementing the whole of Part II of the Act as soon as we judge the circumstances to be right.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is considering the programme for implementation in Scotland in consultation with the convention of Scottish local authorities. He will make a separate announcement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has reached a decision on the planning application referred to him by the Greater London Council for the proposed international merchandise mart of the Surrey Docks.

I have today informed the Greater London Council that I do not wish to intervene in this instance and that it is free to decide the outline planning application as it thinks fit.I have had representations that because of the importance of the site I should call in the planning application and hold a public inquiry. Concern has been expressed as to the suitability of the site for such development, the cost of improvements necessary to the road infrastructure in the area and to public transport services, and to the fact that the site could possibly be better utilised to provide additional, much-needed housing. I do, however, appreciate the significance of the merchandise mart proposal from the purely local viewpoint, as well as the wider implications nationally. The Surrey Docks have been closed now for about five years, and I feel that the time is long overdue when this vast, largely derelict area should be put to good use.Although the merchandise mart proposal has been put forward in advance of any firm decisions on a redevelopment plan for Docklands generally, I am satisfied that it is a worthwhile scheme, suitably sited, and one which, rather than prejudicing the satisfactory redevlopment of Docklands, would give a tremendous boost to the regeneration of Docklands.I am also satisfied that the Greater London Council has investigated thoroughly the need to make improvements to public transport facilities and to the main approach roads in the area and that its road proposals, now estimated at about £9·5 million, are realistic. Some of this expenditure is already included in the GLC's rolling programme to cope with existing traffic conditions, and the GLC has indicated its intention of including other necessary improvements in the programme at the earliest opportunity.I accept the GLC's contention that the merchandise mart itself will not add significantly to traffic conditions in the area and, indeed, that the prospect of this development will ensure that these long overdue road improvements maintain a high priority for early implementation.I have also taken into account the housing and employment needs of the area. Although the merchandise mart is expected to generate up to only 3,000–4,000 jobs for local people out of a total work force of about 12,000, this is not a figure to be lightly disregarded. I am aware that Southwark Council has plans for mainly residential development on about 200 acres on adjoining sites in the Surrey Docks, and I feel that these proposals and the merchandise mart will produce a balanced redevelopment of Surrey Docks.I see no reason, therefore, to delay this development any further by holding a public inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the representations he has received, he will extend the final dates for objections against compulsory purchase orders and side road orders in respect of the proposed M54.

No, but I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider making it obligatory for all wing mirrors, on vehicles, less than six feet from the ground to be of the spring-back type, and to have no sharp or jagged protrusions, such as bolt fittings.

I regard all potentially dangerous external projections on motor vehicles as objectionable and am considering what sort of regulation is best suited to deal with them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the finances of the National Bus Company.

Yes. In October last year the Chairman of the National Bus Company reported to my predecessor on the financial difficulties facing the company. In the event the company's loss on revenue account for 1974 was £12·3 million.On 17th March my right hon. Friend told the House, in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Dodsworth) that the National Bus Company and my Department were reviewing the company's longer-term prospects.I have now considered the results of this study. It predicts that there will be a further loss on revenue account in 1975. Since the NBC is required by statute to break even, taking one year with another, its options are to seek additional revenue through increases in fares; to obtain additional financial support from the county councils; to cut services; or to secure some combination of these.The NBC told me that its subsidiary companies are already seeking from the traffic commissioners the highest fare increases they consider feasible. They expect local authorities' payments in 1975–76 to provide only a third of what is needed to maintain services at about their present level. The company has already decided, for reasons of normal management economy, on cuts of about 9 million miles over routes throughout the country. Without increased local authority grants, however, the NBC would need to make further service cuts totalling over 40 million miles, with some consequential redundancy.Local authority grants to public transport within levels of expenditure accepted by the Government are eligible for Transport Supplementary Grant (TSG). Over 90 per cent. of such expenditure this year is in the major conurbations. Over the next three years the Government's policy is to see the overall total of such spending greatly reduce, but a larger share of it going to assist public transport outside the major urban areas. This policy will be reflected in the distribution of Transport Supplementary Grant for 1976–77.Decisions on the allocation of TSG for 1975–76 were made last December and cannot now be altered. Pending decisions by local authorities about the services they wish to support next year, the Government have therefore agreed that the NBC may continue to draw on the National Loans Fund this year, as it did in the last financial year, in the expectation that the NBC will return to viability.I hope that this, together with the local authority support already being negotiated for 1975–76, will enable the company to suspend action on major cuts on services while the counties review, in the light of this statement, the levels of support they have included in the transport policies and programmes submitted to me in July. If authorities wish to revise these levels, after any necessary discussions with the NBC subsidiaries, the Department and the Welsh Office will consider revisions to this element in the transport policies and programmes up to the end of September. Thereafter, if a county has decided not to support particular loss-making services, it must be assumed that these will be cut.I shall be reviewing the position with the NBC Chairman later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what further industry schemes he proposes under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, following the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement.

In my statement to the House on 23rd July, I announced a £20 million scheme under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 to assist the clothing industry.In addition, I propose to make £25 million available under a scheme to assist the ferrous foundry industry, and a further £20 million for a scheme to assist the machine tool industry. Both these industries occupy key positions in the economy. Helping them to modernise and improve their productivity will have a beneficial effect on the support and service they provide to a wide range of manufacturing industries. The schemes are tailored to the individual circumstances of the industries concerned, and have been drawn up with the advice and help of representatives of the industries and of NEDO.The ferrous foundries scheme will provide grants of 25 per cent. towards approved expenditure on new plant and equipment, and grants of 15 per cent. towards approved expenditure on new buildings and extensions. Concessionary loans will also be available for parts of an identifiable project not covered by these grant aid provisions.The machine tool scheme will make available assistance in the form of concessionary loans towards the development of new machine tools to meet the demands of the market. There will also be grants of 20 per cent., in lieu of the interest rate subsidy on concessionary loans, towards approved expenditure on new plant and equipment, and of 15 per cent. towards approved expenditure on new buildings and extensions. Concessionary loans will also be available for parts of an identifiable project not covered by the other provisions of the scheme. I am also looking into the possibility of providing further assistance to help the industry through the bottom of the present downturn in orders.Both schemes will be operated on a selective basis. Assistance will be provided only for projects approved in advance by my Department. In assessing applications for assistance the Department will put great stress on the commercial viability of the projects proposed, and the way they are integrated into an overall plan to improve the productivity of the applicant company.Both schemes will operate as from today. Press notices are also being issued giving further details of the schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take further action to reduce the length of time people are waiting for admission to hospital; and if she will make a statement.

I have today issued further guidance on this subject in a circular to all health authorities; and I am arranging for copies of this to be placed in the Library.The circular is aimed at improving the management of waiting lists and recommends the introduction in all areas of various procedures of good practice already found helpful in some. For the first time statstics will be collected on a national scale relative to the time patients spend on waiting lists—a more significant measurement of the waiting-list problem, in my view, than the actual size of the lists.The aim is not simply to achieve waiting time reductions by more widespread techniques of good management—although we believe this can result in some areas together with some redeployment of existing resources—but also to identify more positively the absolute shortages in resources that even the best management cannot overcome and which bar the way to further improvements in many areas.The elimination of these shortages will not be an easy matter, particularly in times of financial restraint, but the Government will give as much positive financial encouragement as they can to enable health authorities to implement small-scale schemes designed to break open identified bottlenecks that are causing long waiting times. As announced to the House, £5 million has already been specially earmarked in the current financial year for schemes of this kind, and provided this is shown to help alleviate waiting lists I shall consider making further special capital allowancing.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish as a White Paper an up-to-date list of members of public boards of a commercial character as at 1st July 1975 with salaries, together with a list of those holding more than one appointment, in order to bring up to date Command Paper No. 5609.

I intend to publish an up-to-date version of Cmnd. 5609 as soon as practicable after the Government have taken a decision about the salaries of nationalised industry chairmen and members in the light of the report on higher incomes by the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many ex-offenders and people who have received hospital treatment for mental illness he estimates are employed by the Civil Service; what action he is taking to encourage the employment of such people; and if he will make a statement.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish as a White Paper a list of members of public boards, whether regulatory or advisory, and of finance corporations of a public character, with salaries, together with a list of those holding more than one appointment, as a supplement to Command Paper No. 5609.

It would not be appropriate to publish such a list as a supplement to Command Paper 5609; there are, at present, no central records from which a list could be compiled.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his policy towards the submission of applications for grants from the social fund of the EEC.

In general, applications are made in respect of one half of expenditure by public authorities—mainly the central Government—on eligible activities such as training.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to encourage requests from United Kingdom organisations to the social fund of the EEC.

The fund's regulations require that applications must involve an element of support from public funds. Within this limitation, my Department is continually searching for schemes operated or grant-aided by public authorities which might qualify for assistance from the fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has now taken, in view of the problems of jobless school leavers, for funds to be offered to employers willing to employ school leavers as a training grant as an alternative to unemployment benefits.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget Statement in April that £50 million would be made available to the Manpower Services Commission to finance employment and training policies over a two-year period. On 2nd July, the commission announced a package of measures, including a range of special initiatives to assist employers and unemployed school leavers. Among these were premium grants to employers to encourage them to recruit additional apprentices and special grants to employers in the construction industry recruiting apprentices for initial off-the-job training.On 22nd July, the MSC announced a further package of special measures to increase the training opportunities available to young people. This provided for an extension to the range of premium grants to employers to include on-the-job as well as off-the-job first-year apprentice training. A number of selected employers are being provided with financial incentives to recruit additional apprentices for the full period of apprenticeship.Both these packages make substantial provisions to increase the training opportunities for unemployed school leavers through training award schemes and enable about 10,000 training awards to be offered.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers are unemployed in the areas served by the Leyland employment office and the Chorley employment office.

On 14th July 1975, 28 unemployed school leavers, aged under 18, were registered at Leyland and 85 at Chorley.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers, leaving school at the end of summer term, have been unable to obtain employment and remain unemployed in the area covered by the Kings-wood employment offices.

I regret that precise information is not available. School leavers seeking their first employment normally register with the careers service provided by the Avon local education authority, which does not produce separate statistics for Kingswood. At present, the East Avon area—which includes Kingswood—is linked with central, south and north-west Bristol for statistical purposes, and in this combined area the number of school leavers registered as unemployed on 14th July was 232. Most of these were summer leavers, but further registrations are expected and a more reliable indication of the numbers still seeking employment will be provided by the August statistics.In East Avon it is estimated that just over 1,100 young people left school to seek employment this summer, and so far 500 to 600 are understood to have obtained offers of employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many building trade workers are at present unemployed in the areas served by the employment exchange service at Chorley and Leyland.

On 14th July 1975, 140 unemployed males registered at the Chorley employment office last worked in construction. The corresponding figure for the Leyland employment office was 56.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Yorkshire and Humberside and in North Yorkshire completed courses at Government training centres during the last two years; and how many of these are at present in permanent employment.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible without a disproportionate expenditure of time to obtain information about the number of people living in Yorkshire and Humberside and in North Yorkshire who were trained at skillcentres in the last two years. The number who completed training at Hull, Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield Skill-centres during this period was 2,668.As no SC offers the full range of SC courses, some applicants have to go outside their home areas to train. In addition, some applicants opt for the SC offering earliest admission. Consequently, not all of the 2,668 were therefore necessarily resident in the area specified. Equally, some people living in Yorkshire and Humberside and in North Yorkshire trained at SCs outside the area.The numbers at present in employment cannot be stated as, although initial placings after training are usually done by the SC or the local employment office, there is no obligation on ex-trainees to use the employment service either for initial placing or later job changes. However, 78 per cent. of trainees from these SCs were placed in employment on completion of training. Placing action continues on unplaced trainees for as long as is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will

AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS, AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES AND MINUTES OF WORK REQUIRED TO EARN THE PRICES OF SPECIFIED ITEMS
	October 1971	October 1972	October 1973	October 1974
Average gross hourly earnings of manual men in October	69·19p	79·60p	89·74p	107·83p
Average retail prices in October of:—
White bread 1¾ lb. loaf	9·5p	10·4p	11·3p	13·9p
1 pint of milk	5·5p	5·5p	5·5p	4·5p
1 dozen standard eggs	18·9p	19·3p	41·9p	37·7p
The cheapest British saloon car	£641	£661	£730	£980
Weekly rent of an unfurnished dwelling (including rates)*	£3·05	£3·56	£3·70	£4·36
Monthly repayment of a mortgage on a new house*†	£31·57	£46·34	£69·18	£71·39
Minutes of work required to earn the prices in October of:—
White bread 1¾ lb. loaf	8·2	7·8	7·6	7·7
1 pint of milk	4·8	4·1	3·7	2·5
1 dozen standard eggs	16·4	14·5	28·0	21·0
The cheapest British saloon car	55,600	49,800	48,800	54,500
Weekly rent of an unfurnished dwelling (including rates)*	265	268	247	242
Weekly repayment of a mortgage on a new house*†	619	788	1,045	896
* Based on figures for the last quarter of the year.
† Mortgage repayments are calculated after tax relief at the standard rate and are based on an advance equal to 90 per cent. of the average price of new houses mortgaged in the quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in view of the unemployment

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Thursday 31st July 1975.—[Vol. 896. c. 567–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much working time in minutes he estimates it took a worker earning the current national average weekly wage to earn the price of a standard—1¾ lb.—loaf, a pint of milk, one dozen standard eggs, the cheapest British saloon car, the average rent including rates of an unfurnished dwelling, and the average weekly repayment of mortgage advance on a new house in October of the years 1971 to 1974, respectively.

The information requested and the prices and earnings on which it is based are given in the following table:situation, particularly concerning young people and his statement on the 24th July, he will now expand and develop the Community Industry schemes already in existence, and create new schemes in areas of greatest need.

I am glad to inform my hon. Friend that the Government have authorised additional resources for Community Industry so that up to 3,000 young people can be employed. This represents an increased capacity of 1,000 places, and should enable Community Industry to respond to increased needs both in its existing areas of operation and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the projected figures for the number of factory inspectorate for 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980.

By 1st April 1976, the number of factory inspectors ought to be about 900. The Health and Safety Commission hopes to be able to continue with its plans for expansion of resources over the ensuing four years to a level in excess of 1,050 inspectors. The rate of growth within the period will have to depend upon the availability of suitable candidates and the present economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the numbers of the factory inspectorate for January 1973, 1974, 1975 and to the most recent practicable date in 1975.

The total numbers of factory inspectors in post were as follows:

1st January 1973	682
1st January 1974	681
1st January 1975	737
1st July 1975	761

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether recruitment for the factory inspectorate is being maintained.

Yes. In January 1975, there were 692 inspectors and 45 assistant inspectors. On 1st July 1975, there were 710 inspectors and 51 assistant inspectors. Recruitment panels are held in the spring and autumn of each year. At the last spring panel, 49 candidates were offered posts as Her Majesty's inspectors of factories, and 35 of these offers were accepted. Eight of the persons who accepted have already taken up their posts, and the remainder will join the inspectorate within the next two months.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans for reducing the intake into the factory inspectorate.

No. Current recruitment plans are that about 800 inspectors should be in post by March 1976, and about 900 by April 1977. It is hoped that there will be approximately 1,000 inspectors before 1980. If this figure is achieved, there will have been a tripling of the inspectorate since 1960.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to make another payment of hill cow subsidy during the summer in addition to that made in January.

Under present arrangement no payment is due during the summer but I am watching the hill farming situation carefully.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now ban the use of mercury compounds in seed dressings on environmental grounds; and whether alternative seed dressings are now available.

Alternative seed dressings are available for certain uses. However, none has yet been shown to be as effective as mercury compounds for treatment of seed for all major cereals, and sugar beet, intended for use in United Kingdom conditions. Only one alternative cereal seed dressing has yet been approved for efficacy under the Agricultural Chemicals Approval Scheme, and solely for use on winter wheat. In the absence of any fresh developments my right hon. Friend proposes to adhere to the existing clearances for mercurial compounds given in the light of advice from the expert committee which keeps the use of these seed dressings under review as part of its responsibilities under the Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he has not imposed a ban on the import of by-products from the sperm whale in order to give evidence of the United Kingdom's support for a 10-year moratorium on the killing of whales.

The United Kingdom has supported the adoption by the International Whaling Commission of the Australian amendment to the 10-years moratorium proposal. This, while permitting strictly controlled exploitation of stocks which are at or near the level at which they provide the maximum sustainable yield, gives complete protection to any stock more than 10 per cent. below that level.Sperm whales are one of the four species which can still be hunted commercially under these arrangements. As the stocks are not in danger of over-exploitation, and certain industries would face considerable difficulties if they were unable to obtain sperm whale products, the importation of such products has not been prohibited.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the talks taking place on the EEC's future common fisheries policy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cleveland and Whitby (Mr. Brittan) on 3rd July.—[Vol. 894, c. 1651.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the amount of grant awarded to the United Kingdom food industry in the 1974 Common Agricultural Fund Project scheme; and if he is satisfied that the amount is sufficient, and that the criteria laid down by his administration for applications are not too rigid and exclusive.

The total aid to the United Kingdom under the 1974 FEOGA individual project scheme was £11·6 million and of this sum £4·6 million went to food and food processing projects. The choice of projects for aid under this scheme is made by the European Commission. The 1974 scheme produced more applications than could be aided at a worthwhile rate. I am satisfied that the total sum distributed to the United Kingdom under the 1974 scheme did not suffer from the conditions of application laid down in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that in other member States agricultural projects seeking FEOGA grants are not pinned to industrial development areas but are considered on their own merits; and, bearing in mind the advantages which this brings to agricultural processing industries and to producers of milk, whether he will take steps to alter the position in the United Kingdom.

Subject to meeting the basic requirements laid down by the EEC, member States are free to administer the FEOGA individual projects scheme in their own countries as they think fit. I am satisfied that the basis so far laid down in the United Kingdom for applications has not prejudiced the amount of aid distributed under this scheme to a wide spread of projects in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safeguards exist to prevent foreign fishing vessels from registering in United Kingdom ports.

I have been asked to reply.Registration under Part IV of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 is restricted to British sea fishing boats belonging to a port or place in the British Islands. In practice, this means fishing boats owned by British subjects or by companies registered in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will refuse to permit the import of liquid milk to the United Kingdom which has been produced under hygiene regulations and conditions that are of a lower standard than those imposed upon British milk producers.

The United Kingdom is self-sufficient in milk for liquid consumption. Until Community measures have been adopted on liquid milk for the purpose of protecting public health, we are continuing to apply our existing national measures in the United Kingdom. In negotiations within the Community, the Government will be concerned to ensure that the principle of fair competition continues to apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present pupil-teacher ratio in secondary education; and what is the comparative figure for each of the last 10 years.

Information for 1965–74 is given below. The ratio for January 1975 is not yet available but is expected to show an improvement over that for January 1974, which was the first affected by the raising of the school leaving age.

Maintained secondary schools in England and Wales
January
1965	18·7
1966	18·4
1967	18·2
1968	18·1
1969	17·9
1970	17·8
1971	17·9
1972	17·6
1973	17·1
1974	17·5

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of Roman Catholic children who gain entry into Roman Catholic direct-grant schools.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of all children who gain entry to direct-grant schools.

Statistics are not available in a form which would show the number of children entering direct grant grammar upper schools in a particular period. The percentage of all children in the age group normally in the first year of secondary education who were in direct grant grammar upper schools in January 1974 was 1·6.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many ESN children are currently on the waiting list for places in schools and training centres in the Macclesfield and Congleton areas.

Two ESN (Moderate) children are awaiting day special school places in the Congleton area and two from the Macclesfield area are awaiting boarding places. There is a waiting list of 10 for the day special school for ESN (Severe) children in Macclesfield.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate has been made of the number of students who are likely to receive smaller grants as the result of the introduction in September 1975 of meanstested parental contributions to the grants of married students over the age of 21 years.

It is estimated that for 1975–76 in Great Britain this change could result in an additional 1,000 married women with mandatory awards liable to a parental contribution instead of a spouse's contribution. When the new arrangements are fully operative, this number could rise to 3,000. I have no information as to how many of these students would receive smaller grants as a result. This change will not affect married women students who, prior to 1st September 1975, had not been liable to a parental contribution.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of changing from a system of parental contributions to spouse contributions for the student grants of married students over the age of 21 years.

The cost for mandatory award holders in Great Britain is estimated to be £0·7 million in a full year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many nursery school places there are in the Greater Manchester area;(2) what is the statistical distribution of nursery school places within Greater Manchester by metropolitan district; and

			(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)
			Full-time	Part-time	Total full-time equivalent	Column (c) as a percentage of half the age-group 1–4 (at 30th June 1973)
Bolton	…	…	819	799	1,218·5	13·8
Bury	…	…	40	130	105·0	1·7
Manchester	…	…	3,541	2,146	4,614·0	30·3
Oldham	…	…	280	148	354·0	4·5
Rochdale	…	…	195	1,022	706·0	9·8
Salford	…	…	849	595	1,146·5	12·9
Stockport	…	…	245	202	346·0	3·5
Tameside	…	…	23	530	288·0	3·9
Trafford	…	…	89	230	204·0	2·8
Wigan	…	…	10	552	286·0	2·6
Greater Manchester	…	…	6,091	6,354	9,268	10·3

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local authorities operate their own education television service; and what is his policy towards this form of expenditure.

The Department does not receive returns about such activities, but I understand that three local authorities in England provide a major central television service for educational establishments within their areas. It is for the authorities themselves to judge the value of these services.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate the precise prospects for the nursery school building programme in the period ahead; which schemes will still be allowed to continue; and if he will give guidance on this subject to individual what is the estimated ratio of places to children of nursery school age by metropolitan district, in the last available year.

It is assumed that the number of children of nursery school age in any given new local education authority area may be taken to be about one-half of the 1–4 age group. The following table shows for January 1974 the number of pupils in maintained nursery schools and in nursery classes of maintained primary schools and the full-time equivalent number of these as a percentage of the number of children of nursery school age within Greater Manchester by metropolitan district;local authorities concerned with these programmes.

Local education authorities are aware of their nursery education building allocations for the current year. A circular to be issued this week by my Department will state the value of starts to be authorised for England and Wales for 1976–77. Authorities will subsequently be informed of their individual allocations for that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will propose the creation of an institution to provide pre-university correspondence and multi-media courses for the educationally disadvantaged.

I have no such plans at present.