asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what policies will be proposed by Her Majesty's Government to reduce intervention stocks of beef—700,000 tons—of skimmed milk—1 million tons—and of butter, estimated to be rising to 400,000 tons, in the course of 1976; and how much of the stock of beef is now unfit for consumption.

The Council is currently considering the Commission's proposals for CAP prices in 1976–77 and associated measures. During these discussions my right hon. Friend has pressed, and will continue to press, for decisions on the level and method of support designed to remove imbalances between supply and demand.There is nothing to indicate that any beef currently held in public intervention in the EEC is unfit for consumption.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to encourage research into methods of controlling the bullfinch, in order to alleviate losses to fruit growers caused by this bird.

A great deal of work on this subject will continue to be carried out by the Ministry's Pest Infestation Control Laboratory. Following recommendations from the Joint Consultative Organisation on Research and Development in Agriculture and Food, new work on evaluating bullfinch repellants and on other methods of controlling them is being commissioned with the Agricultural Research Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to announce his decision about the future use of the chemical trithion.

The matter has been before the expert committee which, under the Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme, not only considers new products but also reviews experience with those like trithion for which clearance has already been given. The committee has considered recent evidence of a risk to wild geese from eating seed treated with trithion. In the light of this steps have been taken firstly to ensure that this pesticide, and seed treated with it, are not sold in Scotland, where the main population of wild geese at risk normally feed; secondly, to modify the labels on all bags of treated seed so as to reinforce the existing instructions on safeguards for wildlife; and finally, to put in hand further departmental laboratory and field studies on lines recommended by the committee. The situation will be further reviewed by the committee after the 1975–76 sowing season.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is proposed to amend the EEC common agricultural policy.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. Gould) and others on 29th January and to my right hon. Friend's speech during the debate in the House on 12th February on the EEC Commission's proposals for 1976–77 CAP support.—[Official Report, Vol. 904, c. 657–59.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish the number of county council smallholdings in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, and the total acreage in each country, and also, corresponding figures for Crown land in agricultual use.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many county council small holdings there are in England and Wales.

At 31st March 1974 the number of statutory smallholdings held by local authorities and my Department in England and Wales and the total acreage in each country was as follows:

	Local Authorities		Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
	Number	Acreage	Number	Acreage
England	9,212	363,629	793	9,397
Wales	1,107	50,251	Nil	Nil

No statutory smallholdings are held by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.Local authorities in Scotland do not hold smallholdings and I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland for detailed information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the rate of export subsidy agreed by the EEC dairy management committee for the disposal of milk powder; what are the seven named destinations eligible for receipt of the subsidy; how the price to these destinations compares with the prices proposed to be charged for the powder to animal feedstuffs manufacturers within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

An export refund of £318·98 per metric ton is currently available for denatured powder, and for undenatured powder for feed exported to Hungary, Japan, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Spain and Yugoslavia, under the arrangements set out in Commission Regulation No. 196/76. The rate for other types is £276·14. A discount of £28·48 per metric ton is available in respect of intervention powder for export as feed under Regulation 231/76.Intervention powder for use as feed within the Community has been made available at a discount of £414·10. The general feed subsidy within the Community is £207·91. The Commission proposals based on this latter rate are still under consideration and I have nothing to add at this stage to what my right hon. Friends said in the debate on 12th February.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish the number of tenanted farms,

	England		Wales		Scotland
	Number of farms	Acreage	Number of farms	Acreage	Number of farms	Acreage
1. Owned or mainly owned farm	108,029	12,542,900	22,041	2,438,200	22,504	9,069,900
2. Wholly owner/occupied farms	80,250	7,731,100	17,457	1,797,200	—	—
3. Wholly or mainly tenanted farms	70,594	11,041,600	10,771	1,249,400	27,814	5,983,503
4. Wholly tenanted farms	52,340	7,636,500	8,417	873,600	—	—
5. Partly tenanted farms	46,033	8,216,900	6,938	1,016,800	—	—

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a progress report on the implementation of the White Paper, Food from Our Own Resources.

The White Paper laid down a strategy for agriculture and agricultural policy into the 1980s. Despite setbacks in 1975 that strategy remains valid and provided the basis for the substantial additional aid given to producers last year between annual reviews. It will continue to provide the framework within which Government agricultural

UNITED KINGDOM: AREA UNDER GLASS—ACRES*
		1955–56†	1965–66	1971–72	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75 (Provisonal)	1975–76 (Forecast)
Estimated cropped area of:
Tomatoes	…	2,967	2,487	2,579	2,494	2,517	2,437	2,315
Cucumbers	…	419	450	443	408	341	469	432
Lettuces	…	1,492	1,872	2,478	2,589	3,052	3,220	3,264
Flowers	…	1,575	2,532	2,653	2,795	2,864	2,692	2,733
Other horticultural produce		615	497	605	659	707	812	919
TOTAL	…	7,068	7,838	8,758	8,945	9,481	9,630	9,663
Area under glass‡	…	4,425§	5,183	4,846	4,798	5,086	5,179	5,145

The information is as follows:policy will be formulated and is very much in mind during the current annual review and CAP price-fixing discussions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the present acreage of glasshouses devoted to the commercial production of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, flowers and other horticultural produce and the corresponding figures for each of the last five years, and for 10 years and 20 years ago.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions for the policing of beam trawling are in operation at present.

The Fishery Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy and the Ministry's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate ensure that vessels of all types observe our fisheries limits and gear regulations. Special attention is paid to the Channel area where beam trawlers operate. In recent weeks a number of beam trawlers have been inspected. All were found to have legal gear and none has been found fishing within the six-mile limit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the state of the horticultural industry and the use of hydroponics in cultivation to improve its efficiency.

I am confident that efficient growers will adapt to circumstances and continue to provide the high quality produce in demand by consumers.Hydroponic cultivation is still largely experimental, and Government sponsored research and development into this technique continues.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the effect of capital transfer tax on the number of trees planted in the United Kingdom.

Private woodland owners in Great Britain have been planting fewer trees in recent years but the decline began before capital transfer tax was introduced. No one reason can be put forward for this reduction, but it may be partly accounted for by the general economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the amount of cane sugar which will be imported in 1976 and 1977, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

On the assumption of a normal shipping pattern it is estimated that the total amounts of cane sugar which will be imported into the United Kingdom in calendar years 1976 and 1977 will be about 1·47 and 1·43 million metric tonnes white value respectively. Apart from preferential sugar imported under the Lomé Convention and related agreements these estimates include some world market sugar imported for refining and re-export.

asked the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the EEC about cane sugar imports; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is currently discussing in the Council of Ministers matters affecting cane sugar imports.

asked the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with representatives of cane sugar refineries about the effect of EEC policies on cane sugar imports; and if he will make a statement.

There continues to be full discussion between the Department and representatives of the cane sugar refining industry about the effect of EEC policies on cane sugar imports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 16th-17th February.

The Council had a more detiled discussion of the Commission's price and other proposals for 1976–77. It was decided to meet again from 2nd March in order to reach decisions.In view of this timetable the Council decided that the Community marketing years for milk and beef should begin on 15th March instead of 1st March, and made provision for variable premium arrangements for beef during the two weeks thus added to the period covered by previous decisions. The target price for 1st-14th March will be £25·75 per live cwt. To the extent that the average market price falls short of this target price the difference will be made good by variable premium.I have made it clear to my colleagues in the Council that in the package of price and other measures provision must be made for the continuation of a variable premium system for beef.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list in the Official Report the total number of public service jobs, both manual and non-manual, which have either been dispersed to, or created in, the various regions of the country since 1945, giving in each case (1) the name of the recipient city or town in each region, (2) the name of the transferred or created Department, (3) the number of jobs involved, (4) net cost to

NORTHERN REGION (Population 3·126 million)
Department			Location		Number
Posts dispersed
Ministry of Defence	…	…	Carlisle	…	71
Department of Education and Science	…	…	Darlington	…	640
Inland Revenue	…	…	Newcastle	…	109
			Gateshead	…	266
			Middlesbrough	…	195
			Sunderland	…	40
			Washington	…	134
Department for National Savings	…	…	Durham	…	1,835
Posts established in new offices
Department of Health and Social Security	…	…	Billingham	…	35
			Washington	…	44
Her Majesty's Stationery Office	…	…	Gateshead	…	402
Department of Industry	…	…	Billingham	…	130
Land Registry	…	…	Durham	…	255
Total for Northern Region	…	…	…	…	4,156
Further posts to be dispersed	…	…	…	…	3,860
Further posts to be established in new offices	…	…	…	…	4,051
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE (Population 4·894 million)
Department			Location		Number
Posts dispersed
Ministry of Defence	…	…	Harrogate	…	277
Inland Revenue	…	…	Leeds	…	134
			Bradford	…	252
			Sheffield	…	85
			Shipley	…	366
Total for Yorkshire and Humberside		…	…	…	1,114
Further posts to be dispersed	…	…	…	…	1,700
Further posts to be established in new offices	…	…	…	…	850

The information below covers Civil Service work dispersed from London since May 1963—when comprehensive records were first started, following the Flemming Report—and Civil Service posts established in new offices as a result of the policy, initiated in 1965, of setting up new work away from London wherever possible. Estimates of the costs and benefits broken down between regions are not readily available and would involve disproportionate work to prepare. Further plans for dispersal, including the decisions announced by the Lord President of the Council on 30th July 1974, and further posts to be established in new offices, are also shown. The information for each English region and for Scotland and Wales is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total cost of publicity incurred by his Department in the years 1973,

		Advertising £	Exhibition £	Films/TV £	Radio £	Photography £	publications £	Total £
1973–74	…	350,400	127,500	41,000	5,600	11,000	125,100	663,600
1974–75	…	543,100	150,600	75,200	13,400	15,400	202,100	999,800
1975–76 (forecast)*	…	252,900	1,400	48,000	800	2,000	39,000	343,100
1976–77 (estimate)*	…	82,100	1,000	64,650	3,500	2,000	88,600	241,850
* These years do not include MSC, ESA, TSA, HSC publicity expenditures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department is taking any action over the dispute at Commonwealth Smelting

We are advised by the Central Office of Information through which publicity is placed that the publicity expenditure figures, given in Budget years, are as follows:Limited, Avonmouth and ISC Chemicals Limited; and if he will make a statement.

The independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has held several meetings with the parties to this dispute, the latest on Tuesday 17th February. I understand that discussions are now to continue within a special panel to be set up under the auspices of the national joint council for the chemical industry. I know that the ACAS will be ready to give further assistance if the parties think this might be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have benefited from the recruitment subsidy for school leavers in the Mid-Northumberland employment exchange area.

Since the commencement of the recruitment subsidy for school leavers scheme on 13th October 1975 a total of 53 applications have been approved in respect of young people who have obtained employment in the Mid-Northumberland employment area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers have benefited from the temporary employment subsidy in the Mid-Northumberland employment exchange area.

No application for payment of the temporary employment subsidy has been received from this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in respect of how many jobs in Southampton applications have been made since 1st January for the temporary employment subsidy; and in respect of how many a favourable decision was reached.

The answer to both parts of the Question is 597 jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to implement the redundancy provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport (Mr. Hughes) on 4th February 1976.—[Vol. 904, c.583.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Government are considering changing the date of the spring bank holiday in 1977 from the now well-established last Monday in May; and, if so, whether he will receive representations from all those likely to be affected before a final decision is made.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 18th December last [Vol. 902, c.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value of cigarettes, tobacco and alcoholic drinks were moved from bond for sale in duty-free shops at each airport with such facilities in the United Kingdom.

Information about values is not available, but the quantities of goods received under bond by the operators of duty free shops at United Kingdom airports during the quarter ended 31st December 1975 were as follows:

• Tobacco goods: 510,913 lb. wt. of tobacco.
• Spirits: 246,546 proof gallons.
• Wine: 27,825 gallons.

I am not able to disclose figures for the trade of particular shops.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the sum of identifiable public expenditure in Scotland of £3,611 million in 1975–76 includes a proportion of expenditure on the Armed Forces not stationed in Scotland.

"Identifiable expenditure in Scotland" does not include any expenditure on defence. It should be noted that the figure of £3,611 million given in answer to an earlier Question from the hon. Gentleman—[Vol. 905, col. 512]—related to identifiable expenditure in 1974–75, not 1975–76.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) central Government expenditure and (b) total public expenditure, social security expenditure represented for each of the years 1960 to 1975.

Figures for the years 1960 to 1974 inclusive are given in the table below. Figures are not yet available for 1975.

	Social Security expenditure as percentage of
	(a) Central Government expenditure	(b) Public expenditure
1960	19·9	15·8
1961	20·3	15·8
1962	20·6	15·8
1963	22·3	17·0
1964	21·4	16·5
1965	21·8	17·0
1966	21·2	16·8
1967	20·9	16·5
1968	21·5	17·5
1969	22·4	18·0
1970	22·4	17·9
1971	21·8	17·7
1972	22·8	18·7
1973	21·8	17·2
1974	21·0	16·5

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases have been brought before the VAT Appeals Tribunal in Scotland since it was established; what is the average time taken on each such appeal; and what has therefore been the average cost of each appeal.

Seventy-two appeals have been lodged with the VAT Appeals Tribunal in Scotland of which 11 have been heard and 55 withdrawn, struck out or sifted after preliminary work. Six are awaiting hearing. Additionally, 91 applications have been heard on subsidiary matters, such as applications for the hearing of an appeal without prior payment of the tax.The average time taken to hear an appeal has been about four hours. The total cost of the Edinburgh Tribunal Centre for the year 1975–76 was about £30,000, including salaries, pension liabilities and cost of services such as accommodation, stationery and postage. An average cost calculated only on the number of appeals which reached a hearing would obviously give a misleading impression of the cost of an appeal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report, on the same date as the publication of the Public Expenditure White Paper, the demand weights, as defined in paragraph 82 of the Handbook on Methodology, which have been assigned to each category of the table showing the domestic use of resources; and in particular whether he will publish the demand weights assigned to subsidies, current grants to persons, net lending and debt interest.

The following table gives the information requested:

	Demand Weight (per cent.)
Direct demands on resources:
Public consumption	931
Public investment
New fixed investment	931
Land and existing buildings	10
Indirect demands on resources:2
Current grants to the personal Sector	77
Net lending at home	67
Subsidies	66
Debt interest at home	30

Notes:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report, on the same day as the publication of the Public Expenditure White Paper, a breakdown of the table in the White Paper showing the growth and use of resources, separating public consumption and public investment (lines B.3a and B.3b in Table 1.1 of Command Paper No. 5879) into central and local government, and separating indirect public expenditure (line B.3d of Command Paper No. 5879) into subsidies, current grants to persons, net lending and debt interest.

The table below shows the information requested. The figures are consistent with the aggregates in the White Paper, although the latter have been more heavily rounded.

Demand terms at 1970 factor cost prices
	1974 £ million
Central Government consumption	5,360
Local authorities consumption	4,170
Central Government investment	510
Local authorities investment	1,470
Other public corporations investment	300
Debt interest paid at home	770
Subsidies	4,170
Current grants to persons	1,340
Net lending at home	450

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list all the increased expenditure, on job creation and the labour market, announced since the 1975 Budget, both in gross terms, and in net terms, i.e., after direct tax and national insurance has been deducted from the gross sum, and having offset the expenditure saved on unemployment benefit, supplementary benefit, redundancy payments and PAYE refunds.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report, on the same date as the publication of the Public Expenditure White Paper, a table showing the contingency reserve in money terms as well as the demand on resources to 1979–80.

In the Public Expenditure White Paper published today as Command 6393 the contingency reserve is shown in money terms. The use of demand terms in Command 5879 was exceptional, in a year when there was "an unusually large difference, potentially, between the demand content of some of the likely developments of policy in the next few years and their cost in money". Decisions have now been taken on most of these developments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what loss of revenue would result from exempting those over 65 years of age from liability to investment income surcharge on investment income between £1,500 and £2,000.

At 1975–76 levels of income, about £12 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of Government debt outstanding at present; what that debt amounts to per head of the population of the United Kingdom; what is his estimate of the amount of interest per head of the population payable in respect of that debt in the current financial year; and what were the similar figures in each of the last 20 years.

The estimated nominal value of public sector debt outstanding to the private and overseas sectors at 1st April 1975 was £60,000 million, or about £1,070 per head of the population. The following table shows public sector debt interest per head since 1955, including an estimate for the current financial year. Financial year estimates are not available before 1961–62. Estimates of the outstanding debt are not readily available for these years.

Public sector debt interest per head of home population
	£
1955	18
1956	18
1957	18
1958	20
1959	20
1960	22
1961	24
1961–62	24
1962–63	24
1963–64	25
1964–65	26
1965–66	27
1966–67	29
1967–68	33
1968–69	35
1969–70	37
1970–71	38
1971–72	41
1972–73	45
1973–74	58
1974–75	69
1975–76 (estimate)	90

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present level above which redundancy payments are subject to tax; when it was fixed; what the percentage rate of inflation has been since that date; and whether he will consider raising the level by this percentage figure.

Payments in connection with the termination of an employment—including redundancy payments—are taxable under Section 187 of the Taxes Act 1970 to the extent that they exceed £5,000, though the maximum amount payable under the Redundancy Payments Act is at present £2,400. The level of £5,000 was fixed in 1960 and I keep it under review. The increase in the average level of prices from 1960 to January 1976 was 201 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to introduce the Development Land Tax Bill.

As soon as possible. The Ways and Means Resolution is being tabled today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received and from what sources that a development land tax at a rate of 80 per cent. will diminish the supply of development land for housing purposes; and if he will consider reducing that rate before introducing a Development Land Tax Bill.

We have received a number of representations to this effect from representative and professional bodies. I have noted the concern expressed about the supply of land for housing purposes. The Development Land Tax Bill will provide that the exemption limit for DLT purposes will be £10,000 and that, up to 31st March 1979, the first £150,000 of development value realised in each year above the exemption limit will be charged at 66⅔ per cent. Development value realised in excess of £160,000 will be charged at 80 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the anticipated period in use of the £1, £5, £10 and £20 notes, respectively.

The current estimated average life of a £1; note is about 10 months; for a £5 note the period is about 20 months. Comparable estimates are not available either for the £10 note— as the issuing and return patterns have been distorted by the introduction, last year, of a redesigned note—or for the £20 note, which is a relatively new denomination with only a limited circulation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of allowing gifts by individuals to charities of an amount not exceeding £500 per year as a deduction for income tax purposes, assuming that such right would be exercised to its fullest extent by 10 per cent. of individuals liable to tax at rates higher than the basic rate.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th February 1976; Vol. 905, c. 307–8.] gave the following information:On the assumptions given the cost for 1975–76 would not exceed £35 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has given consideration to an allocation of funds from central Government to those probation and after-care committees which have not yet introduced community service in their areas.

Resources available under the recent rate support grant settlement will allow an expansion of community service by offenders in 1976–77. My right hon. Friend has approved the introduction of new community service schemes in certain probation and aftercare areas and their expansion in others as from 1st April, and hopes to announce further extensions in due course. The settlement was relatively favourable to the Probation Service and it is not possible to provide additional resources from central Government funds in the present economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants for project aid to voluntary bodies in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, in each of the last five years have been made by the Voluntary Services Unit; and what was the cost of grants made in each area in each year.

Grant aid to voluntary bodies in Scotland and Wales

						1974–75		1975–76
						Number of grants	Cost	Number of grants	Cost
England	…	…	…	…	…	33	£819,789	55	£1,441,346
Scotland	…	…	…	…	…	Nil	—	Nil	—
Wales	…	…	…	…	…	1	£13,656	2	£26,844

Several organisations aided by the Voluntary Services Unit, although based in England, carry out work in Scotland and Wales as well. In addition, the Unit is currently considering applications to fund two Scottish organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a new court house will be provided for Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Department is in communication with the local authority over the plans and costs; it is hoped to commence building this magistrates court early in 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought by the police under the new law obliging motorists and other drivers to use their lights in dull or hazy daylight conditions.

This information is not recorded separately from that relating to other lighting offences in respect of moving vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from local authorities and other representative bodies in Wales concerning the establishment of a fourth television channel in Wales; and whether these representations have supported or opposed the recommendation of the Crawford Committee.

Since the publication of the Crawford Committee Report in November 1974 I have received representations from the Risca and District Citizen's Association (April 1975); Cymdeithas yr laith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) (June 1975); Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Welsh League of Youth) (December 1975); Carmarthen District Council (January 1976); and Dwyfor District Council (February 1976). The representations support the Crawford Committee's recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have yet reached a decision about the fourth television service in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are fully aware of all the arguments in favour of a fourth television service in Wales, and have accepted in principle the Crawford Committee's recommendation that it should be provided. It has also given careful consideration to the Siberry Report, which set out a programme and costs for the service. The Government have concluded, however, in the context of the recently completed review of public expenditure, that the project cannot in the present economic circumstances command sufficient priority to justify an immediate Government subvention. Prominent in this consideration was the necessity to consider resources for other developments in television of benefit to Wales and the country as a whole, in particular, the need to finance the programme of coverage in colour on UHF, and to replace the existing VHF 405-line transmission. The Government intend to review the situation afresh at the end of the financial year 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any statistical analysis is kept of the work load in magistrates' courts which indicate how much of their time is taken by different categories of cases; and what information of this nature is available regarding the hearing of prosecutions for non-payment of road traffic licence fees.

No such statistical analysis is kept.

		Advertising £000	Exhibitions £000	Films and Radio £000	Publications £000	Total £000
1973–74	…	1,552	100	73	274	1,999
1974–75	…	1,681	93	91	263	2,128
1975–76 (forecast)	…	1,618	87	185	558	2,448

The estimate for 1976–77 has not yet been agreed, but the total cost is expected to be about £2,011,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detonators recovered from terrorist sources in Northern Ireland, and in the rest of the United Kingdom, were made for use (a) in the Republic of Ireland (b) in Northern Ireland (c) in Great Britain, and (d) for overseas during each year from 1970 to the latest available date.

Records of detonators recovered from terrorist sources in Great Britain have been kept since 1973. None of those recovered were made for use in Northern Ireland; 10, 14 and 340 of those recovered in 1973, 1974 and 1975, respectively, were made for use in the Republic of Ireland. In 1975, five of those recovered were made for use overseas. It is not possible to identify the country of intended use of the other detonators found which were made in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make it his practice to offer rewards of a substantial and defined amount for inside information leading to the detection or conviction of persons responsible for acts of terrorism in Great

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of publicity incurred by his Department in the years 1973, 1974 and 1975; and what is the estimate for 1976, broken down into relevant headings.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Costs for corresponding financial years were:Britain, and of persons manufacturing explosive devices intended for such use.

No. Chief officers of police are not limited by any shortage of funds for these purposes, and both they and I believe that the introduction of a more rigid system, with all its practical disadvantages, such as was tried in Northern Ireland and then discarded in 1974, would be unhelpful.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are at present made for the reporting by police officers of the causes of accidents and, in particular, whether an accident involving personal injury or death was caused wholly or partially due to the defective condition of brakes; and whether he will take steps to improve such procedures.

The causes of accidents are complex and their determination calls for special skills. The most effective means of providing information for the purposes of road safety is for scientific teams to conduct sample surveys in depth, in co-operation with the police. Recent research in the area around the TRRL suggests that braking defects play a major part in less than 3 per cent. of accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report total expenditure on rate rebates for each year since 1966 (a) in 1975 prices and (b) as a percentage of gross national product.

Total expenditure on rate rebates in Great Britain for each year since 1966–67 (a) at 1975 survey prices and (b) as a percentage of United Kingdom gross national product is as follows:

	Rate rebates at 1975 Survey prices £ million	Rate rebates as a percentage of United Kingdom Gross National Product at factor cost Per cent.
1966–67	29·41	0·039
1967–68	30·36	0·040
1968–69	28·29	0·038
1969–70	30·15	0·039
1970–71	30·23	0·037
1971–72	34·86	0·041
1972–73	41·03	0·046
1973–74	44·64	0·048
1974–75	122·20	0·128