asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the United Kingdom proposes to apply to join the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to ensure that the international body moderates its periodic pricing of crude oil.

The Government have no plans to apply for membership of OPEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the main sources of supply of uranium, by percentage or tonnage; what steps are being taken to diversify sources of supply; and if any strategic stockpile of this material is maintained.

Current United Kingdom uranium requirements are met from contracts with Canada and Namibia, from the recycling of uranium derived from reprocessing and from stock.Each of these contracts provides for deliveries of an average of some 1,000 short tons per annum.The generating boards and BNFL are seeking to diversify their sources of uranium for the future and negotiations are taking place with potential suppliers in Australia and the Niger. They are currently participating in a number of joint exploration ventures in North America, Australia and Africa and are examining prospects for participating in additional ventures elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when Japanese nuclear fuel for reprocessing will be received at Windscale; how it will be stored; and in what quantities per month and for what length of time it will be held.

Irradiated magnox fuel has been received at Windscale from Japan since 1969 and further deliveries are expected at the rate of about 50 tonnes (uranium content) a year during the next decade. This fuel is reprocessed in the existing magnox reprocessing plant and prior to processing is held in water filled storage ponds for varying periods, according to the working programme of the plant.Small quantities of irradiated oxide fuel have been received from Japan since 1973 and by now about 100 tonnes (uranium) is stored in water filled storage ponds. The expected delivery rate from Japan during the next decade is about 150 tonnes a year as an average and all this fuel will be held in pond storage until the THORP reprocessing plant commences operation in the late 1980s. It is intended that all this fuel will then be reprocessed within 10 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of the maximum permitted dose of radiation as laid down by the International Commission on Radiological Protection is received by workers for British Nuclear Fuels at Windscale most exposed to this hazard; and what proportion of the work force is regularly monitored.

The most recent year for which published figures are available for radiation workers is 1976. For that year the Review of Radiation Exposure of the United Kingdom Population recently issued by the National Radiological Protection Board as NRPB R—77 shows that the average exposure of radiation workers at Windscale was 22 per cent. of the ICRP level. Of those workers about one quarter receved more than 30 per cent. of the ICRP level and six received more than 100 per cent. BNFL informs me that the figures for 1977 show an average exposure of 19 per cent, with 21 per cent. of the workers receiving more than 30 per cent. of the ICRP level and three receiving more than 100 per cent. About 90 per cent. of the work force at the Windscale and Calder Works B is regularly monitored.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy in what ways the ruling of the European Court on 14th November 1978 concerning the interpretation of article 103 of the European Atomic Energy Commission Treaty will affect the right of the United Kingdom to conclude agreements with other countries about the purchase or resale of fissile material; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Stoddart) on 11th December 1978, in which I explained that this ruling is being studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what responsibilities will be exercised in future by the European Commission in respect of the safeguarding of fissile nuclear materials following the ruling of the European Court on 14th November 1978;(2) what responsibilities will be exercised by the European Commission in future concerning the transportation of nuclear fissile materials following the ruling by the European Court on 14th November 1978.

The United Kingdom Government have a clear responsibility to protect nuclear materials used, stored or transported in the United Kingdom. I am advised that the European Court's ruling means that the Community as such must be associated with member States in any acceptance of the proposed IAEA Convention on the physical protection of nuclear materials, facilities and transport. The exact role of the Commission under that Convention has yet to be determined.Under the safeguards provisions of the Euratom Treaty, the Commission is required to satisfy itself that ores, source material and special fissile material are not diverted from their intended uses as declared by the users. The Commission implements these responsibilities in accordance with Commission Regulation (Euratom) No. 3227/76 which was approved by the Council. There has been no suggestion that this Regulation be amended as a result of the European Court ruling.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the ruling of the European Court on 14th November 1978 concerning the interpretation of article 103 of the European Atomic Energy Com- mission treaty will modify or invalidate any of the obligations of the United Kingdom under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

I must refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Stoddart) on 11th December 1978—[Vol. 960, c. 90.]

asked the Attorney-General if he will refer to the Director of Public Prosecutions, with a view to prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, the premature release to the press of the Shooter report by Mr. Clive Jenkins.

No. I have carefully considered the circumstances of the publication and I am satisfied that they were not such that it would be appropriate for me to refer them to the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans next to visit Dublin to discuss EEC matters with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to visit Dublin.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the recent European Council decision on the basis for determining salaries for elected Members of the European Parliament.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to pay an official visit to the Commission of the Communities.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so. He regularly sees members of the Commission at meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council, of which the next will be on 6th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied with the progress being made towards enlargement of the EEC; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Considerable progress has now been made on the Greek application. We hope that the negotiations can be completed early in 1979. Negotiations with Portugal, which started in October, are continuing. The Council decided at its meeting in December formally to open negotiations with Spain in February.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will put forward proposals to the Council of Ministers to modernise the Treaty of Rome.

Amendment of the Treaty would require the unanimous agreement of the Governments and Parliaments of the nine member States. There is no present prospect of such agreement on significant modifications; but British objectives will be firmly pursued within the framework of the existing Treaty.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers in the wool textile industry were covered by temporary employment subsidy in mid-1978; and how many approved applications this represented.

On 30th June 1978, an estimated 5,730 jobs—covered by 65 applications—were currently being supported by TES in the woollen and worsted sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for temporary employment sub- sidy from firms in the wool textile industry had been approved between August 1975 and August 1978; and how many workers were involved.

I regret that information is not available for the precise period requested. As at 30th September 1978, 158 applications, covering 14,364 workers had been approved in the woollen and worsted sector since the inception of the scheme in August 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total of grants made from the EEC Social Fund to projects in the British textile and clothing industry in each year since the United Kingdom's accession to the EEC.

The following sums from the EEC Social Fund have been allocated to the United Kingdom in respect of projects in the textiles and clothing industry:

£
1973	608,000
1974	236,500
1975	456,468
1976	2,233,072
1977	3,383,896
1978 (to date)	4,457,225

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of exemption from training board levy for the Foundry Industry Training Board; and what were the percentage increases in the average industrial wage and the increase in the exemptions from this training board levy since 1970.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that firms in the foundry industry can be exempted from payment of levy to the Foundry Industry Training Committee by virtue of their small size—exclusion—or of their training performance. Firms with an annual payroll above £25,000 pay 1 per cent. of it in levy; firms below that level do not pay levy. Whilst there are no firms fully exempted from levy as a result of their training performance, part-exemption was obtained by 941 firms out of an industry total of 1,418 in 1976–77, in the form of "abatement" grants.

Levy year			Exclusion level	Number of firms excluded	Total firms in industry	Percentage excluded
			£
1969–70	…	…	7,500	305	1,553	19·6
1977–78	…	…	25,000	357	1,404	25·4

The average industrial wage in the foundry industry has increased from £29·60 to £89 between 1970 and 1978, an increase of 200·7 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Reporta list of statements made to Parliament and reports undertaken on the working of the following International Labour Organisation Conventions that have been ratified by Her Majesty's Government (a) Convention 26, Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery, 11th Session, Geneva, 1928; (b) Convention 99, Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery (agriculture), Session 34, Geneva, 1951, and (c) Convention 131, Minimum Wage Fixing, Session 54, Geneva, 1970.

ILO Convention 131 has not been ratified by Her Majesty's Government—see White Paper Cmnd. 4706. With regard to the first two conventions mentioned which have been ratified:

(a) The following White Papers were presented to Parliament:

Convention 26: Cmnd. 3209 and 3337

Convention 99: Cmnd. 8484 and 8786

(b) Reports were undertaken on the effect given to these conventions and sent to the ILO as follows:

Convention 26: Each year from 1930 to 1958, except 1942 and 1952, and each second year thereafter.

Convention 99: Each year from 1954 to 1958 and each second year thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made on the Government's proposals for a compensation scheme for slate quarrymen and others suffering from silicosis and other lung diseases; and when he intends to make an announcement of the details of the scheme.

The Government are committed to examining this question,

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action and initiatives his Department have taken in respect of the industrial dispute between the Newspaper Society and the National Union of Journalists as it affects provincial newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

None, but the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has offered its assistance to the parties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that no immigrant suspected of involvement in the treasonable activities of the Smith régime is permitted to enter the United Kingdom from Rhodesia; and if he will make a statement on the way in which his Department will handle applications for permanent entry into the United Kingdom of white residents of Rhodesia, mindful of the increase in the exodus of such persons from Rhodesia during recent months.

By virtue of the powers in the Immigration Act 1971 and the Southern Rhodesia (Immigration Act 1971) Order 1972, leave to enter this country is refused to anyone included in the list of those who my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has reason to believe have furthered or encouraged, or are likely to further or encourage, the unlawful actions of the illegal regime in Rhodesia.The admission of any Rhodesian residents not included in the list of those to be refused entry depends on their circumstances and is unaffected by their colour. Some, having the right of abode in this country, do not require leave to enter; the remainder are dealt with in accordance with the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration Rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the reasons why he will not introduce legislation making it mandatory in courts to impose a life sentence on any person caught with a firearm when breaking the criminal laws.

I do not consider that the public interest would be served by fettering the discretion of the courts by stipulating mandatory penalties, apart from the special exceptions relating to murder and certain driving offences. Circumstances of particular offences and offenders vary widely, and the courts must have scope to fix a sentence which is appropriate taking into account the nature of the offence and the situation of the offender.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the number of transfers from prisons to hospitals under section 72 of the Mental Health Act 1959 has declined in recent years; and what is the number of such transfers for each year since 1964.

The numbers of persons transferred from prison to hospital under section 72 of the Mental Health Act 1959 are published annually in Criminal Statistics, England and Wales—Table 15(a) of the Volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7289.It is not possible to say with certainty why the numbers have declined in recent years. One of the main factors must, however, undoubtedly be that prison medical officers have become less willing to recommend prisoners' transfer to hospital because, in the light of past experience or informal inquiries of suitable hospitals, they have foreseen difficulties in finding a hospital vacancy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many mentally-handicapped persons were received into prison in 1977 and 1978; and how many are currently in prison;(2) how many prisoners were reported to be suffering from psychiatric illness under the terms of SO 14/171 in the last year for which returns were made.

Apart from the half-yearly census of inmates considered to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1959 of a nature or degree warranting detention in hospital for medical treatment, as contained in the reply I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend on 20th November 1978—[Vol. 958, cc. 416–22]—information generally about mentally handicapped persons in prison department establishments is not recorded centrally. Reports of the number of prisoners falling within the narrow group defined in SO 14/171 have not been required in recent years. The Standing Order dates from some time ago and its revision to reflect the current situation is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the circumstances surrounding the imprisonment of the girl aged 14 to 16 years imprisoned in 1977 for drunkenness; where she was imprisoned; and for how long she was in prison.

The individual concerned was a girl aged 16 who was convicted for drunkenness with aggravation. She was sentenced to Borstal training by Bristol Crown court and was received into Pucklechurch remand centre. She was subsequently transferred to Bullwood Hall from which she was released after a successful appeal against sentence, having spent four and half months in custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were admitted to the United Kingdom as political refugees in each year since 1974; and what were the numbers for each country of origin in each year.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his actions in relation to the visit to Great Britain by Mrs. Yosie Kurosaki to her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sneddon, of 16, Main Street, Bo'ness, both citizens of the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Kurosaki has been given temporary admission while inquiries are made into her application to remain. I will write to my hon. Friend when they have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in his assessment of the height regulations for male recruits for the police, if he will estimate the number of additional recruits

ENGLAND AND WALES
Establishment							CNA	Total population
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MALE OFFENDERS
Remand Centres
Brockhill	…	…	…	…	…	…	177	169
Low Newton	…	…	…	…	…	…	158	206
Risley	…	…	…	…	…	…	559	859
Thorp Arch	…	…	…	…	…	…	101	167
Ashford	…	…	…	…	…	…	400	294
Latchmere House	…	…	…	…	…	…	128	147
Norwich	…	…	…	…	…	…	60	45
Cardiff	…	…	…	…	…	…	67	70
Exeter	…	…	…	…	…	…	44	54
Pucklechurch	…	…	…	…	…	…	115	100
Winchester	…	…	…	…	…	…	64	89
Local Prisons
Bedford	…	…	…	…	…	…	169	282
Birmingham	…	…	…	…	…	…	603	1,045
Leicester	…	…	…	…	…	…	229	385
Lincoln	…	…	…	…	…	…	354	558
Shrewsbury	…	…	…	…	…	…	170	233
Durham	…	…	…	…	…	…	669	990
Leeds	…	…	…	…	…	…	592	1,038
Liverpool	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,016	1,524
Manchester	…	…	…	…	…	…	904	1,454
Brixton	…	…	…	…	…	…	654	1,038
Canterbury	…	…	…	…	…	…	246	374
Lewes	…	…	…	…	…	…	333	380
Norwich	…	…	…	…	…	…	227	329
Pentonville	…	…	…	…	…	…	910	1,057
Wandsworth	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,247	1,437
Wormwood Scrubs	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,054	1,532
Camp Hill	…	…	…	…	…	…	12	7
Bristol	…	…	…	…	…	…	579	589

The police entry standards, including the height requirement, are set in relation to the demands of police work. Chief officers of police are bound to take these demands into account when considering the suitability of individual candidates for appointment as constables. I do not, therefore, think that it would be profitable to attempt to estimate the number of additional recruits who could be obtained if there were a general reduction in the height requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the certified normal accommodation for each penal establishment and the actual number of prisoners accommodated on the latest available date.

The following table shows the position in England and Wales as it was on 30th November 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals the Government have for receiving into the United Kingdom more refugees from Vietnam; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have decided that, as part of the wider international effort to cope with the problems caused in South East Asia by the continuing out-flow of refugees from Vietnam, and in response to appeals by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, they will admit to this country over the next 12–15 months a further 1,500 Vietnamese former "boat" refugees. These refugees will be in addition to any who are already admitted under existing policy. Of the 1,500 refugees, 1,000 will come from those already in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement and the remainder in equal proportions from those in similar situations in Malaysia and Thailand. Arrangements for their reception and resettlement will be the responsibility of the voluntary refugee organisations co-ordinated by the British Council for Aid to Refugees—to whom the Government will be giving appropriate financial and practical assistance—in consultation with the other interests concerned. The Government are very grateful to the voluntary refugee organisations for their willingness to help.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations have taken place with the French Government about nuclear developments on the Cherbourg Peninsula, which may create hazards for the citizens of the Channel Islands.

Consultation with the French Government has led to the provision of information about nuclear installations on the Cherbourg Peninsula. This has been passed to the Channel Islands authorities, together with an assessment by United Kingdom Government Departments which concluded that for all practical purposes the risk of accidental emission of radiation is minimal, and has been reduced to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. The French Government have also agreed that the

(a) PAYMENTS MADE TO SPECIALIST ADVISERS
Select Committee	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78
	£	£	£	£
Nationalised Industries	2,245	3,878	10,489	11,615
Race Relations and Immigration	—	—	—	—
Overseas Development	957	1,100	2,239	2,387
Science and Technology	541	2,124	835	566
Notes:
1. Information based on payments made by the Fees Office to Specialist Advisers during each of the four financial years 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78
2. Amounts include fees and other expenses—for example, travelling costs, and so on.
3. In some cases payments may be in respect of service in the previous financial year.

(b) TRAVEL WITHIN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Select Committee	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78
	£	£	£	£
Nationalised Industries	994·00	648·00	2,086·00	1,593·00
Race Relations and Immigration	465·00	132·00	369·00	93·00
Overseas Development	—	—	—	—
Science and Technology	922·00	1,032·00	1,083·00	540·00

(c) TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM
Select Committee	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78
	£	£	£	£
Nationalised Industries	2,317	13,853	27,714	4,077
Race Relations and Immigration	5,241	8,868	11,065	4,787
Overseas Development	—	15,229	5,321	2,706
Science and Technology	3,998	15,885	20,769	—

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will list under the following headings the expenses incurred by the Select Committees on Nationalised Industries, Race Relations and Immigration, Overseas Development, and Science and Technology during the 1970–71 Session and in every Session since October 1974 (a) specialist advisers' fees, (b) trawl within the United Kingdom, (c) travel outside the United Kingdom, (d) printing costs and (e) compensation to witnesses.

It is regretted that the information requested for Session 1970–71 is not and the details of printing costs of these Committees in any of the Sessions are not readily available and to obtain it would involve disproportionate cost. The remainder of the information requested is not readily available on a Sessional basis but is given below by financial years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the Welsh Water Authority is permitted to charge for the installation, maintenance and reading of water meters.

Section 30(4) of the Water Act 1973 requires the authority to have regard to the cost of performing services or providing facilities when fixing charges for those services or facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will institute an experiment in a representative area of Wales similar to that carried out prior to April 1976 by the Fylde water board on behalf of the National Water Council, to assess the advantages and disadvantages of a per capita basis for calculating water charges.

The Fylde experiment showed that there was a poor correlation between water consumption and the number of people in a household. There would also be practical difficulties and greater expense in charging on a per capita basis. I therefore see no useful purpose in further research into this method of assessing charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the proposed increases in water metering charges by the Welsh Water Authority have been approved by the Price Commission.

Not yet, but they will be subject to scrutiny by the Price Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will take action to prevent the proposed increases in water metering charges by the Welsh Water Authority, inasmuch as they far exceed the limits set by the Government guidelines on anti-inflation increases.

The proposed new method of charging, which is still subject to approval by the authority, seeks, by abolishing the present minimum charge based on rateable value and introducing a standing charge based on the size of meter, to produce greater equity between consumers. Any price increases involved must be submitted to the Price Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales under what circumstances the proposed Welsh Assembly can require local authorities to make payments of their rate income to the Welsh Consolidated Fund.

There are no circumstances in which the Assembly could require local authorities to make payments of their rate income to the Welsh Consolidated Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will use his best endeavours with the Manpower Services Commission to expedite its decision with regard to the establishment of an employment rehabilitation centre in North Wales.

The Manpower Services Commission is fully aware of local concern on this issue.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he approves in principle of the establishment in North Wales of an employment rehabilitation centre, either of the normal type, providing treatment for about 70 patients, or of the smaller kind lately developed, which is designed for about 30 patients.

The Manpower Services Commission intends to review the whole question of employment rehabilitation, including the feasibility of the concept and location of mini-centres of the type to which the hon. and learned Member has referred. I do not wish to prejudge that review.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about progress towards the establishment of a World Commodities Centre in London.

The results of the studies to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) on 27th November should be ready in a few weeks.—[Vol. 959, c. 40.] It would be inappropriate to make a further statement before Ministers have considered them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next meet the French Foreign Minister.

My right hon. Friend expects to meet the French Minister for Foreign Affairs at the next EEC Foreign Affairs Council meeting to be held in Brussels on 6th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British relations with Iran in the light of the most recent development in that country.

We continue to believe in democratic elections so that the people of Iran can resolve their own destiny.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Com- monwealth Affairs if any proposals for arms sales by Great Britain to China have been discussed within the COCOM co-ordinating committee.

The United Kingdom continues to attach importance to COCOM. I am sure my hon. Friend will appreciate that to function effectively the organisation needs to maintain the convention whereby its discussions remain confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent discussions of the right hon. Member for Anglesey (Mr. Hughes) about the future of Rhodesia.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. MacKay).