asked the Lord President of the Council what was the salary of an hon. Member in January 1965; what it is currently; what it would now have to be in order to have the same purchasing power as in 1965; and what increase in percentage terms would be required to raise it to that level.

The basic parliamentary salary at January 1965 stood at £3,250. Increasing this figure in line with the movement in the index of retail prices since that date produces the figure of £11,622. To raise the current salary of £6,897 to this level would require a 68·5 per cent. increase.

asked the Lord President of the Council what increase in the salary of an hon. Member he expects to propose in June of the current year.

I am afraid that I cannot forecast what proposals the Government may wish to make to the House later this year, until they have received and considered the recommendations from the Review Body.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England and Wales resulting from its review of Huntingdonshire and neighbouring constituencies.

No. The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England will submit a report setting out its recommendations for the whole of England when it completes its present general review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of (a) male prisoners sharing three to a cell and the number of female prisoners sharing three to a cell, (b) the number of male prisoners sharing two to a cell, and the number of female prisoners sharing two to a cell, and (c) the number of male prisoners sharing more than three to a cell and the number of women prisoners sharing more than three to a cell.

The following table gives information about the numbers sharing cells on 12th November 1978:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce the result of the consideration he has been giving to proposals for allowing postal votes for community council elections.

Consultations about this and other proposals for changes in the arrangements governing community council elections have not yet been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of television licences issued in 1951, 1964, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now give his approval, in principle, for the use of mobile radio studios for the purpose of promoting community radio in Wales, particularly in the Welsh-speaking rural areas of the country.

The Government indicated in their White Paper on broadcasting (Cmnd. 7294) that they accept that, though community radio cannot be a substitute for local radio, it may have a part to play in the context of local radio. My Department has, in the recent past, authorised the BBC to conduct two series of community radio experiments and will, as hitherto, assess on their respective merits any further community radio proposals that may be made by either of the broadcasting authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the expected total expenditure in 1978–79 under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966; and what percentage of this total is for education expenditure which, according to the consultative document, would continue to attract grant under any new proposals.

The most recent estimates by local authorities of total expenditure eligible for grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 during 1978–79 suggest that this is likely to reach approximately £37·75 million; of this about 86 per cent. represents expenditure on education staff. Grant is payable at the rate of 75 per cent. of audited claims.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for every year from 1945 to the latest quarter of 1978 for which information is available (a) the number of police officers in England and Wales reporting injury as a result of being assaulted while on duty and (b) the number of police officers who, as a result of such injury, have been admitted to hospitals.

This information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for all quarters of 1978 for which information is available (a) the number of resignations before retirement from police forces in England and Wales, and from the Metropolitan Police, and (b) the num-

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for every quarter of 1978 for which information is available (a) the number of police officers in the Metropolitan Police reporting injury as a result of being assaulted while on duty, and (b) the number of police officers who, as a result of such injury, have been admitted to hospital.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assaults, and how many serious assaults, on prison officers were recorded in every year from 1968 to 1978 inclusive.

The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, information on the number of prisoners dealt with within the prison system for offences of gross personal violence to an officer is published annually in the publication now entitled "Prison Statistics: England and Wales "—formerly "Report on the Work of the Prison Department: Statistical Tables "and previously in "Report of the Work of Prison Department "—and is to be found in Tables 9.2 to 9.5 of the volume for 1977 (Cmnd. 7286). Information for 1978 is not yet available. ber of recruits to police forces in England and Wales, and to the Metropolitan Police.

The figures are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for all quarters of 1978 for which information is available, the number of indictable offences committed in England and Wales.

The available information given in the following table was issued in the press notice "Indictable offences recorded by the police—third quarter 1978" which has been placed in the Library of the House. These figures are to be included in the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" as from the January 1979 edition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the progress so far made towards the settlement of the firemen's pay claim; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. The fire service received its November 1978 increase in accordance with the formula agreed at the end of the firemen's strike a year ago; and agreement has been reached on the introduction of the 42-hour week on 1st April 1979, or earlier in those brigades which can introduce it earlier. Implementation of these arrangements is the responsibility of individual fire authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum on possible changes in the disciplinary arrangements for senior police officers which his Department has sent to the local authority associations and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

I have done so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now release the property that the former governor of Rhodesia has sent to his family from Rhodesia.

I have decided that because of Sir Humphrey Gibbs' unique position and his services to the Crown, a special licence should be issued to enable his family to import the goods into the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to secure an international solution to the problem of the 2,700 Vietnamese refugees on board the SS "Huey Fong ", at present anchored off Hong Kong, and those on similar vessels in the future.

The Government actively support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' efforts to find solutions to the tragic problems of IndoChinese refugees, including boat people such as those on the "Huey Fong ". I reported on the recent international consultations, which I attended, in the Adjournment debate on 15th December.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representatives from each country to the third group of the Economic and Social Committee, and their full-time occupations.

Following is the information requested:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.

I attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 15th January, accompanied by my hon. Friend the Minister of State. This was the first meeting under the French presidency, who outlined their plans for the Council's work in the coming months. The Council discussed a report by the presidency on the main problems outstanding from previous meetings of the Council and took a number of procedural decisions on the handling of unresolved problems. It was agreed that the Agriculture Council would examine the problem of the European Monetary System and monetary compensatory amounts, and that decisions would be taken later by an enlarged Foreign Affairs Council.The question of adopting and implementing the 1979 Budget is to be taken up again by Ministers in early February after examination by permanent representatives. The Council took note of the present position on fisheries, but did not have a substantive discussion. The presidency emphasised the need to find solutions at an early meeting of the Fisheries Council.It was agreed that the February Council should approve negotiating directives for a new EEC-Yugoslavia agreement and that negotiations with Yugoslavia should start as soon as possible thereafter. The Council discussed the study which the Commission is making of the repercussions of the enlargement of the Community on third countries, particularly in the Mediterranean. I pointed out that the study should review practical steps which could be taken to facilitate adaptation by the countries concerned.The Council agreed on the position to be adopted by the presidency in further discussion with the European Assembly on the Regional Fund regulation and the non-associates regulation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will initiate a study on ways of providing a permanent solution to Portland's flooding which occurs so frequently, which is dangerous and which disrupts the life of the inhabitants.

The powers to carry out work to alleviate flooding are vested in water authorities and district councils. The role of my Department in this respect is confined to the payment of grant aid towards the cost of such work. A scheme to alleviate flooding at Portland is already being undertaken by the Wessex water authority, but as a result of the recent inundation and damage the Authority and the Weymouth and Portland borough council are considering urgently in consultation with my Department whether additional work will be necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current estimated date of the completion of the Thames flood barrier; and if he is satisfied with the speed of construction.

The GLC estimates that under the present construction programme completion of the barrier could not be expected before mid-1984. A change in the programme designed to secure an improvement in this disappointing rate of progress is under urgent consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the adequacy of current flood defences in London; and what is the nearest that the river level has come recently to overlapping the existing walls in central London.

I shall not be satisfied until the Thames barrier is completed. Exist- ing flood defences in central London were improved in 1971–72 as an interim measure until the barrier is completed and they have proved adequate so far. The water level in central London on the afternoon of 31st December last, the highest recorded in recent years, was almost 2ft below the defence level.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that adequate resources are immeriately made available to enable the Southern water authority to carry out an urgent programme for the substantial improvement of the sea defences of the Isle of Sheppey, in the light of the serious flooding that has occurred twice in 12 months and the immense threat that exists to lives and property.

My Department has approved in full the Southern water authority's proposals for expenditure on sea defences in the Isle of Sheppey during this financial year and 1979–80. Responsibility for deciding whether the current programme should be speeded up rests with the Authority, but my right hon. Friend the Minister will be ready to consider any new proposals which are put to him by the Authority.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a full and detailed statement about the flood warning system, in the light of the flooding that occurred on the Isle of Sheppey on the night of 30th-31st December 1978, when the final warning was not given until serious flooding had already commenced; and if he will take steps to see if improved prediction measures can be developed.

Using data from constantly monitored tide gauges and from he Meteorological Office the East Coast storm tide warning service provides forecasts of high water levels at reference ports along the East Coast. The nearest reference port to Sheppey is Southend. If the forecasts exceed previously established danger levels, the service issues warnings, at about six hours before high tide, to the police who, after consultation with the water authority pass on warnings to public authorities and emergency services and if appropriate to the public in areas thought to be at risk. No advance warning was given at Sheppey on 30th-31 st December 1978 because the service's evaluation of available data indicated that there was no danger of flooding. In the event, flooding was caused by overtopping of the sea defences by wave action as a result of very high winds combined with a not unusually high tide. From its own local warning system, the Southern water authority issued a preliminary warning that flooding might occur, but the information available on the approach to high tide did not justify a public warning. The possibility of using a recent developed system for forecasting open sea wave heights to supplement existing information provided by the storm tide warning service is being investigated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the evaluation of agricultural land in the borough of Swale in the context of assessment for eligibility for improved sea defences.

The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is helping the Southern water authority to evaluate the benefit likely to accrue to agricultural land by the improvement of sea defences along stretches of the Kent coast, including the borough of Swale. When this study is completed the authority will take decisions about the nature and timing of any improvements which may be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the extent of flooding of agricultural land in the borough of Swale on 30th and 31st December 1978 and thereafter; and what compensation or assistance is available.

About 350 acres of agricultural land in the borough of Swale were affected by flooding on 30th and 31st December and thereafter. No livestock were reported lost. Advice for farmers and growers is available from our Agricultural Development and Advisory Service and financial assistance can be provided for a range of works and facilities under the agricultural capital grant schemes. Applicants by those affected will be given urgent and sympathetic consideration.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when it is proposed to initiate the more detailed study envisaged in paragraph 49 of the White Paper "Reform of section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911".

The study of overseas experience of open government and its relevance to our own constitutional system announced in paragraph 49 of Cmnd. 7285 is in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has so far been spent by the Science Research Council on support for the microelectronics industry or the application of microelectronic technology; and how much more money the council has available to spend in this field.

Although it is responsible for basic research and not for the direct support of industry, the Science Research Council takes full account of future industrial needs. Since 1977 it has committed £ 3 million to research in microelectronics. Following a review by a special panel, it is likely to commit a further £ 15 million to be spent over the next five years on selected applications of microtechnology, including industrial robotics and silicon chip design. It is also proposing to increase the number of postgraduate students which it supports in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the number of new school places brought into use in England and Wales in 1978.

I regret that my Department does not have this information at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the number of primary and secondary school teachers unemployed in December 1973, December 1977, and December 1978.

The number of people in England and Wales who were registered with the Department of Employment as unemployed and seeking teaching posts in primary or secondary schools were:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, after considering the Equal Opportunities Commission report on day care for young children, published in September 1978, she intends to implement those recommendations which relate to her Department.

My right hon. Friend, in agreement with the Secretary of State for Social Services, has suggested that representatives of the Equal Oppor-

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give the capital expenditure on educational services for Great Britain in 1978–79 at 1977 survey prices.

Including expenditure on nursery schools, the youth service and miscellaneous capital expenditure, about £ 450 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the capital expenditure at 1977 survey prices on (a) primary schools and secondary schools, (b) universities and (c) further education and teacher training establishments, in each year since 1969–70, including 1978–79.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy in how many mining operations in the United Kingdom gypsum is associated with coal measures; and in how many cases the former mineral is extracted as a separate product.

I am informed by the NCB that there are no deep mining or opencast operations currently being undertaken where gypsum is associated with coal measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has received a request from the Highlands and Islands Development Board for monthly and annual figures of sales by the major oil companies in 10 km. grid squares; and whether, in view of the proposition to abolish vehicle excise duty and the need to have clear data to enable such a decision properly to be made, he will accelerate the procedures to enable such information to be made available.

No request for such information has been received from the Highlands and Islands Development Board. My Department is, however, in touch with the Highland regional council over a similar request and is currently awaiting further advice from the council before processing some of the data required.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the current regulations made under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971.

The current regulations are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the price index numbers for electricity, gas and coal in January 1979 or at the latest available date on the same basis as his answer, Official Report, 31st July 1978, column 108.

The following index number components of the retail price index, produced by the Department of Employment and based upon June 1947=100, give a general indication of movements in fuel prices to domestic consumers to the latest available date, 12th December 1978. However, because of changes in consumption levels, regional variations and tariff structures, such price comparisons over long periods can only be considered as broadly descriptive.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the estimated annual cost of extending the electricity discount scheme to people claiming rate rebates.

The extension of this winter's electricity discount scheme to people receiving rate or rent rebate or rent allowan is estimated to cost some £ 15 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the estimated total annual cost of the electricity rebate scheme.

If all those eligible claim the electricity discount the cost of this winter's scheme is estimated to be £ 45 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when Ministry of Defence employees will be included in the National Radiological Protection Board National Registry for Radiation Workers.

A copy of an explanatory memorandum outlining the arrangements for participating in the National Registry for Radiation Workers is to be given to each civilian radiation worker. The names of all employees, other than those exercising their option not to join, will be added to the national register a minimum of four weeks after receipt of the memorandum. It is expected that the names of all those participating will be placed on the register by 31st March 1979. Similar arrangements are being made for members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement setting out the agreed conclusions of his recent discussions with the trade unions about participation of Ministry of Defence employees in the National Radiological Protection Board National Registry for Radiation Workers.

It has been agreed in principle by the Staff and Trade Union sides that Ministry of Defence staff who are radiation workers subject to routine personal radiological monitoring for radiation exposure in the course of their employment should participate in the National Registry for Radiation Workers—NRRW—subject to the right of any individual to exercise an option not to join.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for 1978–79 (a) the Defence Budget Estimates and (b) the Defence Estimates per head of population, both expressed at 1970–71 estimate prices.

The information requested is (a) £ 2,305 million, (b) £ 41.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, for every year since 1970, the average percentage by which Armed Forces pay has fallen behind comparable civilian pay.

The Armed Forces Pay Review Body is responsible for recommending to the Government appropriate increases in the pay of the Armed Forces, based on its comparison with earnings in jobs of equivalent skill and responsibility in civil life. Only in 1972, 1975, 1978—and to a partial extent in 1974—did the Review Body set out the full comparative figures. On this basis the average increases recommended to bring the Armed Forces to the level of full pay comparability are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now release the site of the former Government House at Salisbury, about which the hon.

I am looking into this matter urgently and I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what have been the total payments made under the service

The following table shows the commitments entered into and payments so far made under the service industry grant scheme from July 1973, when the scheme began, until 30th November 1978. My right hon. Friend is currently examining the operation of the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many applications have so far been received for grants under the microelectronics industry support programme; and what sums have so far been spent or committed under that programme.

Thirty project applications are being considered by the Department and broader five-year programmes of support are under discussion with most of the major companies in the industry. Support for the microelectronics industry totalling £ 7·16 million has so far been approved since the programme was announced. No money has yet been spent.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what plans the Government have to increase the shipbuilding intervention fund.

Future intervention fund support for the industry is being considered in the context of the Government's review of British Shipbuilders' corporate plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry in how many negotiations of planning agreements the Government are engaged at present.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden) on 17th January 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total amount paid in salaries and expenses to full-time or former full-time trade union officials in the years 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78 arising from appointments to positions within his gift.

The information on salaries is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what action he is taking on the recommendations of the petrochemical sector working party of the National Economic Development Council that support should be considered for investment in the United Kingdom in speciality plastics for use in the engineering industry.

My right hon. Friend endorses the findings of the petrochemicals SWP that speciality plastics, whose main end uses are in the engineering industry, appear to offer particularly good prospects for expansion. The Government will play their part in this work, using the powers already available, including selective financial assistance where appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish the analysis of the reports collected by the small firms advisory centres on the problems facing small businesses.

Since their creation the centres have helped over 331,000 inquirers—representing nearly 385,000 inquiries—and inquirers continue to contact centres at the rate of about 1,600 a week. The type of inquiries currently being handled from established businesses cover—

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many names were submitted to him for his consideration prior to his recent appointment of a new trade unionist director of the Post Office.

One.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will list in ascending order the percentage change in consumer prices and total prices from February 1974 to the latest available common date in each member of the EEC, the United States of America, Canada and Japan, respectively.

The information requested is given below. As the overall

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will give the price index figure for the latest available month of the following items, using March 1974 as a base of 100: electricity, gas, domestic coal, postage—second class letter, telephone—private subscriber local call, rail fares, finished steel, bus fares and motoring costs.

The information is set out below. Separate indices are not available for bus fares so figures have been given for total fares and the rail fares component. The motoring costs index includes a small element of cycling costs. From movements in the intervening years it will be seen that the increases were concentrated in the first half of the period and, in the case of a number of the nationalised industries reflected in part the phasing out of accumulated deficits.figures conceal differing trends over time, the latest annual increases are also given. These illustrate the marked reduction in the rate of increase for the United Kingdom relative to that for other countries.No indices of total prices are available, but a broad measure of domestically generated inflation can be obtained by dividing current price estimates of gross domestic product—GDP—or gross national product—GNP—by the corresponding estimates at constant prices. This has

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, from 1st April 1978 to the end of December 1978, 86 places for young people were created under the youth opportunities programmes in Middleton and Prestwich, and a total of 74 young people had joined the programme by the end of December.Good progress is being made in the Middleton and Prestwich area towards securing the objective that no Easter or summer school leaver of 1978 who remains unemployed at Easter 1979 should

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list, for the latest month for which comparable information is available, the percentage unemployed in the public and private sectors on the same basis as those contained in the table published in the Written Answer,Official Report, 22nd February 1977, column 557.

Separate unemployment rates for the public and private sectors can be calculated only in an imprecise way by allocating the figures for each minimum list heading of the standard industrial classification to the sector appropriate to the majority in each heading. On this basis, the percentages in Great Britain for November 1978, the latest date for which the quarterly industrial analysis of the unemployed is available, were 3·1 in the public sector and 5·1 in the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give an estimate of the rise in the cost of living as a result of the increase in the price of oil, as proposed by the OPEC conference.

It is estimated that the increase in the price of crude oil proposed at the recent OPEC conference, 14½ per cent. phased over the next 12 months, will eventually add just over one half of 1 per cent. to the retail prices index.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the percentage change on the seasonally adjusted levels of employment, based on national definitions in each member of the European Community, the United States of America, Japan and Canada, since March 1974 to the latest available common date;(2) if he will list the average gross hourly earnings in manufacturing industry and the economy as a whole, at the latest available comparable date and expressed in terms of £ sterling, in each member State of the EEC, Japan, the United States of America and Canada.Mr. Golding: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the unemployment rate, adjusted to United States concept for comparison for the latest available common quarter in each country of the EEC, the United States of America, Canada and Japan, respectively.

The United States Bureau of Labour Statistics does not calculate adjusted unemployment rates for every member country of the European Community. The available rates for the third quarter of 1978 are given below.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the index of the number of people in employment for each quarter of 1978 for which information is available, based on second quarter 1974=100, in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, and West Germany respectively.

The latest available data are given in the following table. The seasonal variation in some countries is large, and would distort the comparisons if not taken into account; accordingly seasonally adjusted figures have been used where possible. Owing to differences in national definitions and methods of compilation, the figures are not fully comparable.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list, for the latest quarter of 1978 for which information is available, his estimate of the percentage share of total registered unemployment in the EEC attributable to the United Kingdom.

From national data collated by the Statistical Office of the European Communities—SOEC—it can be estimated that the United Kingdom accounted for about 26 per cent. of registered unemployment in the EEC in the third quarter of 1978. However, while these SOEC statistics all relate to registered unemployment, national differences in concept, coverage and method of compilation prevent precise comparison. If the registered unemployed were counted in the same way and on the same definitions in each country, United Kingdom proportion of EEC unemployment would differ from the above figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list, for 1978, the average weekly earnings of uniformed police constables in Great Britain; and how this compares with the average weekly earnings for full-time male manual workers aged over 21 years in manufacturing industry in Great Britain.

Information is not available on the average earnings of policemen since their rates of pay were increased a few months ago. At April 1978, the new earnings survey estimate of the average gross weekly earnings of policemen below the rank of sergeant reported as being affected, directly or indirectly, by the police pay regulations was £ 90·80. The corresponding estimate for full-time male manual workers in manufacturing industry was £ 84·70. Both estimates relate to men aged 21 and over whose pay for the survey reference pay period was not affected by absence. The figure for policemen may include some employees classified to this occupation but not employed in the police service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the percentage increase in unit labour costs in manufacturing in the following periods (a) July 1945 to October 1951, (b) October 1951 to October 1964, (c) October 1964 to June 1970, (d) June 1970 to February 1974, (e) February 1974 to the latest available date, (f) the latest 12-month period and (g) the latest six-month period.

Monthly figures for labour costs per unit of output in manufacturing are available for wages and salaries which form about 90 per cent. of total labour costs, and these are used in the first table below. The second table shows movements in the annual indices for total labour costs together with comparable data for wages and salaries per unit of output.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the index of unit labour cost in manufacturing for each year from 1970 to 1977, and the index for the first half of 1978, based on 1970=100, for the following countries: each member of the EEC, the United States of America, Canada and Japan respectively.

International comparisons of unit labour costs in manufacturing are only possible in terms of wages and salaries per unit of output; figures on this basis are given in the table below. Because they are compiled according to different national definitions, the figures are not fully comparable.Figures are not available for the EEC countries excluded from the table.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, for the latest 12-month period for which comparable information is available (a) the percentage increase in unit labour costs in manufacturing and (b) the percentage increase in average industrial earnings, for each member of the EEC, the United States of America, Canada and Japan, respectively.

The available information is provided in the following table. For comparative purposes, unit labour costs are given in terms of wages and salaries per unit of output. In making comparisons, it is important to note that there are differences between countries in coverage and in methods of compilation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many graduates, factory workers and school leavers are being employed under the job crea- tion scheme counting wild flowers and checking on the droppings and footprints of wild animals; and at what salary they are employed.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will compare the national average wage in Great Britain with those in each of the other EEC countries, expressed in £ sterling for the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will express each as a percentage of the British national average wage.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to take powers to limit trade unions in the use of industrial action in pursuit of pay claims in excess of the Government's pay guidelines.

The Government's views on the use of industrial action were set out by the Prime Minister in his speech in the House during the debate on Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the index of average industrial earnings for each year from 1970 to 1977, including the index for the first half of 1978, based on 1970=100, in each country of the EEC, the United States of America, Canada and Japan, respectively.

International earnings data are available primarily for manufacturing industry. The available information is given in the table. It is important to note that there are differences in coverage and methods of compilation used for the series in each country, the most significant of which are indicated in the footnotes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy regarding the appointment of adopted prospective parliamentary candidates to the board of the Housing Executive and similar bodies.

My right hon. Friend believes that the membership of the board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive should reflect a balance of viewpoints in Northern Ireland. He sees no reason to exclude from membership persons who are or who may become candidates for election to this House.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost to public funds of the treatment of arrested persons wounded in the course of terrorist incidents occurring in Northern Ireland during the last five years.