asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent by each district council in North Yorkshire under the amounts allocated under the housing investment programme for 1977–78 and for such period of 1978–79 as is available.

Information about individual authorities' estimated spending for 1977–78 is contained in their housing strategies and investment programmes for 1979–80, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. I would invite my hon. Friend to approach the individual loan authorities for the final figures, and for the latest information on spending in 1978–79.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with progress being made so far by Walsall council under the derelict land clearance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The 1974 survey of derelict and despoiled land in England showed 396 hectares of land to be derelict in the area of Walsall metropolitan borough council. During the period 1 April 1974 to 31 March 1978, a total of 96 hectares of derelict land had been reclaimed, 81 hectares with the aid of 50 per cent. grant from this Department and 15 hectares from the council's own resources. No information is yet available about the amount of land reclaimed since Walsall's designation as a derelict land clearance area on 8 June 1978. However, I have every reason to hope that the introduction of 100 per cent. capital grant which applies in derelict land clearance areas will lead to a significant increase in the rate at which land is being reclaimed in the district.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many households in each of the three main housing tenures, where the householder is aged 65 years or over, are in dwellings that are (a) declared fit for habitation but lacking amenities, (b) declared fit for habitation with all amenities requiring repairs costing more than £500 (c) dwellings in need of repairs of more than £500, £1,000, £2,000, £3,000 and £4,000, (d) dwellings with an entrance to the lavatory outside the building, and (e) dwellings declared unfit for habitation;(2) how many households in each of the three main housing tenures, where the householder is aged 65 years or over, are dwellings that are (

I regret that the information is not immediately available and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the written answer by his hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Trade of 4 December 1978, he can now announce where the stockpiles of specialised equipment for use in the even of serious oil pollution will be kept; and when these depots will be fully stocked and operational.

The final location of the stockpile of specialised oil pollution clearance equipment requires further consultation both with the local authority associations for England and Wales and with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities before a firm decision is taken. A substantial part of the equipment should be delivered by the end of June 1979 and will be available for immediate use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities are failing in their statutory duty to dispose of rubbish; and what information he has as to the number of authorities which are seeking to discharge their duty by employing private contractors.

I am informed that normal refuse collection services have been suspended because of industrial action in about one—third of the districts in England; and that some local authorities have already used contractors to remove accumulations of refuse.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects a decision to be made on the planning application of Messrs. Morrisons, which was the subject of a public inquiry at the Town Hall, Darlington, on 4 October 1978.

My right hon. Friend's decision granting planning permission on this application was issued yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those metropolitan district authorities with less than 200,000 inhabitants with their estimated populations at the latest date for which figures are available.

I have been asked to reply.The latest available local authority population estimates are those for mid-1977 and are given in OPCS Monitor PP1 78/3. There is a copy in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much would have been paid in annual repayments by someone with a £10,000, 25-year annuity mortgage at the average mortgage rate prevailing between June 1970 and February 1974 at constant prices (a) before tax relief and (b) net of the average basic rate tax relief during that period.

The average BSA-recommended mortgage rate between June 1970 and February 1974 was 8·8 per cent. After allowing for earned income relief, the average income tax rate was 30·5 per cent. On this basis the annual repayments in the first year of a £10,000, 25-year annuity mortgage would have been (a) £1,002 before tax relief; (b) £734 after tax relief.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence at what stage of construction the tanks presently being built for Iran are; how many have been completed and are ready for shipment; and if he will make a statement.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose such detailed information on individual orders.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the 1979 defence White Paper.

I expect to publish the statement on the Defence Estimates 1979 on 22 February 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future financing of the Hydrography Service.

The question of how the civil requirements for hydro-graphic surveys might be met and funded is currently under consideration by Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in view of the fact that the EEC Parliament has voted for the creation of a single Community coastguard and fishery protection service, whether he will oppose any such development as inimical to the interests of the United Kingdom fishing industry; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him earlier.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will set out in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1961 the imports and exports

I. IMPORTS
		February-December					January-November
		1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
TOTAL NUMBERS of which consigned from:	…	3,679	3,603	2,301	3,074	3,470	3,647(a)
Irish Republic	…	2,157	1,947	1,339	1,998	2,367	2,283
France	…	633	619	455	510	489	504
United States of America	…	579	611	167	213	209	336
Italy	…	89	81	98	106	85	117
Netherlands	…	47	136	43	38	42	98
Federal Republic of Germany	…	50	69	71	85	87	84
Argentina	…	11	5	14	3	16	44
Belgium-Luxembourg	…	32	55	23	26	50	37
Denmark	…	6	3	25	9	22	37
Canada	…	4	5	3	9	10	19
Spain	…	9	27	21	17	21	17
Sweden	…	13	10	19	15	29	14
Portugal	…	—	6	1	1	1	14
Norway	…	10	2	2	7	9	10
Poland	…	—	6	—	—	15	8
Austria	…	31	12	2	6	3	5
Other countries	…	8	9	18	31	15	20

II. EXPORTS
		February-December					January-November
		1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
TOTAL NUMBERS of which consigned to:	…	4,697	5,152	5,305	4,746	4,311	3,376(a)
Irish Republic	…	2,128	1,739	1,499	1,439	1,597	1,188
France	…	859	848	861	646	475	412
Australia	…	152	606	470	278	313	399
Italy	…	256	310	302	276	214	219
Federal Republic of Germany	…	185	121	186	190	192	172
Netherlands	…	81	98	294	174	218	159
Belgium-Luxembourg	…	99	162	232	222	258	126
New Zealand	…	57	118	57	63	75	90
United States of America	…	78	162	168	173	108	78
Malaysia	…	45	61	48	62	89	71
Sweden	…	120	141	125	97	57	41
Hong Kong	…	—	—	19	23	42	41
Trinidad and Tobago	…	6	5	11	85	40	38
Canada	…	—	16	41	69	31	33
Barbados	…	17	5	13	45	23	31
Norway	…	63	112	113	51	45	30
Switzerland	…	22	39	55	32	21	24
Denmark	…	95	39	143	138	47	21
Spain	…	73	80	77	28	60	20
Austria	…	19	22	31	33	67	15
Japan	…	184	130	47	16	5	8
Greece	…	38	44	41	—	3	3
South Africa	…	33	71	90	113	21	2
Brazil	…	14	66	93	118	34	1
Argentina	…	1	11	51	46	60	—
Other countries	…	72	146	238	329	216	154
Notes:
(a) During 1978 4,049 pure-bred breeding horses were imported, and 4,095 were exported.
(b) Figures relate to pure-bred breeding horses included in the United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics under SITC Sub-group 001.5.

Overseas trade in thoroughbred horses can be identified only from February 1973 onwards. Following is the available information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the rate of pay of assistant lighthouse superintendents in Scotland; and how this compares with their counterparts in Trinity House, London.

These are matters for the two employing authorities, Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in the light of the fact that men who are promoted in the Northern Lighthouse Service from being ships officers to senior positions are paid more than £1,000 less; what action he proposes to take.

Recent pay awards secured by officers of the Merchant Navy have distorted pay relativities within the Northern Lighthouse Board's management structure. Adjustment is a matter for negotiation between the unions concerned and the Northern Lighthouse Board, within the framework of pay policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of the A1 still have no central safety barrier; and when further stretches are likely to be constructed.

About eight miles of A1(M) and about 211 miles of the remaining all-purpose trunk road do not have a central safety barrier. We have no firm plans at present to install further barriers along the A1.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether a gradient of between 3·2 per cent. and 3·8 per cent. for a distance of three miles is acceptable on safety grounds in the construction of a motorway.

In circumstances where topography makes it uneconomic to obtain a flatter gradient or where there are overriding environmental considerations, a gradient of between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. is considered acceptable over a distance of this order.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give consideration to the civil servants' claim for pay rises with effect from 1 April 1979 identical to the figures agreed by the Pay Research Unit.

Joint processing of the Pay Research Unit's evidence is proceeding with the individual trade unions to take account of differences in conditions of service in order to establish properly comparable rates. It is still too early to consider what form the settlement will take.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the amount of finance available to the Scottish Development Agency over the next five years.

The Government's expenditure plans to 1982–83, Cmnd. 7439, include, in respect of the years 1979–80 to 1982–83, a total of £346 million at 1978 survey prices.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has plans to make an official visit to Collier Row.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the reports of the 41 bodies established by statute, Royal Charter or Royal Warrant which are required to make annual reports to him have been debated in the House or by a Committee of the House in the last five years.

I am collecting this information and will let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will now name the target of 40 per cent. figures for the referenda in Scotland and Wales.

The Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales will be making announcements in Parliament before it rises for the recess on 23 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what type of information is included in the Metropolitan Police computer; and if he will make a statement.

The replies given on 2 December 1977 to my hon. Friend, on 15 January 1979 to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mrs. Ewing) and on 25 and 29 January to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) indicated the type of information to be kept and the purposes to which it will be put.—[Vol. 940, c. 445–6; Vol. 960, c. 587; Vol. 961, c. 200; Vol. 961, c. 303.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of running the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much of that cost was paid in salaries and expenses.

The cost of running the centrally-administered parts of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, in the financial year ending 31 March 1978, was approximately £2,949,000 of which approximately £2,630,000 was paid by grants from central Government, and approximately £1,049,000 was paid in salaries and expenses. Information about the total costs, salaries and expenses of the service is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal convictions have been re-opened during the last five years, cited by special reference to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) or otherwise, as a result of the subsequent criminal conviction of police officers who had been prosecution witnesses at the original trials; and in how many such re-opened cases the matter at issue was the validity of the interrogation of defendants or the validity of statements taken under caution from such defendants.

During the period in question the convictions of two people were quashed after reference by the Home Secretary to the Court of Appeal following the conviction of three police officers, and three free pardons were granted as a result of the conviction of a police officer. It is not possible to establish how many cases which did not lead to action by the Home Secretary have been reopened as a result of the subsequent conviction of police officers nor what particular matters were at issue in any such cases

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present location of the five unsentenced prisoners in Bedford prison on 30 June 1978, who were deemed to be suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree warranting their detention in hospital for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1919.

One was deported and two were discharged at court. The remaining two were made the subject of hospital orders under the Mental Health Act 1959. One is in Bromham mental hospital and the other is in Broadmoor special hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what enforcement action is taken in the United Kingdom against motor vehicles registered abroad displaying no nationality plates and vehicles registered in the United Kingdom displaying foreign nationality plates.

Information about the number of prosecutions brought by the police in the circumstances described in the first part of the question is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The circumstances described in the second part of the question do not appear to involve a breach of the law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered the submission of the Administrator of district councils, received by the Minister of State on 6 February; and whether he will now announce his proposals for a phased introduction of those new ward boundaries which have yet to be approved, or give his reason for not making such proposals.

I have not yet completed my consideration of the views expressed by the Association of District Councils at its meeting at the Home Office on 6 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances have occurred during the last two years of persons seeking temporary entry into the United Kingdom being detained in custody on arrival, notwithstanding the fact that such persons possessed appropriate entry documents that were ostensibly correct but which were treated as suspect by immigration officers; and in how many cases the persons detained were non-patrials.

A person who proved he was patrial under the Immigration Act would not be detained by the Immigration Service on arrival. The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales of the rank of inspector and above have been convicted of criminal offences resulting in their dismissal during the last five years; and of the officers concerned, how many were of the rank of superintendent or above.

Information about the numbers of police officers dismissed after conviction of a criminal offence in the past four years is given in the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for 1977, page 68. I regret that information about the ranks of the officers is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the fact that his Department issued instructions between 1974 and 1976 that gynaecological inspection of selected immigrants should cease, why these inspections continued until recently; who was responsible; and what action has been or will be taken against those responsible for failing to carry out Ministerial instructions.

Requests like the one made recently by an immigration officer at Heathrow have not previously been forbidden in instructions to the Immigration Service. No question of action in respect of breach of any instructions therefore arises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the Government's declared policy of making background papers available to hon. Members, what background papers are available on which his Department based its decision to authorise immigration control officers to conduct gynaecological tests on certain virgin immigrants; and whether he will make these papers available to hon. Members.

No such decision was taken and there are no papers to be made available. The reasons for the request made by an immigration officer for a medical inspection by a doctor in the recent case at Heathrow have already been fully explained.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any changes are being made to the cash limits set for his Department announced in Command Paper No. 7161.

Yes. Cash limit blocks N101 and N102 have been increased by £1·3 million and £2·9 million respectively. These increases are to meet extra costs arising from the agreements reached on pay and allowances for prison officers and the police.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay the latest accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive before Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

The accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for 1976–77, together with the reports of the Local Government Auditor and of the Comptroller and Auditor-General thereon, were laid today. I am naturally concerned about the matters raised by the Local Government Auditor and the Department of the Environment has been in close consultation with the executive to ensure that all possible action is being taken by the Executive to remedy deficiencies. I will arrange for a statement of the action taken by the Executive to be made available in the Library. The report underlines the need to strengthen the Executive's organisation and the authority of the board which the board and my Department had already recognised and are acting on. An investigatory commission set up by the Secretary of State following a request by the then chairman of the Executive, Mr. J. O'Hara, has been examining allegations about the management of certain contracts by the Executive.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he is yet in a position to authorise a survey by the Price Commission into variations in food and fuel prices between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, including variations within Scottish regions; and if he will give a commitment to ensure implementation of any recommendations to resolve the situation.

I propose to include a study covering prices in Scotland among the next examinations which I shall ask the Price Commission to undertake. I am considering the terms of reference to this inquiry and its relationship to prices in other parts of the United Kingdom. I will need to see the Commission's findings before I can commit myself to acting on any recommendations they may make.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the estimated loss of revenue from licence fees under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 if group licences are issued to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and to the Association of Certified Accountants.

The Act places responsibility for administering the licensing system on the Director General of Fair Trading. I am therefore asking him to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will refer the Sime Darby bid for the Guthrie Company to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

My right hon. Friend has decided that this merger does not raise sufficient issues of public interest to warrant an investigation by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) whether the data from the first annual report of the home accident surveillance system will show the products, articles or features involved in home accidents for people aged 65 years or more;(2) whether the data from the first annual report of the home accident surveillance system will show the activity of the patient when the home accident takes place, if the person involved is aged 65 years or over.

The first annual report on the home accident surveillance system was published in May 1978 and included summarised general information on products, articles or features involved in the accidents and also the activities of the victims when the incidents occurred. Data of this kind relating to particular age groups can be provided on request and I will arrange for information concerning patients aged 65 or over to be extracted and sent to my hon. Friend. Copies of the published report are in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what extent he envisages a shortage developing in all petroleum products on the United Kingdom market.

As I told the House on 31 January—[Vol. 961, c. 461]—present world supply and market conditions arising from the Iranian situation demand a serious contribution from consumers by way of conservation and restraint if supply problems are to be minimised.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what special provision is made for young deaf people seeking apprenticeships whose education problems require them to apply later than the usual age.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of young deaf people who are at present unemployed.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, at 13 April 1978, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 36 young deaf people registered at careers offices as unemployed and registered as disabled. There are no figures available in respect of unregistered young deaf people at present; statistics giving the numbers of unemployed unregistered disabled people by disability groups will be available from April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers with over 20 employees are employing their quota of 3 per cent. registered disabled people; what proportion of the total number of these employers this represents; and how many of those who are not fulfilling this quota have permits from his Department.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that on 1 June 1978, the latest date for which information is available, 17,744, or 36·8 per cent., of employers with 20 or more workers were employing their quota of 3 per cent. registered disabled people. A further 21,785, or 45·2 per cent., were not employing their 3 per cent. quota, but had been issued with permits by the commission's disablement resettlement officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled people are unemployed; and what percentage they contribute of the total number of registered disabled people compared with the percentage of all unemployed workers.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that on 11 January 1979, the latest date for which information is available, 65,702 registered disabled people were unemployed. This represents 13·3 per cent. of the total number of registered disabled people which was last obtained in April 1978, and 4·7 per cent. of all workers unemployed on 11 January 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the Times Newspapers Ltd. dispute, and what new initiative he proposes to take following the recent TUC proposals.

I understand that, although the TUC has not made any definite proposals concerning the dispute at Times Newspapers Ltd., it has had informal discussions with some of the parties. As my hon. Friend is aware, I held joint meetings with the parties in December at which a broad measure of agreement was reached on the basis for further talks under the chairmanship of the General Secretary of the TUC. I believe that further progress towards a resumption of negotiations can best be made within this framework.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the public sector wage negotiations in the last six months in which a settlement following a strike has been at the same, or at a lower level, than the maximum offer made before the strike and those in which the settlement reached was at a higher level than that offered before a strike took place.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will request the Health and Safety Executive to hold an immediate inquiry into the incident in which 4,000 gallons of petrol were introduced into the oil-fired central heating system of the Mendip Vale Estate, Coleford, Frome, on 5 February, putting at risk residents in 83 homes.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received any representations about the operation of the Hairdressing Wages Council from the Low Pay Unit; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a copy of the Low Pay Unit publication "Fleeced Again". I had already started discussions about the future of the wages council, and I have arranged to bring the relevant parties together soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the unemployment rate of registered disabled persons for each London borough and each district council or the nearest area equivalent.

No. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what advice is given to retiring senior civil servants joining companies with which they have had close working relations.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about Government assistance to Dunlop Ltd. following the refusal of the Industrial Development Advisory Board to support proposals for financial assistance to that company's tyre business; and whether he will ask the Industrial Development Advisory Board to make a final statement to Parliament of its advice.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the grant which her Department makes to the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges is allocated to its youth department.

About 10 per cent.—that is, about £85,000 in 1978–79 —though the central bureau's total expenditure on young people is much higher as much more than half of all its activities are concerned with helping and advising young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number of children being taught in classes of over 30 at the present time and five years ago in both primary and secondary schools.

The latest in formation available relates to January in 1978. The numbers of full-time and part

						1974 (January)	1978 (January)
Peimary Schools
classes as registered	…	…	…	…	…	2,957,842	2,082,517
classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	Not available	1,850,776
Middle schools
classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	191,504	195,700
Secondary schools
classes as taught	…	…	…	…	…	948,483	755,044

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present staffing position in nursery, primary and secondary schools in the Rotherham borough; if she regards this as unsatisfactory or below average; and if pupil-teacher ratios in Rotherham have been improving at or above the average rate.

PUPIL/TEACHER RATIOS WITHIN MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (January of each year)*
							Nursery	Primary†	Secondary†
Rotherham
1974	…	…	…	…	…	…	18·8	25·3	17·9
1975	…	…	…	…	…	…	18·2	24·7	17·6
1976	…	…	…	…	…	…	19·7	24·3	17·5
1977	…	…	…	…	…	…	19·3	24·5	17·3
1978	…	…	…	…	…	…	19·3	24·3	17·2
Average for England
1974	…	…	…	…	…	…	22·5	24·9	17·5
1975	…	…	…	…	…	…	21·6	24·2	17·2
1976	…	…	…	…	…	…	21·1	24·0	17·0
1977	…	…	…	…	…	…	20·8	23·9	17·0
1978	…	…	…	…	…	…	20·7	23·6	16·9
* Includes only qualified teachers.
†Includes middle schools as deemed.

It is difficult to make valid comparisons of the average pupil-teacher ratios within schools either between one authority and another or against the national average. Differences in the age ranges of pupils, sizes of schools, arrangements for the education of 16- to 18-year-olds in either secondary schools or further education colleges, and the development of middle school systems are all significant variables.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of children under the statutory school age are currently receiving nursery education; and how this compares with the position five years ago.

In January 1978, the latest date for which information is available, the number of full-time time pupils in classes with over 30 pupils in maintained primary and secondary scshools in England are as follows:

In January 1978, the last year for which figures are available, there were the full-time equivalents of 12. 1,220 and 1,339 qualified teachers respectively in the nursery, primary and secondary schools in Rotherham.Pupil-teacher ratios for Rotherham and for England as a whole over the past five years are shown in the following table: and part-time pupils in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes of maintained primary schools in England was 17 per cent. of the estimated population aged 3 and 4 years. The comparable proportion for January 1974 was 8·6 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number and the number per 1,000 population of children receiving nursery education in each local authority area in England and Wales at the latest available date and five years earlier.

The information requested for England will take time to extract and I will write to my hon. Friend. Nursery education in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current and the capital expenditure being devoted to provision for the under-fives in the current year and in each of the previous five years.

This information is set out in Table 2·10 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1979–80 to 1982–83"; Cmnd. 7439, a copy of which is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what support she is giving to the British Co-ordinating Committee for Biotechnology.

The British Co-ordinating Committee for Biotechnology neither expects nor receives support from me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses have been relieved of tasks such as cleaning, washing up and general domestic work and clerical tasks which take them from the bedside following the publication of "Priorities in the Health and Social Services—The Way Forward" in September 1977.

Information is not available in the form requested. The general policy of relieving nurses, wherever possible, of non-nursing duties has been pursued in the National Health Service for many years. Particular patterns of service provision, and thus of staffing, may vary from one hospital to another depending on local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what proportion of children below statutory school age is currently attending play groups; and how this compares with the position five years ago;(2) what is the total number of the number per 1,000 population of children, below statutory school age who are attending play groups in each local authority area in England and Wales.

Statistics on numbers of children attending play groups are not available centrally but, on 31 March 1977 the latest date for which figures are available, there were 366,000 places in premises in England registered to provide sessional care, most of which are used for play-groups. This represents 119·6 places for 1,000 children under five. Five years earlier, the comparative figures were 263,000 and 82·2.The figures for individual local authorities on 31 March were:

Local Authority		Maximum number of children permitted	Rate per 1,000 population under 5
Bedfordshire	…	4,995	133 ·2
Berkshire	…	6,285	133 ·2
Buckinghamshire	…	6,455	170 ·8
Cambridgeshire	…	4,772	116 ·7
Essex	…	15,167	151 ·1
Hertfordshire	…	7,822	128 ·4
Norfolk	…	6,027	136 ·1
Oxfordshire	…	5,394	152 ·4
Suffolk	…	5,546	135·3
Camden	…	969	125·8
Greenwich	…	1,331	104·0
Hackney	…	836	68·5
Hammersmith	…	555	56·1
Islington	…	1,156	118·0
Kensington	…	1,007	154·9
Lambeth	…	1,867	102·0
Lewisham	…	1,451	104·4
Southwark	…	1,255	103·7
Tower Hamlets	…	605	74·7
Wandsworth	…	1,858	106·8
Westminster	…	1,066	134·9
City of London	…	18	60·0
Barking	…	1,044	104·4
Barnet	…	2,399	128·3
Bexley	…	2,459	176·9
Brent	…	1,539	95·0
Bromley	…	4,290	242·4
Croydon	…	3,187	149·6
Ealing	…	1,700	86·3
Enfield	…	2,158	138·3
Haringey	…	697	46·2
Harrow	…	2,041	165·9
Havering	…	2,066	135·0
Hillingdon*	…	1,869	120·6
Hounslow	…	1,161	95·2
Kingston upon Thames	…	799	99·9
Merton	…	958	101·9
Newham	…	1,101	66·3
Redbridge	…	3,157	237·4
Richmond upon Thames	…	1,793	199·2
Sutton	…	1,521	153·6
Waltham Forest	…	1,800	120·8
Cleveland	…	3,841	91·0
Cumbria	…	4,112	136·2
Durham	…	3,753	92·9
Northumberland	…	1,830	101·7
Gateshead	…	1,450	100·0
Newcastle upon Tyne	…	1,867	107·3
North Tyneside	…	926	73·5
South Tyneside	…	559	55·4

Local Authority		Maximum number of children permitted	Rate per 1,000 population under 5
Sunderland	…	1,690	79·3
Humberside	…	5,667	95·4
North Yorkshire	…	5,743	140·1
Barnsley	…	1,234	79·6
Doncaster	…	1,234	60·5
Rotherham	…	1,296	68·9
Sheffield	…	3,508	104·1
Bradford	…	2,292	71·0
Calderdale	…	1,392	106·3
Kirklees	…	2,432	91·8
Leeds	…	5,141	106·4
Wakefield	…	1,498	69·0
Hereford and Worcester	…	5,860	141·2
Salop	…	3,461	132·6
Staffordshire	…	7,311	105·8
Warwickshire	…	4,738	140·2
Birmingham	…	6,452	95·0
Coventry	…	2,355	98·1
Dudley	…	1,578	74·4
Sandwell	…	1,230	59·1
Solihull	…	1,442	100·1
Walsall	…	1,008	50·2
Wolverhampton	…	1,570	82·6
Derbyshire	…	5,974	103·9
Leicestershire	…	7,243	126·4
Lincolnshire	…	4,811	136·7
Northamptonshire	…	5,273	137·3
Nottinghamshire	…	6,636	99·9
Cheshire	…	6,279	97·1
Lancashire	…	7,490	85·0
Bolton	…	1,477	78·6
Bury	…	1,331	100·8
Manchester	…	1,622	55·9
Oldham	…	1,442	87·9
Rochdale	…	1,053	67·5
Salford	…	1,066	63·1
Stockport	…	2,453	123·3
Tameside	…	907	58·9
Trafford*	…	511	33·0
Wigan	…	1,481	63·0
Knowsley	…	712	49·1
Liverpool	…	2,589	81·4
Sefton	…	1,765	87·8
St. Helens	…	1,530	102·7
Wirral	…	2,343	101·9
Dorset	…	5,408	168·0
Hampshire	…	18,516	186·3
Isle of Wight	…	974	157·1
Kent*	…	15,205	146·1
Surrey	…	10,667	173·7
East Sussex	…	5,082	151·7
West Sussex	…	6,444	176·6
Wiltshire	…	4,934	130·2
Avon	…	8,179	139·6
Cornwall	…	4,206	163·0
Devon	…	8,927	157·7
Gloucestershire	…	5,210	159·3
Somerset	…	3,945	154·7
* March 1976 figures are shown where March 1977 figures are unconfirmed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when it is proposed to establish a joint consultative committee for Health Service workers in Hertfordshire; and what are the reasons why it is not already operating.

pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 25 January 1979; Vol. 961, c. 246], gave the following information:I understand that, since reorganisation of the National Health Service, joint staff consultative committees have been developed at hospital, district and area level. Recently, however, a number of trade unions representing ancillary staff have requested separate arrangements for negotiation and consultation upon matters affecting their members. This request is being considered by officers of the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of unlawful entries into National Health Service hospitals have taken place in each of the last five years; how many prosecutions have resulted in the same period; and if he will make a statement as to whether he is satisfied with security arrangements in National Health Service hospitals.

Information about the number of cases of unlawful entry into National Health Service hospitals, and the number of prosecutions resulting, is not available centrally.It is the responsibility of individual health authorities to provide adequate security arrangements in their hospitals and health premises, and I have every confidence in their exercise of this responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have been employed in the hospital and community health centres of the National Health Service for the years 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, and 1977–78; of these, in each year how many are (a) administrative and clerical staff and (b) hospital medical staff; and if he will provide for the same year the totals and breakdowns in the same manner for the South-West Thames area health authority.

The information requested is given in the following tables:

TABLE 1
NHS STAFF STATISTICS, 30 SEPTEMBER
ENGLAND
Whole-time equivalents
			1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
Hospital and Prime Health Care Service Staff*—Totalof which:	…	…	656,684	664,609	708,878	735,730	739,469	—
(a) Total Administrative and Clerical Staff†	…	…	68,846	73,793	82,332	88,356	88,819	—
(b) Total Medical and Dental Staff‡	…	…	29,570	30,105	31,796	32,664	33,492	36,599
Hospital medical staff	…	…	24,829	25,618	26,922	27,686	28,397	30,998
Hospital dental staff	…	…	742	789	838	853	895	980
Community Health medical staff	…	…	2,525	2,347	2,565	2,681	2,734	2,986
Community Health dental staff	…	…	1,474	1,351	1,471	1,444	1,466	1,635
* Excludes Family Practitioner Committee practitioners, Dental Estimates Board Staff and Prescription Pricing Authority Stall.
†Includes Family Practitioner Service administrative and clerical staff and support services managers but excludes ambulance officers.
‡Figures relating to hospital medical and dental staff exclude locums, hospital practitioner appointments and doctors holding paragraph 96 appointments and dentists holding paragraph 107 appointments under the Terms and Conditions of Service of Hospital Medical and Dental Staff. Figures relating to Community Health medical and dental staff include Local Authority staff for 1973. Figures from 1974 onwards exclude locum or temporary staff and occasional sessional staff for whom no wte was collected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the health service districts have appointed district domestic service managers since 9 June 1978.

Two districts have appointed district domestic service managers to fill posts which have fallen vacant since 9 June 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those health service regions that have employed regional domestic service officers on their staffs since 29 June 1978; and if he will make a statement.

No regional health authorities have appointed regional domestic service officers since 29 June 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many times the health authorities in each of the last three years have sought the advice of his specialist advisers in domestic service management; in how many cases the advice has been acted upon; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave him on 24 July 1978.—[Vol. 954, c. 549–550]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will set out in the Official Report the informtion his Department has received from each of the health authorities on the amount spent on cleaning, catering and portering services contracts with private contractors in the accounting period 1977–78;(2) what was the total sums spent in the financial years 1976–77 and 1977–78, respectively, on domestic and other general services in National Health Service hospitals in England; and what is his estimate of the amount paid to independent contractors included in these sums;(3) what is the current annual cost in National Health Service hospitals of domestic services, housekeeping services, and ancillary services, respectively, up to the latest convenient date; and if he will express them as a percentage of the cost of hospitals as a whole.

The details requested are being extracted from the information received by my Department and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, what steps he is taking to ascertain how many deaths or serious illnesses in each of the last five years arose from lack of hygiene or adequate sterilisation in the National Health Service hospitals.

There would be great difficulty in determining the responsibility of these factors for death or serious illness. Hygiene and sterilisation procedures are the responsibility of health authorities. My Department issues advice from time to time on the maintenance and improvement of standards.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to encourage the use of private contractors to undertake laundry services in National Health Service hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Health authorities have discretion in the way in which their requirements for laundry services are met. The possibility of using commercial laundry services is considered in planning to meet NHS needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number and percentage of people who receive no benefit when they become unemployed because they were previously self-employed.

I have no information later than that which I gave to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) on 20 January 1978. This showed that an estimated total of 150,000 men registered as unemployed at 3 May 1976 were not receiving unemployment benefit because of a deficient contribution record; and in about 45 per cent. of these cases the cause of the contribution deficiency was attributed to self-employment.—[Vol.942,c. 386–7]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children were adopted in each year since 1948 whose mothers were in the age groups (a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 20 years, (c) 21 to 25 years, (d) 26 to 30 years, (e) 31 to 35 years, f) 36 to 40 years, and (g) over 40 years; and, in each case, what were the numbers of such children who were legitimate or illigitimate, or if he will give such information as is available concerning the age of mothers of children who are adopted.

I regret that this information is not available. The age of the mother of an adopted child is not recorded in the adoption register.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many acute patients' hospital beds in the Birmingham health area are currently occupied by geriatric patients.

I regret that this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate time and expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average daily cost of maintaining an acute patient hospital bed in the Birmingham health area; and what is the cost of maintaining a bed in a geriatric hospital or ward and of a place in an old people's home in Birmingham.

Provisional figures for the year ended 31 March 1978 indicate that the average daily cost of maintaining a patient in an acute hospital in the Birmingham Health Area was £37·17 and that in a geriatric hospital £17·14. Separate figures for geriatric wards in other types of hospital are not available. Information provided by the local authority shows that the average daily cost of a place in the old people's homes run by the Birmingham metropolitan district council was £5·69.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will list (a) the 10 largest and the 10 smallest non-metropolitan district councils in order of population, (b) the 10 largest and 10 smallest metropolitan district councils in order of population and (c) the 10 largest and 10 smallest non-metropolitan county councils in order of population.

The latest available population estimates are for mid-1977. The information requested, with the respective population, is in the tables below:

(a) Non-Metropolitan Districts
Largest:
Bristol	…	…	409,900
Nottingham	…	…	282,900
Leicester	…	…	280,000
Cardiff	…	…	278,900
Kingston-on-Hull	…	…	275,400
Plymouth	…	…	260,300
Stoke-on-Trent	…	…	257,800
Derby	…	…	215,900
Southampton	…	…	212,200
Portsmouth	…	…	194,700

Smallest:
Oswestry	…	…	31,100
Meirionnydd	…	…	30,400
Rutland	…	…	30,600
West Somerset	…	…	29,400
Alnwick	…	…	28,800
Dwyfor	…	…	26,000
Berwick-on-Tweed	…	…	25,700
Teesdale	…	…	24,200
Radnor	…	…	20,600
Isles of Scilly	…	…	1,900

(b) Metropolitan Districts
Largest:
Birmingham	…	…	1,050,100
Leeds	…	…	734,000
Sheffield	…	…	547,400
Liverpool	…	…	536,900
Manchester	…	…	491,600
Bradford	…	…	464,200
Kirklees	…	…	376,900
Wirral	…	…	346,300
Coventry	…	…	340,500
Sandwell	…	…	313,100

Smallest:
Tameside	…	…	220,300
Gateshead	…	…	217,500
Rochdale	…	…	210,000
Solihull	…	…	198,300
North Tyneside	…	…	197,100
Calderdale	…	…	190,400
St. Helens	…	…	190,300
Knowsley	…	…	186,300
Bury	…	…	180,000
South Tyneside	…	…	166,900

(c) Non-Metropolitan Counties
Largest:
Hampshire	…	1,450,500
Kent	…	1,445,100
Essex	…	1,425,900
Lancashire	…	1,368,100
Surrey	…	995,800
Staffordshire	…	994,000
Nottinghamshire	…	974,100
Devon	…	947,200
Hertfordshire	…	941,600
Avon	…	916,900

Smallest:
Somerset	…	411,400
South Glamorgan	…	385,200
Clwyd	…	379,800
West Glamorgan	…	367,600
Salop	…	360,700
Dyfed	…	324,800
Northumberland	…	290,700
Gwynedd	…	226,800
Isle of Wight	…	113,600
Powys	…	105,500

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the Official Report tables corresponding to Table 2.12 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1979–80 to 1982–83", Command Paper No. 7439, but giving the identifiable public expenditure

IDENTIFIABLE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PER HEAD OF THE POPULATION IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES ON SOCIAL SECURITY
(at current prices)
1973–74
£per head
	England	Scotland	Wales
Pension benefits: national insurance
Retirement pensions	50	47	53
Invalidity benefit	4	4	9
Industrial disablement benefit	1	2	3
Widows' pension and industrial death benefit, etc.	4	4	5
Pension benefits: other	5	5	6
Supplementary benefit
Supplementary pensions	5	5	5
Supplementary allowances	7	10	9
Family benefits
Child benefit (up to 1976–77 family allowances, including child interim benefit)	6	7	6
Tax revenue from reduction in child tax allowances	—	—	—
Net Exchequer cost of child benefit	—	—	—
Family income supplement	—	—	—
Other non-pension benefits: national insurance
Sickness and injury benefits and maternity allowance	6	9	11
Unemployment benefit	3	5	4
Widows' allowances, maternity/death grants	1	1	1
Administration and miscellaneous services	5	2	2
Total*	99	102	115

I have been asked to reply.Estimates of identifiable public expenditure in England, Scotland and Wales are available at current prices and for past years only. The latest figures available are for 1977–78. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has already stated in a reply given on 12 February, comparable estimates are not available of the average numbers receiving the main benefits in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively. The table below however gives identifiable public expenditure on social security for 1973–74 to 1977–78, in England, Scotland and Wales respectively, per head of the population, analysed as in table 2.12 of Command 7439 but with the smaller elements aggregated. The figures are mainly derived from Post Office encashment statistics, and are on the same basis as those given in the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden) on 17 January 1979.— [Vol. 960, c. 781–794.]