asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

During 1978, visits to Brussels to discuss EEC matters were made by 43 officials of the Scottish Office—other than Ministers' Private Secretaries—of whom 31 made more than one visit. The total number of man-days spent on these visits was 407, and the total cost of travel and subsistence was £33,172.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tam-worth of Monday 19 November, if he will consider banning the harvesting of deer velvet on Scottish deer farms until the Farm Animal Welfare Council has reported about the physiological and other possible effects of such harvesting upon the deer; and if he will publish the council's report.

I expect the council's advice to become available in time for my right hon. Friends and me to decide what action, if any, requires to be taken before the time of year when there could be any harvesting of antler velvet. It will be for the council in the first place to decide whether to publish its views on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making to improve the defence against air attacks of United States and Royal Air Force air bases in the United Kingdom.

On 27 July—[Vol. 971, c. 509]—I announced the formation of an additional Lightning squadron, the arming of a substantial number of Hawk training aircraft with air-to-air missiles—Sidewinder AIM 9L—and improvements to the Phantom's weapon control system. These measures will directly enhance our ability to withstand air attacks, including those upon USAF and RAF bases in the United Kingdom, and the scope for further improvements is now being considered.In addition, a considerable range of measures is already under way or planned. Over the next few years these will include extension of the coverage of the Bloodhound system in the United Kingdom through the redeployment of the squadron currently in Germany, the formation of a new squadron of VC10 tankers to increase the RAF's air-to-air refuelling capacity, and the equipment of the Phantom with more advanced air-to-air missiles. During the mid-1980s, more sophisticated airborne radars will be introduced, and the modernisation of the ground radar chain, the programme of hardened aircraft shelter construction and other passive defence measures now under way, and in which the USAF fully participates, will be brought to completion. Also, the USAF is now most earnestly considering the case for deploying units of Rapier surface-to-air missile units at its airfields in the United Kingdom.In the longer term, the powerful Tornado F2 will replace the present force of Lightning and Phantom fighters. Taken together, these measures and the ones announced in the summer will bring about a very significant increase in our air defence capability in the course of the next decade.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what research has taken place into the effect of thermonuclear detonations on the stratosphere; and what were the findings.

Since the partial test ban treaty came into force in 1963 there has been no research on the effect of thermonuclear detonations on the stratosphere by direct experiments.High altitude nuclear tests before 1963 and theoretical studies since indicate that nuclear explosions inject radioactive debris into the stratosphere, produce disturbances

Area					Regular Army	UDR
County Down—excluding Belfast	…	…	…	…	1	2
County Armagh—Eastern Tyrone	…	…	…	…	3	2
County Fermanagh—Western Tyrone	…	…	…	…	2	2
County Londonderry	…	…	…	…	2	1
County Antrim—excluding Belfast	…	…	…	…	—	2
Belfast	…	…	…	…	5	2
In addition, Headquarters staffs and minor units are located as necessary throughout the Province

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Royal Air Force's aircraft will be over 20 years old at the end of 1979: how many will be over 25 years old; and what will be the age of the oldest aircraft.

At the end of 1979, 356 of the RAF's present effective aircraft strength will be over 20 years old, 189 of these will be over 25 years old and the oldest will be 32 years old.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what chemical warfare exercises have been carried out since 1945 involving the depositing of zinc cadmium by military aircraft.

Between 1955 and 1963 a research programme was undertaken which involved the dissemination over parts of the United Kingdom of zinc cadmium sulphide in small particles, highly diluted in air. In this form, it is a recognised substance for use in air in the ionisphere which can affect long distance radio communications and can cause marginal depletions to the ozone layer, but these would be restored fairly rapidly by natural processes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Army and the Ulster Defence Regiment serve in each of the six counties in Northern Ireland; and how many serve in Belfast.

Military areas of responsibility in Northern Ireland do not follow county boundaries, and details figures are not available in the form requested. The broad distribution of Regular Army major units and UDR battalions according to their main areas of operation is as follows:movement studies. The programme involved no public danger and the amount to which any individual could possibly have been subjected was a tiny proportion of that contained in everyday foods. No programmes of this kind are currently in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average age of the RAF's Shackleton aircraft.

Twenty-six years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to release to the Hillingdon council the land at West Ruislip air base which is surplus to Ministry of Defence and United States Navy requirements; and if he will make a statement.

The United States naval authorities have in the past few days given us details of the land at Ruislip which is surplus to their requirements. We are examining their proposals and expect before Christmas to pass an area of just under 20 acres to the Property Services Agency which will be responsible for its disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the strength of each of the Forces in (a) officers and

(thousands)
		RN/RM		Army		RAF
Male officers	…	9·7	(9·6)	16·2	(16·1)	13·9	(14·3)
Service men	…	58·0	(61·0)	138·1	(137·7)	67·6	(68·2)
Female officers	…	0·4	(0·4)	0·9	(1·0)	0·6	(0·6)
Service Women	…	3·3	(3·4)	5·1	(5·2)	5·3	(5·4)

The forecasts represent projections on the best information available at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

The number of EEC matters in which Defence officials would be involved is minimal. The detailed information requested is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures for each year since 1970 showing (a) the number of employment offices and jobcentres in existence, and distinguishing between the two, (b) the number of staff employed and (c) the total cost.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies were notified in Scotland under section 100 of the Employment Protection Act in each of the past 12 months.

In accordance with section 100 of the Employment Protection

Strengths of United Kingdom personnel at 30 September are shown in the table below together with the forecasts for 1 April 1980 contained in Cmnd. 7474 in brackets.Act 1975, the number of proposed redundancies in Scotland notified to my Department in each of the past 12 months was as follows:

November 1978	4,699
December	4,437
January 1979	5,766
February	5,363
March	6,404
April	5,712
May	5,298
June	9,621
July	3,495
August	4,628
September	5,472
October	12,557
Total	73,452

During the same period, notifications involving 15,703 proposed redundancies were formally withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when, and in what manner, he expects the agreement by the Council of Ministers in June on the EEC directive on packaging and labelling, VI amendment, to be implemented in the United Kingdom.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases in the 12 months ended 30 September have been brought to industrial tribunals on the recommendation of the Equal Opportunities Commission; and in what percentage of those cases judgment was given against the employer.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the rise in the retail price index for each year since 1970 and in total: and if he will compare this increase with the rise in prices of (a) electricity, (b) gas, (c) coal, (d) paraffin and (e) central heating oil.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive about the number of people killed and injured in the construction industry.

APPLICATIONS FOR AND REFUSALS OF LEGAL AID FOR PROCEEDINGS IN INNER LONDON MAGISTRATES' AND JUVENILE COURTS, 1978
Number of applications
			Committal proceedings		Summary trials oj indictable offences*		Summary trials of non-indictable offences
			Total	Refused	Total	Refused	Total	Refused
City of London
Guildhall	…	…	163	—	161	9	25	—
Mansion House	…	…	47	—	163	14	40	20
Bow Street	…	…	725	7	1,077	47	1,162	406
Camberwell Green	…	…	1,076	12	1,838	79	908	190
Clerkenwell	…	…	677	—	1,231	73	128	65
Greenwich	…	…	486	2	1,036	73	234	112
Hampstead	…	…	178	—	441	54	39	29
Highbury Corner	…	…	634	94	760	218	437	210
Inner London juvenile	…	…	211	—	3,900	25	1,939	114
Horseferry Road	…	…	671	7	1,866	278	652	224
Marlborough Street	…	…	728	16	1,028	50	369	30
Marylebone	…	…	1,083	7	1,832	53	469	102
Old Street	…	…	473	1	988	39	214	106
South western	…	…	873	27	1,450	198	264	130
Thames	…	…	441	—	773	17	267	102
Tower Bridge	…	…	649	48	1,372	122	105	85
Wells Street	…	…	32	2	164	30	174	36
West London (Southcombe Street)			512	—	759	61	265	120
West London (Walton Street)		…	3	—	9	5	22	14
Woolwich	…	…	242	1	414	58	60	40
Total	…	…	9,902	224	21,262	1,503	7,773	2,135
* Includes summary trial of offences triable either way (from 17 July 1978).

[pursuant to his reply, 26 November 1979, c. 362]: I have had no formal discussions with the Health and Safety Executive about the number of people killed and injured in the construction industry, but the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission is aware of my concern for industrial safety and I am in touch with him as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of Inner London magistrates' courts showing the number of applications and refusals for legal aid for magistrates' court proceedings in 1978 distinguishing between committal proceedings, summary trials of indictable offences, and summary trials of non-indictable offences.

The numbers of applications for legal aid and the numbers refused for all magistrates' courts proceedings are published annually by petty sessional division in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 25 of the volume for 1978, Cmnd 7670. Corresponding figures for the types of proceedings specified are given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of demonstrations held on streets within the Metropolitan Police district during 1979 where more than 100 police officers were required; how many officers were deployed; what arrests or charges were made and injuries sustained; and what were the costs to the public arising from the duties imposed upon the police on each occasion.

169; the other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many borstals at present are in operation; how long is the standard or average term served in such a borstal; and what the maximum, minimum and average ages of the people sentenced to it are.

In England and Wales there are at present 27 borstals or borstal units and two borstal allocation centres. Sentences of borstal training are indeterminate between six months and two years; the average period spent in custody by persons released in 1978 was nine months. Offenders aged 15 and under 21 are eligible for borstal sentences; the average age of those so sentenced in 1978 was 18 years and two months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the board of visitors did not investigate the incident at Wormwood Scrubs prison on 31 August until 2 September.

In my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 30 October I stated that I had asked the regional director of the South-East region of the prison department to produce for me a comprehensive report on the incident in D wing of Wormwood Scrubs prison on 31 August—[Vol. 972, c. 462]. The report will cover the action taken by the board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that prison officers always wear numbers for ease of identification when on duty.

It is not the practice for prison officers to wear numbers and no reasons have been put to me to justify the introduction of such a practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the normal process for seeking out and apprehending overstayers; how soon after a breach of entitlement to stay measures are put into effect; for what percentage of cases they are put into effect at this stage; and if he is satisfied with the arrangements.

The detention and apprehension of overstayers depends on a combination of processes, some of which are initiated by the immigration and nationality department of the Home Office, including the immigration service, and others by the police. Selective checks on people who do not appear to have embarked are made by the Home Office, normally within two months of the expiry of a leave to enter. The nature of the checks made does not enable the number of cases followed up to be expressed as a percentage of the number of overstayers. The present arrangements for checking on overstaying give no cause for complacency. Efforts will continue to be made to get the best possible results from the resources available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to restrict the rights of immigration of wives and dependants of those male immigrants who arrived before 1 January 1973 or who have a job in a special selected category.

We have no plans at present to restrict the immigration of wives other than polygamously married women whose marriages are not valid under the law of any part of the United Kingdom. We shall, however, keep the situation under review. The White Paper which my right hon. Friend presented to Parliament on 14 November entitled "Proposals for revision of the Immigration Rules"—Cmnd. 7750—contained proposals for restricting the entry of children over 18 and parents and grandparents of men who arrived here at any date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to set up a register of Commonwealth wives and children entitled to entry for settlement under the Immigration Act 1971; and when he hopes to establish such a register.

I refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 13 November and to questions following my right hon. Friend's statement the following day.—[Vol. 973, c. 510 and 1334.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received legal advice about the extent to which his proposals in the White Paper on immigration may conflict with the European convention on human rights and whether he will publish that advice.

The implications of the European convention on human rights in relation to the White Paper on proposals for revision of the immigration rules have been fully considered by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men are waiting for their applications to enter Great Britain for marriage to be considered at Islamabad, Dacca, Delhi and Bombay.

At the end of September 1979, 1,547 fiancés were waiting decisions on their applications for an entry clearance at Islamabad, 21 at Dacca, 2,719 at Delhi and 765 at Bombay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) parents, (b) grandparents, (c) children aged between 18 to 21 years old and (d) distant relatives were admitted from (i) the New Commonwealth and Pakistan and (ii) the rest of the world in 1978.

The information requested is not recorded for all persons admitted to the United Kingdom. The information which is available is published an- nually in the Command Paper—"Control of Immigration Statistics"—tables 1 and 3 of the issue for 1978. Cmnd. 7565.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what statutory powers the Equal Opportunities Commission is empowered to criticise Government policies or measures.

The commission's duties to work towards the elimination of discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity between men and women generally and to keep under review and submit proposals for the amendment of the relevant legislation are prescribed in sections 53 and 55 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The application of this Act to the Crown is effected by section 85.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing all money expended by his Department in each year since 1974 on research, showing in each year the organisations to which funding was made available and the titles of the projects funded.

Information in the form requested is not readily available. The table below shows total estimated expenditure on research and development by the Home Office:

	£ million
1974–75	4·012
1975–76	5·485
1976–77	6·877
1977–78	5·947
1978–79	6·804
1979–80	7·198

The figures—which are published each year in the Chief Secretary's Memorandum on the Supply Estimates—cover intra and extra-mural research and staff costs.Some information about the organisations to which funding is made available is published annually in the Home Office programme of research and the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to be able to introduce a new British Nationality Bill.

I am not yet able to say.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

During 1978 Home Office officials visited Brussels on EEC business on 29 occasions, occupying a total of 69 man-days. Separate records of the actual costs incurred including sums reimbursed by the Commission are not maintained but might have amounted to approximately £5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many civil servants would be required to operate the legalisation of citizens band radio in the United Kingdom;(2) what frequencies could be allocated to citizens band radio should it be legalised.

No decision to legalise citizens band radio has yet been made. If such a facility were to be introduced at some future date the 27 MHz band would not be appropriate for it in the United Kingdom. The number of staff required for administrative and regulatory purposes would depend on the level of demand and the degree of control; but some increase in the number of civil servants would be inevitable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of illegal citizens band radio sets operating on 27 megahertz at present in the United Kingdom.

I have no reliable information about the number of such sets operating in the country at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had asking for the legalisation of citizens band radio.

Since 1 May, over 3,300 items of correspondence on the subject of citizens band radio have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he proposes to take to recover the interest due last June from the Meriden Motor Cycle Company.

None for present.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total sum paid in expenses to outgoing members of the National Enterprise Board.

This is a matter for the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will, in the light of heavy delays in supplying telephones to potential subscribers, consider taking steps to end the Post Office monopoly of supplying the equipment and follow the United States pattern.

Improving the efficiency of the service is one of the main objectives of the review of the telecommunications monopoly which my right hon. Friend announced in September. My right hon. Friend intends to announce detailed proposals for new and more competitive arrangements for the supply of equipment for attachment to the network when consultations with interested parties have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much finance has been provided for Rolls-Royce Limited by the National Enterprise Board since 3 May.

Since 3 May 1979, the NEB has provided £31 million share capital to Rolls-Royce Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

I regret that information in this form is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in 1978 the total expenditure for overseas visits on EEC business by Ministers and officials of the Department was approximately £160,000 of which £89,000 was reimbursed by the Commission. Most of the visits would be to Brussels.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when his Department's experimental pilot scheme into the counselling service to assist and monitor small firms' investment propositions in the eastern region of his Department is due to report.

We have agreed to review the scheme with the Post Office pension fund after it has been in operation for 12 months, though, of course, it will be several years before the success of the individual investments or the increase in wealth creation which has flowed from them can be judged.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if the Government have accepted in whole, or in part, the general objectives, means of action, and policies contained in the Commission communication to the Council on general guidelines for a textiles and clothing industry policy, which was issued on 20 July 1978; and whether his Department has issued a memorandum outlining the effects of the proposal on the United Kingdom textiles and clothing industry; and to whom such a memorandum was issued.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 November 1979]: The Commission communication in question is couched in general terms, and the Government have not been required to accept or reject the guidelines, which have not been discussed in the Council of Ministers. We shall, of course, give careful consideration to any specific proposals put forward by the Commission on any of the many issues covered in the communication.An explanatory memorandum on the communication was submitted to Parliament on 12 October 1978. Officials from the Departments of Industry and Trade gave oral and written evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities in November and December 1978, when it was considering the communication. A supplementary memorandum was later provided to the Committee by the Departments of Industry and Trade, reporting on subsequent developments.Viscount Long set out the Governments position on the communication when the House of Lords debated the 16th report—to which the above memorandum is annexed—of the Select Committee on the European Communities, on 12 July 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has taken action on any of the recommendations contained in the 16th report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities—Session 1978–79—on the Commission communication on general guidelines for a textiles and clothing industry policy—R2118/78; and what pressure he has put on the European Commission to eliminate all barriers to trade whether tariff or non-tariff within the Community and to ensure that existing agreements are enforced.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 November 1979]: It would take considerable time and involve disproportionate cost to give a detailed reply in connection with all the recommendations contained in the 16th report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities.However, as Viscount Long said when the House of Lords debated the report on 12 July 1979, the Government agree with many of the conclusions reached by the Select Committee. We shall continue to take the Committee's views fully into account in dealing with textiles and clothing matters.There are, of course, no tariff barriers to trade within the EEC. As far as non-tariff barriers are concerned, the Government are co-operating fully with the Commission and other member States in an exercise currently being undertaken to ensure that as far as possible legislation on technical standards in different member States does not impede intra-Community trade. We are prepared to consider an approach to the EEC Commission if evidence is received of any non-tariff barrier within the Community which is having a significant damaging effect on United Kingdom exports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, on the basis of the Treasury economic model, what the level of prices, output and employment would have been in 1978 and each quarter of 1979 if the exchange rate had been held at $1·71 and the money supply had been allowed to reflect in full the movement of money across the foreign exchanges.

No. For the reasons given in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Leighton)—[Vol. 973, c. 622–23]—I am unwilling to commit my Department's resources to this work. The hon. Member may, however, wish to pursue his inquiry via his access to the Treasury model in the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the improvement or otherwise in the terms of trade for manufactures and in the relative price of United Kingdom exports since the Letter of Intent to the International Monetary Fund in December 1976; and what he regards as a competitive exchange rate for the £ sterling in terms of the undertaking then given to the International Monetary Fund.

Between the fourth quarter of 1976 and the third quarter of 1979, the terms of trade in manufactures improved by about 12 per cent. The unit value of United Kingdom exports of manufactures relative to those of other countries is estimated to have increased by around 25–30 per cent. over the same period; little information on other countries' export prices for the third quarter of 1979 is yet available and so this estimate is to a large extent based on fore- casts and projections.Competitiveness cannot be achieved merely by changes in the exchange rate. Any improvement in competitiveness brought about by a fall in the exchange rate might be only temporary since it could result in higher prices in the future: lasting improvements in competitiveness can be achieved only through the containment of domestic inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, in eluding sums reimbursed by the Commission.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department will collect information of the number of adults who enjoy index-linked benefits, incomes or pensions.

I have been asked to reply.There are no plans to collect information on the number of adults who enjoy index-linked incomes. Government policy clearly leaves it to employers and management to determine the appropriate pattern and manner of remuneration subject to the limitations imposed by what they can afford to pay.Sufficient information about index-linked social security benefits is available and the Government Actuary's four-yearly survey produces information, which is published, about index-linked occupational pensions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the criteria by which the Inland Revenue assesses the actual earnings through gratuities of employees in the hotels and catering industry.

[pursuant to his reply. 14 November 1979, c. 625–6]: Gratuities which a person receives in the course of his employment are chargeable to income tax as emoluments of his employment, even though they are given to him not by his employer but by third parties. The Inland Revenue assesses them on the basis of returns of income, supplemented where appropriate by any other available information.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will rectify the anomaly in the family income supplement scheme whereby maintenance payments paid to a child do not affect his family's eligibility but maintenance payments made to a parent are taken into account.

My right hon. Friend has today laid regulations making a number of minor changes to the family income supplements scheme—FIS. Among these is an amendment to the FIS (General) Regulations which provides for any maintenance paid to a child by or on behalf of a parent or any person with a legal obligation to maintain that child to be treated as part of the family's income in the assessment of their eligibility for FIS. The change will bring FIS into line with the approach of the Supplementary Benefits Commission in the treatment of maintenance

				1974		1978
				Units	Cots	Units	Cots
England	…	…	…	254	3,932	243	3,972
Wales	…	…	…	15	234	15	237
Scotland	…	…	…	27*	567*	25	640
Northern Ireland		…	…	14	N.A.	14	206
* 1975 figures: 1974 figures not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) over what percentage of the United Kingdom he estimates that no special child care units are available within a 20-mile radius;(2) how many premature babies he estimates died during the past year who would have been saved had special child care units been readily accessible.

I have written to the hon. and learned Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many,

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, he will agree to the University hospital car park in Nottingham being built, provided that its users are charged the cost of the space they use.

This is a most constructive suggestion, which recognises that in the present financial situation money should be spent whenever possible on the direct care of patients; I am asking the AHA(T) to look into this immediately.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many special care baby units there are in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively; and how this number has increased or decreased in each of the past 20 years.

Numbers of special care baby units for the past 20 years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Numbers of special care baby units and of special care cots for the years 1974 and 1978 are as follows:and what percentage of, hospitals with maternity units do not have special baby care units and incubators, respectively;(2) how many incubators there are in maternity units in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively; and how this number has increased or decreased in each of the past 20 years.

Detailed information of this kind is not collected centrally. I would, however, expect that incubators would be provided in all special care baby units and that these units would be associated with all consultant maternity units.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what his proposals are for the increase in special care baby units and for the installation of incubators, respectively; and how these proposals will be affected by the Government's cut in public spending.

The Department has issued guidance on the provision of special care for babies in the report of the expert group which was published in 1971 and in circular HC(76)40 which enclosed the report of the working party on the prevention of early neonatal mortality and morbidity. I expect health authorities—whose responsibility this is—to continue to provide facilities according to local needs, priorities and resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what account has been taken of the rising birth rate in the United Kingdom generally,

1						2	3	4
						New claims(1)	Disqualifications imposed(2)	Column 3 as a percentage of column 2
Year ending—
30 June 1977	…	…	…	…	…	4,660,000	11,600	0·25
30 June 1978	…	…	…	…	…	4,551,000	11,800	0·26
30 June 1979(3)		…	…	…	…	4,280,000	14,400	0·34
Source: 100 per cent. count of new claims and Insurance Officers' decisions.
(1) Column 2 includes a proportion of cases where there was no entitlement to benefit or credits.
(2) The disqualifications were imposed because the claimant either:
(a) placed unreasonable restrictions on the nature of the employment he would accept; or
(b) refused to accept or apply for suitable employment; or
(c) neglected to avail himself of a reasonable opportunity of suitable employment; or
(d) failed to carry out official recommendations given to him with a view to assisting him to find suitable employment.
(3) The latest available date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has given further consideration to the Motor Industry Research Association report on the future mobility needs of existing drivers of three-wheeled invalid vehicles; and whether he will make a statement.

I shall not make up my mind on what ought to be done about the Motor Industry Reasearch Association report until interested parties have had an opportunity to let me know what their reactions are. There is no great urgency about the drivers of three-wheelers. The stock of vehicles in relation to the steadily and in Leicestershire in particular, in considering the provision of additional special baby care units and incubators, respectively.

Individual health authorities are expected to take account of local changes in the birth rate and I am assured that the authorities responsible for planning in Leicestershire have done so.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of claims for unemployment benefit is rejected on the ground that available and suitable work opportunities have been rejected; and if there has been any change in this proportion over the past two years.

Following is the information requested.declining numbers of users is such that there is no need to make alternative arrangements yet awhile. I shall keep the situation under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom generally, and in Leicestershire in particular, has been during each of the past 25 years; and how this compares with similar rates in each of the other member States of the EEC and in the Scandinavian countries.

Readily available figures are as follows:

INFANT MORTALITY RATES (DEATHS UNDER ONE YEAR PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS) 1950 TO 1978

United Kingdom

Leicestershire

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Holland

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Finland

Norway

Sweden

1950

31·2

27·8

53·4

30·7

51·9

55·3

25·2

46·2

63·8

45·7

43·5

28·2

21·0

1951

31·1

25·6

1952

28·8

25·4

1953

27·6

26·6

1954

26·4

27·0

1955

25·8

22·9

40·7

25·2

38·6

41·8

20·1

36·7

50·9

38·9

29·7

20·6

17·4

1956

24·4

21·6

1957

24·0

21·3

1958

23·4

20·5

1959

23·1

19·1

1960

22·4

21·3

31·2

21·5

27·4

33·8

17·9

29·3

43·9

31·5

21·0

18·9

16·6

1961

22·1

18·6

1962

22·4

19·7

1963

21·7

18·5

1964

20·6

16·4

1965

19·6

18·0

23·7

18·7

21·9

23·9

14·4

25·2

36·0

24·0

17·6

16·8

13·3

1966

19·6

19·9

1967

18·8

18·6

1968

18·7

15·3

1969

18·6

18·2

1970

18·5

18·0

21·1

14·2

18·2

23·6

12·7

19·5

29·5

24·9

13·2

12·7

11·0

1971

17·9

17·6

1972

17·5

19·0

1973

17·2

18·4

1974

16·8

16·1

18·0

10·7

14·6

21·1

11·3

17·8

22·9

12·4

11·0

10·4

9·6

1975

16·0

15·4

16·1

10·4

13·7

19·8

10·6

18·4

20·7

14·8

10·0

11·1

8·6

1976

14·5

14·8

15·3

10·1

12·5

17·4

10·7

14·6

19·2

17·9*

9·9

10·5

8·3

1977

14·1

12·9

8·7

11·5

15·5

9·5*

15·7*

17·6*

10·6*

12·0*

9·2

8·0

1978

13·3*

13·3

10·6*

Sources—UN, WHO and National publications

* provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much he expects infant mortality to increase in the United Kingdom, and in Leicestershire in particular, as a result of the cuts in domiciliary care and special care baby units, respectively.

I expect infant mortality to continue to fall.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what reductions in the plans for the increase in provision of maternity beds and units in the Leicestershire area are expected to result from a cut in funds available for such purposes;(2) what reductions in the number of maternity units, incubators and special care baby units have already been decided upon for the Leicestershire area.

Leicestershire area health authority (teaching) has no plans to reduce the existing level of maternity beds, incubators or cots in special care baby units in the area.The AHA(T) proposes to bring into use 62 new maternity beds and 17 special care baby unit cots at Leicester general hospital next month. These will replace the existing 55 beds and 17 cots at the hospital. The AHA(T) will decide in the light of available resources and other priority needs when the remaining 20 beds and 13 cots in the new unit should open.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the amount received for the last available 12-month period in payment of hospital charges under the Road Traffic Act; and what expenditure was incurred in the Health Service in connection with these charges.

Income during the financial year 1978–79 was £1·4 million in England. The expenditure incurred in the collection of charges is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect he expects the current and proposed reductions in funds available for domiciliary care to be likely to have upon the provision of pre-natal care in the United Kingdom in general, and in Leicestershire in particular.

While it is for health authorities to determine what economies are necessary this year to stay within their cash limit and where these should be made, they have been asked to do their utmost to ensure that services to patients are not affected. I understand that Leicestershire area health authority (teaching) has no plans to reduce funds for domiciliary care.In the recently publishd public expenditure White Paper—Cmnd. 7746—expenditure on the National Health Service in 1980–81 is planned to rise by about 3 per cent. above the latest estimate for spending in the current year. It is for health authorities to allocate resources to the specific services they provide, including services for pre-natal care, in the light of local needs and priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the financial savings that the Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton area health authority is to be asked to make over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Regional health authorities are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources to areas. The hon. Member may like to raise this issue direct with the South-West Thames regional health authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from insurers and from motoring organisations about the future of emergency treatment charges under the Road Traffic Act.

The chairman of the Motor Conference, on behalf of the insurers, and the Royal Automobile Club have recently expressed continuing objections in principle to the levying of charges against motorists under the Road Traffic Act 1972 in respect of NHS treatment costs following road traffic accidents. In particular they have expressed concern at the continuation of the emergency treatment fee which they consider results in uneconomic administrative work.The changes we have made in these charges are among a number of measures designed to relieve public expenditure on the NHS while maintaining the level of services to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, whether he will abolish the household duties test and allow married disabled women to apply for non-contributory invalidity pension on the same basis as disabled men and single disabled women.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 26 November.—[Vol. 974, c. 464.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many supplementary benefit claimants have dependants aged under five years;(2) how many supplementary benefit claimants are aged 75 years and over; and how many dependants are covered by these claimants;(3) how many claimants have had (

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, of the estimated 400,000 pensioners who were found by the inspectorate survey in the winter of 1975–76 not to be getting a heating addition for which they were eligible, how many were above and below 75 years of age.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out in each year since the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967.

The total numbers of abortions performed in England and and Wales in the years 1968 to 1978 were as follows:

1968*	23,641
1969	54,819
1970	86,565
1971	126,777
1972	159,884
1973	167,149
1974	162,940
1975	139,702
1976	129,673
1977	133,004
1978	141,558
* These figures are for only eight months of 1968 (27 April to 31 December 1968).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has now reconsider his letter to the chairman of the North-West Thames regional health authority of 28 August, as promised by his hon. Friend the Minister of Health, and whether he will now confirm that the letter should only apply to the most temporary closures of small units and sub-units.

I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mr. Race) of 26 November. As regards closure procedures, the letter he refers to does no more than restate existing requirements set out in regulations and Departmental guidance—[Vol. 974, c. 466].

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the consideration of the notional salary for pharmacists will proceed despite the consideration being given by him to the Franks committee report.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average payment of earnings-related supplement paid with (a) unemployment benefit, (b) sickness benefit, (c) widows' allowance and (d) maternity allowance at the latest date for which the information is available.

The information requested as at the latest dates for which figures are available is as follows:

(a) £8·62 a week—at 9 November 1978.

(b) £9·56 a week—at 3 June 1978.

(c) £10·68 a week—in respect of awards of earnings-related addition in the six months ending 31 December 1978.

(d) £7·03 a week—at 31 March 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

I understand that in the calendar year 1978 officials of this Department made 262 journeys abroad to attend meetings of EEC bodies, involving 662 man-days. The approximate cost was £44,000, of which approximately £37,000 was reimbursed by the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of alleged legal and financial irregularities have been investigated by his supplementary benefits staff in each of the past five years; and with what results.

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

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on his review of vehicle excise duty.

The Government's review of the operation of vehicle excise duty which I announced on 25 May has now been completed.We have carefully considered the arguments for and against abolishing excise duty on petrol-driven vehicles and replacing it by increased petrol taxation. But we have concluded that the case is not sufficiently strong to justify this major change. We were particularly concerned that abolition would place too big a share of the burden of motoring taxation on high mileage rural motorists and essential business users. Over £100 million a year could have been added to business costs.The review has, however, shown that the administration of the duty can be improved. It has already been possible, over the past 12 months, to save 400 staff and we have now identified further savings of over 1,000 staff. These will involve post offices handling more licensing work than they do at present. Details are being negotiated with the Post Office and will be announced in due course. I am about to start discussions with the staff side on this.I am also investigating changing the minimum licensing period from four to six months and introducing a stamp savings scheme. I shall be consulting interested organisations about this immediately.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied that the dockland southern relief road fits into the strategy outlined in the Greater London development plan for trunk road schemes.

The docklands southern relief road would not be a trunk road. It would fall within the definition of secondary roads in the Greater London development plan and would fit into the road strategy outlined in that plan.

asked the Minister of Transport if the realignment of the A13 in the London boroughs of Barking and Havering will be affected by the cuts in the road investment programme.

We are reviewing the timing of schemes in the trunk road programme as part of our commitment to contain public expenditure. Until this review is completed I am unable to say what effect it will have on the A13 improvement between Dovers Corner to the GLC boundary.We have no proposal in our programme to realign the A13 in the London borough of Barking. We shall be publishing our revised proposals in a White Paper in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to ensure that all transportation studies on which road planning is based are published.

For trunk roads, my aim is to make available as much relevant information as possible, subject always to the need to avoid causing unnecessary blight or breaching the confidence of others. While, for that reason, it may not be possible to publish certain studies, relevant information will be provided in connection with trunk road schemes on the basis set out in paragraph 31 of the report on the review of highway inquiry procedures—Cmnd. 7133.Publication of studies commissioned by local authorities is a matter for them.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will ensure that, in any future publicly funded transportation studies, unfair comparisons are not made by using a public transport option which leaves out buses and trains in favour of unproven technology, and comparing it with traditional methods of road transport.

I shall seek to ensure that, in so far as I am responsible for such studies, they make fair comparisons between all the available options including, where appropriate, improvements to conventional public transport services.

asked the Minister of Transport if the two new docklands road links, between South Woodford and Barking, and South Woodford and Hackney Wick, will still be given priority as industrial routes, despite the cuts in the road investment programme.

We are reviewing the timing of schemes in the trunk road programme as part of our commitment to contain public expenditure. Until this review is completed I am unable to say what effect it will have on the South Woodford to Barking relief road and the Hackney to South Woodford link. We shall be publishing our revised proposals in a White Paper in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Transport if the programme for bringing the North Circular Road up to a consistent standard throughout will be affected by the cuts in the road investment programme.

We are reviewing the timing of schemes in the trunk road programme as part of our commitment to contain public expenditure. Until this review is completed, I am unable to say what effect it will have on the North Circular Road. We shall be publishing our revised proposals in a White Paper in the new year.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the average time in the United Kingdom between the date when an application is made for a driving test and the earliest appointment offered.

The estimated average wait in Great Britain is 28 weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the average time in the East Midlands area between the date when the application for a driving test is made and the earliest appointment offered.

Twenty-six weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to reduce the amount of lead pollution in the atmosphere from congested roads used by vehicles which use lead additives for fuels; and if he will make a statement.

Current policy is to control lead pollution from vehicles by limiting the lead content of petrol. The limit at present is 0·45 grammes per litre and the intention is to reduce it to 0·40 grammes per litre from January 1981. The Government will consider whether any further action is needed when they have received the results of a review of the health effects of lead now being carried out by a working party under Professor Lawther. Account will also be taken of the results of surveys of blood lead levels in accordance with EEC requirements and of the report of a joint study with industry of the options for further limiting lead emissions from vehicles entitled "Lead in Petrol: An assessment of the feasibility and costs of further action to limit lead emissions from vehicles", published by the Department of Transport in July this year.

asked the Minister of Transport how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total many-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

The information is not readily available but I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have received treatment in Northern Ireland during the past year for venereal diseases; and how these figures compare with the past five years.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is satisfied that the security forces are giving sufficient protection to places of worship in Northern Ireland.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of his officials were sent to Brussels in 1978 to discuss EEC matters; what was the total man-days involved; and what was the cost to public funds of travel and subsistence, including sums reimbursed by the Commission.

The information asked for does, of course, relate to the period of office of the previous Administration. I understand that in 1978, 51 officials of the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments spent a total of 379 working days in Brussels on EEC matters. The cost to public funds of travel and subsistence was £28,439, of which £14,340 was reimbursed by the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the principal countries of origin of coal imports into the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years.

Figures are not available for 1969 and 1970, but coal imports were negligible. From 1971 onwards imports came mainly from the United States of America and Australia, with United States of America in the lead to 1974 and Australia thereafter. Third place was taken by Poland in 1972, 74 and 78, by West Germany in 1971, 73, 76 and 77 and by Canada in 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will seek to repeal section 10 of the Coal Industry Act 1977 in the legislation about to be presented to Parliament, in view of the fact that the private sector is more capable than the National Coal Board of extracting materials other than coal.

I do not intend to seek the repeal of section 10 of the Coal Industry Act 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why Her Majesty's Government are not supporting the EEC research project at Super-Sara PWR unit.

The Super-Sara project is designed to investigate the behaviour of fuel elements in a light water reactor when the coolant fails. This is a subject of considerable importance in the field of reactor safety, and a number of facilities already exist or are under construction in Europe and the rest of the world to investigate the problem. But I am not yet convinced that the Super-Sara project is fully cost-effective or that the resources which the Commission proposes should be dedicated to Super-Sara could not be deployed more usefully on other light water reactor safety research. At the last meeting of the Research Council, several member States also voiced their concern about the project. I am currently reviewing the attitude that the United Kingdom should take at the next meeting of the Research Council on 20 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what he assesses will be the size of the international trade in coal 1985 and 2000, the tonnage of (a) steam coal and (b) coking coal involved and the percentage of United Kingdom participation.

Estimation in this field is extremely difficult, but the International Energy Agency published a major study last year suggesting that some 210 million tonnes of coal may be traded internationally in 1985, divided between about 80 million tonnes of steam coal and about 130 million tonnes of coking coal. The corresponding forecasts for 2000 are 530 million tonnes, split between 340 million tonnes of steam coal and 190 million tonnes of coking coal. United Kingdom participation in these years is uncertain, but is not likely to amount to more than a very small percentage of world trade.