asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made in improving the distribution of teachers between and within education authority areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to bring about a more equitable distribution of teachers between and within the education authority; and if he will make a statement.

I do not yet have returns for the current Session, but a comparison of figures for the previous two Sessions suggests that there was no marked change in the distribution of teachers between areas during that period. Within areas, schools designated under the inducement payments scheme tended to improve their staffing position relatively to other schools.In addition to that scheme, I made proposals last year, in Departmental Circular 714, for improvements in distribution and I intend, in the light of comments on these proposals, to have further consultations with interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers are at present on strike; and what action he is taking to ensure full-time education in Scottish schools.

My information is that 126 teachers are on strike today. I have no precise information as yet as to the number of pupils affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when final school-building allocations for the 1970–72 period will be announced.

As soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the proportion of registered nurses employed part-time in Scottish hospitals at the last date for which figures are available, and at the corresponding date in 1964.

30·2 per cent. at 31st March, 1969: 24·3 per cent. at 31st March, 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now announce the terms of loans to be granted by the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland under the provisions of the Civic Amenities Act, 1967.

The precise terms of a loan could vary case by case. It would bear a rate of interest to be fixed by my right hon. Friend in consultation with the Treasury and would, wherever possible, be properly secured.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis he makes decisions on applications as to future land use of sheep farms which come up for sale as between sheep and trees, and in cases where a sheep farm has received substantial improvement grants in recent years.

Decisions on proposals by the Forestry Commission to acquire land for planting are made after consideration of a number of factors. In particular, the suitability of the land for afforestation and the requirements of the Commission's planting programme are balanced against the effect on agriculture including any loss in the value of improvements on which grant has been paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the health centres now operating in Scotland, as well as those now under construction and those for which approval has been given; and if he will make a statement on progress in this field during the past six years.

Fourteen health centres are now operating in Scotland, eight are under construction and plans for 24 have been approved; in addition, 26 have reached the detailed planning stage and 24 other proposals are under consideration. Eleven of the 14 centres now in operation were opened during the last six years.I will circulate detailed lists in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will obtain a report from the chief constable as to the recruiting figures for the Edinburgh police force over the past year; and if he will make a statement.

During 1969, 77 officers were recruited by Edinburgh police force and 89 left the force by retirement, resignation or for other reasons. Ten additional civilians were appointed during the year to replace police officers engaged in clerical, technical or traffic control duties and the total manpower available to the force, therefore, was two fewer than at the end of 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent Scottish police forces will use the new computer to be installed by Scotland Yard for the keeping of criminal records.

This is a Great Britain computer and Scottish forces will have full access to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has offered local authorities on the use of loans to help council tenants to move to houses of their own, if they wish to.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken by his Department to answer letters from hon. Members; and what action he is taking to expedite these replies.

Correspondence from hon. Members is already dealt with as expeditiously as possible. Delay is unavoidable when information has to be obtained from outside the Department, but most replies are sent within about three weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions have been initiated or are pending in respect of disturbances at Murrayfield Rugby Ground, Edinburgh, Linksfield Stadium, Aberdeen, and outside factories at East Kilbride and Grangemouth, respectively.

The numbers are 27, 97, none, and four respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the house-building programme for the next five years.

We aim to continue the high level of public sector building attained in recent years, and we will give all possible encouragement to the building of new private houses. In addition, we are intensifying our efforts to have older houses improved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct the Scottish Development Department to conduct an investigation into the reasons for the decline in employment in the service and distributive trades in Scotland since 1965.

The Scottish Economic Planning Board and Council keeps changes in employment and the reasons for them under regular review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what approach has been made to him by Glasgow Corporation in respect of the proposed concert hall complex; what consultations are expected in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

No approach has been made to my right hon. Friend by Glasgow Corporation about its proposals to create a Concert Hall complex. The Corporation will no doubt consult him when its plans have reached an appropriate stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to deal with the dangers of food poisoning arising from frozen poultry because of salmonella.

Many producers of frozen poultry already give advice on the wrappers about the need for proper thawing before cooking. Studies are in progress to establish whether such guidance can be made more specific and recommended for general adoption.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the names of those organisations, associations and persons who have been the recipients of Government grants in order to promote the fluoridation of public drinking water; what amount of money was expended in each case; and what further sums have been committed for future years.

No such grants have been given in Scotland, and no expenditure has been committed for future years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest figures available to him of emigration from Scotland in the 15–34 age group.

Estimates by broad age groups are regularly published by the Registrar General for Scotland. His quarterly return for June, 1969, estimated that in the half year ended December, 1968, net emigration included 9,030 emigrants aged 15–44.Annual estimates for smaller age bands are not considered sufficiently reliable to warrant publication: more detailed breakdowns can be obtained—on a sample basis—only for periods covered by census data.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Government report prepared by a working party of officials of the Scottish Economic Planning Board on loss of natural population by emigration has not been made available to Scottish Members of Parliament.

Because it contains no material of any significance that is not already available in reports and other papers to which hon. Members have access.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ascertain and publish the gross figures for emigration from Scotland for the year to the last convenient date.

I refer the hon. Lady to my reply on 3rd February to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor).—[Vol. 795, c. 120.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what special schemes for dealing with water pollution in Scotland are planned during 1970.

None, but in the financial year 1970–71 capital expenditure in Scotland on sewerage schemes is expected to amount to about £10 million, more than half of which will be spent on sewage treatment works which will improve the cleanliness of rivers and tidal waters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the amount of derelict land which will be cleared or restored in Scotland in 1970; and how this compares with 1969 and 1968.

I estimate that 29 schemes for the rehabilitation of about 450 acres will be completed during 1970. The comparable figures for 1969 and 1968 are 26 schemes for 542 acres and two schemes for 30 acres, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made on the eradication scheme for brucellosis; and if he will make a statement.

To the end of January, 3,936 applications had been received and 934 Scottish herds are now registered as accredited under the Brucellosis (Accredited Herds) Scheme. The herds at present in the scheme represent about 8·5 per cent. of the total herds and about 21·4 per cent. of the total eligible cattle in Scotland.Applications are coming in steadily and progress is being maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to prevent headmasters from determining the length of hair of their pupils.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number, whereabouts and progress of children in Government care in Scotland to the latest convenient date.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the report "Child Care in Scotland 1968" (Cmnd. 4069).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state his plans for the education and constructive training for good citizenship of persons in Her Majesty's prisons in Scotland and report on the number and trend of progress made by these plans.

The principles of good citizenship are fostered in our prisons by the influence and example of staff and by the provision of an ordered environment, steady employment and, for prisoners with longer sentences, a range of educational facilities. In order to inculcate the habit of meaningful work it is our aim, by using modern management and industrial techniques, to develop methods of working which approximate as closely as possible to those outside.The use of evening classes is being extended and prisoners are encouraged to discover new fields of vocational and other interests: there are at present over 50 evening classes per week with an average attendance of over 800 prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received this year from the nursing profession concerning salaries and pay structure.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is proposed to complete the restoration of Cargarff Castle; and whether he will make a statement.

Restoration should be largely completed in about two years' time, when it should be possible to admit the public to the Castle. The work which remains to be done includes providing parapet walls to the external staircase, laying a timber floor in the "Officer's room", laying the courtyard in cobbles and completing treatment of the external walls.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified dental technicians are working in general dental practices, in hospitals and in the school dental service; how many apprentices are registered; and if he is satisfied that sufficient people are being trained for such work in Scotland.

The number of dental technicians employed by general dental practitioners is not known; in hospitals there were 79 at 31st March, 1969 and in the school health service there are thought to be about 10. At the current session at the four centres offering training facilities to dental technicians there are 166 apprentices attending classes. I have no reason to believe that this is not sufficient; but the position is being kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce the results of the 1970 Agricultural Price Review.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 11th February to a supplementary question by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (Mr. Stodart).—[Vol. 795, c. 1242–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates will be the cost, including compensation, of widening Great Western Road, Glasgow, from Anniesland Cross to Byres Road, from Byres Road to Kelvin Bridge, and from Kelvin Bridge to St. George's Cross; when he estimates each section will be completed; and what is the cost of replacing the existing Kelvin Bridge.

Dual carriageways already exist from Anniesland Cross to Beaconsfield Road. Subject to my confirmation of the necessary Compulsory Purchase Order, widening of the section between Beaconsfield Road and Byres Road should be completed in the autumn of 1972. Glasgow Corporation's proposals to begin improvement of the remaining sections during the period 1971–74 are still being considered.The Corporation's present estimates of the cost of these works, including compensation, is as follows:

Scheme	Estimated cost (including compensation)
	£m.
Beaconsfield Road-Byres Road	1·50
Byres Road-St. George's Cross	1·35*
Improvement of junction at Anniesland Cross	0·80
* Includes £0·115m. for strengthening Kelvin Bridge.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement on his consideration of the Hunter Report on Fishing.

I cannot yet add to previous answers on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the fact that the liabilities of the Forestry Commission are £320 million in round figures for 1966–67, what is his estimate, assuming the existing planting programme, of the deficit for 1976–77; what rate of interest is charged on the deficit; and when he estimates that the account will balance.

Afforestation is a very long term investment which cannot produce a full return for perhaps half a century. The £320 million is not a deficit, as implied, but represents the capital employed (including accumulated interest) in the forestry enterprise. The estimated corresponding figure for 1976–77 is £794 million. The current rate of interest in the Forestry Commission's account is 9⅛ per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consideration of the Cullingworth Report on "Owner Occupation in Scotland and in England and Wales: A Comparative Study", a copy of which was sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

The issues raised in this document are all under consideration, some of them as part of the general review of housing finance which we are making.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the net income of farmers during the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

I have to date received thirty-two representations from a variety of sources. I have no statement to make while the Annual Review of the Agricultural Industry proceeds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce legislation to protect purchasers of new houses in the event of a builder going out of business before the houses have been completed.

Their main safeguard lies in having a proper contract with the builder, and I am not aware that further legislation is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the projected targets contained in the White Paper "The Scottish Economy—A Plan for Expansion", Command Paper No. 2864, have now been officially abandoned.

Almost all the principal objectives of the White Paper are being achieved on or ahead of schedule—higher productivity and higher earnings, record levels of industrial building and investment, reduced emigration, relatively lower levels of unemployment, a vast expansion of labour training and retraining and a sustained programme of infrastructure investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the secondary school population in the county of Midlothian is being educated in new or renovated school buildings; and what is the total cost involved.

I am asking the education authority to give my hon. Friend the available information. It is not kept centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is his policy to encourage the establishment of passenger transport authorities in Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgeton (Mr. James Bennett) on 5th February. I have no plans to establish Passenger Transport Authorities outside the Greater Glasgow Area.—[Vol. 795, c. 195–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has now had with local authorities on the Wheatley Report; and if he will make a statement.

None; but my noble Friend the Minister of State is to have discussions with the local authority associations next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of children in Scotland receiving part-time education for the most recent week for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in the same week last year, five years ago and 10 years ago, respectively.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur) on 22nd January. In March, 1965, 4,862 pupils were on part-time education.—[Vol. 794, c. 190–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average annual increase in the rents of tenant farms in each of the last 10 years; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT an analysis of changes in rent on tenanted full-time farms in that period.

In reply to the first part of his Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Eadie) on 4th February, 1970.Following are the figures for changes in rent on tenanted full-time farms in Scotland:

June/May			Percentage of farms with a rent change	Average percentage rent change on farms with a rent change
			Per cent.	Per cent.
1968–69	…	…	9	+40
1967–68	…	…	12	+42
1966–67	…	…	11	+61
1965–66	…	…	15	+61
1964–65	…	…	10	+64
1963–64	…	…	11	+72
1962–63	…	…	11	+64
1961–62	…	…	10	+79
1960–61	…	…	12	+61
1959–60	…	…	10	+58
				[Vol. 795, c. 141–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he now has for devolution of power in Scotland.

I would ask the hon. Lady to await the forthcoming White Paper on the reform of local government in Scotland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the doubt whether the Trade Descriptions Act applies to claims made in regard to various oral contraceptives; and whether he will initiate a study of the matter with a view to introducing clarifying legislation.

I am unaware of any such doubt, but I think that the matter is one to which other legislation may be more appropriate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now refer the question of the increase in book prices to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.

We do not consider a reference is called for at present but will continue to keep a careful watch on the situation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has caused the oil pollution off the east coast of Scotland.

Fishing vessels and Service aircraft on training flights in the area have been alerted. Air searches by Shackleton aircraft have been carried out and inquiries have been sent to other countries bordering the North Sea, but it has not been possible to discover the cause.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the assistance to be given by his regional officers to exporters.

My regional officers provide exporters with a convenient point of contact for the full range of export services offered by my Department. A major part of their work is gradually to build up close personal relationships with individual exporters so as to ensure that they have full access to our services.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) in how many cases his Department has on its own initiative, without request from shareholders, initiated investigations into the affairs of public companies; and with what results;(2) whether he will give for the longest convenient stated period of time the number of requests he has received under Section 165 of the Companies Act, 1948, for investigation into company affairs, the number of such requests which were

Year			Applications or cases noted	Inspectors appointed under			Appointments relating to		Cases in which appointments not made
				section 164	Section 165(a)(i)	section 165(b)	Public Companies	Private Companies
1958	…	…	64	2	—	1	1	2	61
1959	…	…	67	2	—	1	1	2	64
1960	…	…	72	—	—	14	13	1	58
1961	…	…	81	—	—	5	3	2	76
1962	…	…	88	1	—	10	3	8	77
1963	…	…	90	—	5	2	2	5	83
1964	…	…	121	—	2	12	7	7	107
1965	…	…	146	—	2	2	3	1	142
1966	…	…	150	1	—	13	3	11	136
1967	…	…	240	—	—	18	12	6	222
1968	…	…	338	1	1	14	—	16	322
1969	…	…	390	—	—	26	3	23	364

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the estimated cost of the Government's contribution to the Trades Fair to be held in Buenos Aires in November, 1970; how many British exporters have to date indicated to him their intention to participate in the Fair; and what is the total area of exhibition space so far requested;(2) if he will visit the British Trades Fair in Buenos Aires in November, 1970.

The figures of applications received by the Board of Trade under Section 165(b) of the Companies Act, 1948, are approximate because applicants often state imprecisely their complaints and the remedies which they seek. It would not be possible without a disproportionate expense of time and effort to distinguish separately cases which come to the attention of the Board otherwise than through complaints from creditors or shareholders. The following are approximate figures:

The Board of Trade's contribution to the British Industrial Exhibition in Buenos Aires in November, 1970, wll be about £160,000. So far 88 British companies, some of them comprising several firms, have booked over 69,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space. This is an important event, which my right hon. Friend intends to visit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of aldrin and diedrin are being exported from the United Kingdom.

None; these products are not manufactured in this country. Exports of preparations containing them are not separately distinguished in the trade statistics.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many letters of complaint he has received, and from whom, concerning the administration of the affairs of the Dollar Land Holdings; when these were received; and what action he took upon these before the formal request for a Board of Trade investigation was received by his Department on 10th February, 1970.

In the last 2 months letters of complaint have been received from or on behalf of 5 shareholders of Dollar Land Holdings Ltd. In general, they were informed that on the information available there appeared to be no justification for the appointment by the Board of Trade of an inspector under Section 165(b) of the Companies Act, 1948, to investigate the affairs of the company.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what date he received an application from the Directors of Dollar Land Holdings for an extension of time to lay the accounts of the company before its shareholders; what were the grounds for this delay; and whether he granted this permission and for what reasons.

An application on the grounds of delay in the certification of the accounts of a subsidiary company was received on 8th December, 1969. It was refused.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) why, in view of the fact that he had been notified that Dollar Land Holdings was contravening the Companies Act in that a man who was not qualified to be a director declared himself chairman of the company and issued a statement that he had signed a balance sheet knowing there was a £1 million deficit, he did not take action to enforce the Companies Act;(2) whether he is aware that the Dollar Land Holdings Company has for months contravened the Companies Act, in that it has no directors, no accounts have been published, meetings have been illegally called and held, persons purporting to be directors have issued false balance sheets; and whether he will ensure that these matters are taken into account in his consideration of the request for a formal investigation.

These and other relevant matters are being taken into account by the Board in considering whether to appoint inspectors to investigate the affairs of the company.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what calculations have been made by his Department about the effect on United Kingdom trade with the Commonwealth of abandoning Commonwealth Preference in exchange for a generalised system of non-reciprocal preferences now being discussed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

The abandonment of Commonwealth preference is not in question. We expect Commonwealth countries to be compensated in other markets for the extent to which they are called upon to share their present preferential advantages in the British market.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of expansion or contraction of trade with South Africa in 1970 as compared with 1969.

I prefer not to venture a forecast.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now withdraw the statement issued by his Department on or about 4th December, 1969, relating to the circumstances in which an Air Training Corps cadet, particulars of which have been sent to him, was injured while attending a training course at Royal Air Force Station, Scampton.

No. I regret that, for reasons which I have explained to the right hon. Gentleman, this telephoned statement was open to misinterpretation in one respect. A correction has been issued, The main substance of it, however, was correct and cannot be withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in the light of recent experiences, he will now cancel the proposed disbandment of Army units.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the additional cost of administration within the Armed Forces which will result from the military salary scheme.

No precise estimate can yet be made. There will be additional administrative costs in some areas and savings in others. The balance either way will be insignificant in relation to the benefit which the new system will confer upon the Armed Forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the total additional taxation payable by the Armed Forces as a result of the introduction of the military salary scheme.

I cannot anticipate the statement on the pay of the Armed Forces that I hope to make to the House shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the general nature of the work of the Orfordness Steering Committee; how many members it has; when it last met; with what regularity it meets; and whether it intends to publish reports.

There is no group entitled the Orfordness Steering Committee. There are, however, several commit- tees at official level which meet at frequent intervals to monitor the progress of the building project at Orfordness. It is not the practice of such committees to publish reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total manpower in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard at 31st January, 1970, in each of the following categories of staff, skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled and apprentices, and how many unfilled vacancies existed at the same date in each category.

The figures for 31st January, 1970, are not available in the time. However, the number of industrials employed in the Royal Naval Dockyard Portsmouth at 31st December, 1969, was 8,855 made up as follows:

Skilled	…	…	…	4,100
Semi-skilled	…	…	…	3,566
Unskilled	…	…	…	300
Apprentices	…	…	…	889
				8,855

Information on the number of vacancies is also not readily available and the situation can vary from week to week in this respect. There is however, a continuing requirement to recruit skilled men to replace wastage, and for up to 50 semi-skilled and unskilled men at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total strength of the manpower in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard on 31st January, 1970.

It is not possible to give this information for 31st January, 1970, in the time available. However, the total manpower strength of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth on 31st December, 1969, was 12,076 employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many trades unions are officially recognised in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.

In Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth, six unions make up the staff side of the non-industrial Whitley Committee and nine unions make up the employees side of the industrial Whitley Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates since 15th August, 1969, arms have been found in Northern Ireland by the forces.

It is not the practice to give this type of information.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reply he has had from the Chairman of the Independent Television Authority as a result of his inquiry concerning the showing of the Tyne-Tees film on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

As I informed the House on 11th February, I have been assured by the Independent Television Authority that the video tape and film are held in safe custody by Tyne-Tees Television. Their future is now under discussion between I.T.A. and Tyne-Tees Television.—[Vol. 795, c. 349.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish his calculations of the approximate annual financial benefits which have flowed to Commonwealth countries as a result of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement during the postwar period.

Such calculations cannot be made because it is impossible to say how much sugar Commonwealth countries would have exported in the absence of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement or at what prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the future of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, with particular reference to its impact upon developing countries.

The Commonwealth Sugar Agreement will be reviewed by the parties to it next year, under the provision made in the Agreement for triennial review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many members of his Department have visited the new Paris food market at Rungis to study marketing methods.

Two members of the Department made a short visit to Rungis in June, 1969 to see the horticultural section of the newly opened Paris wholesale markets in operation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, before making grants to the statutory authority, he will satisfy himself that Vauxhall Bridge and its adjacent roads will be able to carry the extra traffic entering the new Nine Elms horticultural market.

Before making grants to the Covent Garden Market Authority in respect of major construction of their Nine Elms Market, my right hon. Friend will require to know that the planning and highway authorities accept the Authority's plans. I understand it is hoped to start construction on stage one of the Vauxhall Cross improvement scheme at the southern approach to Vauxhall Bridge in 1970–71. The needs of the future market have been taken into account in its design.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what application he has received to enlarge and resite Brentford Market; and if he will consider an application for change of site in the light of the Nine Elms proposals.

My right hon. Friend has not yet received a formal application for grant from the London Borough of Hounslow for the reciting of the Brentford wholesale horticultural market but they have kept the Department in touch with their proposals and have been told that a new market would in principle be eligible for grant.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the anticipated price per square foot to market tenants in the new Covent Garden market resited at Nine Elms.

I understand that in approaching tenants last year to state their requirements for space in the fruit and vegetable market at Nine Elms the Covent Garden Market Authority indicated that they would need to charge rent of about 40 shillings per square foot based on construction costs and interest rates then current. However the final rent to be charged will not be known until work on the market is nearing completion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the value of imported and home-grown horticultural produce sold in each of the last four years for which figures are available in Covent Garden, Spitalfields, Brentford, the Borough, Stratford, and Greenwich horticultural markets.

The Department does not collect this information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, under the prices and incomes policy, he will ascertain and publish a table showing the price per square foot to market tenants in all leading horticultural markets that have been rebuilt since 1948, specifying those which are municipal, private, co-operative or other, respectively.

We are not persuaded that it would be worthwhile to collect and publish this information in respect of markets rebuilt in different areas at different times and to different standards.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the retail cost per pound, at current prices, of first quality pork undercut or fillet.

No figures are available of the current prices of either pork undercut or fillet; figures are available for loin of pork, the latest being the average price for December 1969 which was 6s. 6d. per lb. according to information from the General Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the retail cost per pound, at current prices, of rump and fillet steak, respectively.

The average price of home-killed rump steak on 16th December, 1969, the latest date for which prices are available, was 10s. 9d. per lb., according to information from the General Index of Retail Prices, which is collected by the Department of Employment and Productivity from about 900 retailers in 200 areas in the United Kingdom. Prices are not collected for fillet steak.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from which cities or rural areas the figures quoted in the tables in the section of the White Paper, Command Paper No. 4289, Britain and the European Communities, an Economic Assessment, agriculture and food, were taken; and with which cities or rural areas in the United Kingdom printed for comparison in the tables they were compared.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Table 7, which quotes retail prices of main foodstuffs for October, 1969. For the E.E.C. countries the figures are taken from official national publications giving average prices collected from about 300 places within the Community. For the United Kingdom they are averages of prices collected for the purpose of the Index of Retail Prices from between 500 and 1,000 retailers in 200 areas, and published in the "Department of Employment and Productivity Gazette".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the increased cost to the Northern Ireland agricultural industry of recent increases in road and sea freight rates.

The increases in freight rates recorded since the 1969 Annual Review are estimated to add about £7¼ million to agricultural costs in a full year for the United Kingdom as a whole. Agriculture in Northern Ireland has been affected by these increases but separate estimates of the extra costs for Northern Ireland alone are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the amount and cost of overdrafts to the Northern Ireland agricultural industry during 1968.

I understand from the Minister of Agriculture for Northern Ireland that in 1968 bank lending to agriculture and fishing in Northern Ireland varied between £17·6 million and £18·8 million. Interest is estimated at about £1·6 million without allowing for reductions for tax relief.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the amount of increased costs borne by Northern Ireland farmers since October, 1964.

Estimates of the total cost changes of agriculture for the United Kingdom as a whole are published in each Annual Review White Paper. These include cost changes in Northern Ireland but separate estimates are not available.

asked the Minister of Technology what is the total sum nationally and regionally, respectively, for refunds of development district grants; and how much of that sum remains to be repaid.

Payment of investment grants began in the financial year 1967–68; refunds in 1968–69 amounted to £1·8 million, £11,500 remains to be repaid on refunds sought during this period. Refunds of grants under the Local Employment Acts between April, 1964 and March, 1969 totalled £0·4 million. £0·2 million remains to be repaid. A regional breakdown of these figures is not available.

asked the Minister of Technology how many new industrial units have come to the county of Midlothian since 1947; and how many of these arrived between 1966 and 1969.

Since 1st January, 1947, 46 industrial units which now employ over 5,400 people have been established in the county of Midlothian. Of these, 28 now employing nearly 1,800 set up between 1st January, 1966 and 31st December, 1969.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange for the construction of a motorway from Stirling to Newhaven avoiding the centre of London.

I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that by 1973 motorways or dual carriageway all-purpose trunk roads will be available from Stirling to the border at Gretna. Continuous dual carriageway connections, mainly motorway, are already in existence, under construction or planned from Gretna to within a few miles of Newhaven avoiding the centre of London. Of these routes, some 290 miles are already in use and a further 104 miles are under construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the amount of regional employment premium paid to Scottish industry up to the most convenient date.

About £82 million between 4th September, 1967, and 31st December, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many industrial training centres were opened in Scotland in the years 1966, 1967, 1968 and up to the most convenient date.

Two Government training centres were opened during this period, one at Edinburgh in 1967 and the other at Bellshill (Lanarkshire) in 1968. Another centre is to be opened at Dundee early in 1971. This will bring the number of such centres in Scotland to 10. In addition, the following training centres separate from firms' premises have been set up in Scotland by or under the sponsorship of the Industrial Training Boards:

1966	…	…	…	…	5
1967	…	…	…	…	4
1968	…	…	…	…	7
1969	…	…	…	…	3

These figures do not include new group training schemes using technical college facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will list the exchanges and give details of the computer hardware involved in the experimental use of electronic communications systems by her Department.

Equipment for punching information relating to unemployment benefit into paper tape and for its transmission by land-line is in use at the employment exchanges in Reading, and in the London area, at Bermondsey, Camberwell, Deptford, Stepney, Wembley and Willesden.The equipment is used in conjunction with two I.C.L. 1900 series computers of the Department of Health and Social Security at Reading, on which benefits are calculated and payment cheques prepared.By the end of the year about 20 more employment exchanges in the London area will be similarly equipped and operating in this system.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain to what extent the immigration of labour into Great Britain from the countries of the Six on Great Britain entering the Common Market will affect industrial relations, due to language and other problems, in such industries as coalmining, electricity, gas, water and engineering; and whether she will now arrange to discuss these problems with the Trades Union Congress.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister said on 8th May, 1967, that the Government do not believe that there is likely to be any large net increase in the number of E.E.C. nationals coming here to work. I do not consider an investigation is necessary into the problems my hon. Friend refers to, but I will consider at the appropriate time the question of discussions with the Trade Union Congress.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the relationship between movements in stock and the level of imports; and what saving to the balance of trade on an annual basis is made by a fall of 1 per cent. in the rate of stock accumulation.

The relationship between changes in stocks and imports depends heavily on the composition of the change in stocks. Given a fall in the amount of stock accumulation a reasonable expectation of the direct saving in the balance of trade might be between a fifth and a third of the amount of the fall.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the purchasing power of the £1 sterling on 1st February, 1958, 1963, 1967 and 1970, respectively.

Taking the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling as 20s. 0d. in February, 1958, its estimated values in February, 1963, February, 1967, and December, 1969, were 17s. 10d., 15s. 7d. and 13s. 10d. respectively. December, 1969, is the latest month for which information is available.These estimates are based on movements in the consumer price index for calendar years, adjusted to values for particular months by the index of retail prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government contracts have been placed in a development area as a matter of policy in the years 1966, 1967 and 1968; and how many were placed with firms in these areas as a result of special procedures being adopted by the purchasing department.