asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what percentage of first-class post is now being delivered the following day.

The Post Office's most recent Annual Report gave a figure of about 93 per cent.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how much the Post Office spent in advertising during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

This is a matter for the Post Office, whose most recent Report and Accounts showed that in the year end 31st March, 1970, £4,043,000 was spent on publicity, of which £760,000 was devoted to recruitment.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether, in his examination of the Giro, he will investigate the cost of publication of the magazine "Giro-scope".

I will consider all relevant matters.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will invite complainants about British Broadcasting Corporation services to write direct to him rather than to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

No. The Governors of the B.B.C. are responsible for the day-to-day conduct of their affairs and it is right that complaints about their services should be addressed to them.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will seek assurances from the Independent Television Authority that no change in shareholdings in London Weekend Television has recently taken place which may enable the Authority to take action under Section 11(4) of the Television Act, 1964.

The I.T.A. tells me that, after careful consideration, it decided not to take action under the Section.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will give a general direction to the Post Office Board that it should conduct an inquiry and publish a report on the saving in staff costs which would result from the use of roadside domestic post boxes and the extent to which an increase in postmen's wages could be granted without any increase in costs.

No. These are Post Office management matters for which a direction would not be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether, as a means of assisting in resolving the industrial dispute in the Post Office and to make more money available to pay salaries to the lower paid workers, he will give a general direction to the Post Office Board to make cuts in the numbers of their higher paid administrative staff and in their salaries and to publish details giving the numbers of staff in administrative situations with salaries of £1,000 per annum or more four years ago and for each year to date and the total cost of salaries in each calendar year.

No.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will exercise his power under Section 11(2) of the Post Office Act, 1969, and draw to the attention of the Post Office the failure of the postal services following the breakdown of industrial relations and given general directions for the improvement of industrial relations in order to restore the service in the national interest.

No.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what steps he has taken to assess the cost to Post Office funds of the postal strike; how the Corporation are to finance this; and whether he will make a statement on his conversations with the Chairman and his Board colleagues on special financial arrangements now required to keep the Post Office solvent.

These are matters for the Post Office in the first instance. I have had no conversations with any member of the Post Office about special financial arrangements.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what, at the latest date for which figures are available, are the average weekly earnings of a telegraphist, a Post Office counter clerk, and a postman, respectively.

This is a matter for the Post Office, which tells me, however, that the latest date at which figures for all these grades are available is April, 1970, and that the figures are:

Telegraphists	£22	10s.	0d.
Counter Clerks (Postal and Telegraph Officers)	£27	19s.	0d.
Postmen	£25	3s.	8d.
Postmen, Higher grade	£33	7s.	6d.

In the case of postmen only there are later figures of £26 4s. 0d. for postmen and £32 8s. 0d. for postmen, higher grade, relating to October, 1970.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what target percentage return on capital or turnover has been set for posts and telecommunications, respectively, in 1971; and how these targets were calculated.

The current objectives of 2 per cent. on total expenditure and 10 per cent. on net assets for posts and telecommunications respectively were fixed originally by the last Government in agreement with the Post Office. Within general guidelines laid down by successive Governments, financial objectives are chosen to reflect the circumstances, needs and capabilities of the industries concerned.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will now make a further statement on commercial radio supported by advertising revenue.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Molloy) and others.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications if he will issue a general direction to the Post Office Board to reduce delays in the opening of new telephone exchanges.

A general direction would serve no purpose. The Post Office does all it can to reduce these delays.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will issue a general direction to the Post Office Board, in the national interest, to maintain a parcel delivery service and a postal delivery service on Saturdays when the postal dispute is ended.

No.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will give a general direction to the Post Office to take immediate action to secure that the private manufacturers meet their delivery dates for telecommunication equipment in order to improve the Post Office's ability to pay wages comparable to those earned in the private sector.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mrs. Sally Oppenheim) on 23rd November, 1970.—[Vol. 807, c. 17.]

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will give a general direction to the Post Office to increase the telephone calling rate in order to increase the revenue of the Post Office.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make a further statement on the situation in Anguilla.

I have just returned from a tour of the Caribbean, during which I was able to have further discussions with the St. Kitts Government and the Anguilla Council. We are continuing the search for a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the progress of negotiations to join the Common Market.

I have nothing to add at present to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 4th February.—[Vol. 810, c. 1936–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what transitional, and long-term, safeguards for the Commonwealth, in case of United Kingdom entry into the European Economic Community, have now been agreed; and what are the Government's proposals to preserve for Great Britain and extend to the enlarged Community preferential outlets in the overseas Commonwealth, in return for outlets in the enlarged Community for the overseas Commonwealth.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy has already informed the House in his various statements of the arrangements made for dependent territories and independent Commonwealth countries in Africa and Asia. Other problems, notably those of New Zealand, developing Commonwealth sugar producers and association for independent Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans, still remain.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom has representatives on the advisory committee on the provision of hearing aids within the Common Market; what studies are being made on the harmonisation of laws in this regard; what assessment has been made on the impact on British exports of hearing aids if both Great Britain and Denmark join the Common Market; and if he will make a statement.

I have no knowledge of such a committee. The Community has taken no steps towards the harmonisation of laws on hearing aids. At this stage it is not possible to be specific about the prospects in the European Economic Community for individual industries. These will depend in the short term on the negotiations on transitional periods and on the response of industry to the generally wider opportunities offered by membership of the European Economic Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the proposals made by the French representative at the Brussels negotiations on Friday, 5th February, 1971 regarding New Zealand's guaranteed butter exports; what these proposals were; what was the reaction of the Dutch to these proposals; what alternatives the British negotiators put forward; and with what results.

There were no meetings between Community representatives and the United Kingdom on 5th February at which the subject of New Zealand was discussed, nor have the Community yet put to us at any meeting any proposals to deal with the problems of New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will seek to raise at the United Nations the threat to world peace arising from guerilla and revolutionary operations against the territories of sovereign States from bases in, and with facilities granted by, neighbouring States or other states with which they are not in a state of war.

No. It is the view of Her Majesty's Government that it is for the State that feels threatened by any such operations to decide whether or not to raise the matter at the United Nations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take up with the relevant agencies of the United Nations the proposal to replace opium in the producing countries concerned by alternative cash crops.

The relevant United Nations agencies, principally the Narcotic Drugs Commission, International Narcotics Control Board and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, have, in response to a 1968 United Nations General Assembly Resolution, been developing plans for the termination of illegal and uncontrolled production of narcotic raw materials. The importance of crop substitution is well established as an essential part of the international effort to combat drug abuse.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received from the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees regarding the refugee settlements of Nakapiripiri and Agago in Uganda; what are the numbers of Southern Sudanese there; and when these were last visited on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

The latest information from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees indicates that the 9,000 Southern Sudanese refugees at Nakapiripirit and the 8,500 at Agago are in reasonably good health. With the agreement of the Government of Uganda, Mr. Randall, the then United Kingdom Representative on the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commis- sioner for Refugees, visited both settlements in July 1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement concerning the present situation with regard to the kidnapping of the British Ambassador to Uruguay.

A communiqué of 13th February believed to be from the kidnappers repeated that Mr. Jackson was well, but otherwise I regret that there has been no further news of him since that given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Redmond) on 2nd February.—[Vol. 810, c. 356–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government first concluded that they were legally obliged to supply not more than 11 helicopters to the South African Government pursuant to the Simonstown Agreement.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the White Paper which sets out the extent of Her Majesty's Government's legal obligations. It is not possible to tie down any particular conclusion to a specific point in time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a progress report on negotiations with Jamaica and the Windward Islands on the future arrangements for the banana trade.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. John Fraser) of 8th February.—[Vol. 810, c. 36.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what precautions are taken to ensure that mail carried for a firm in Epsom in Foreign Office diplomatic bags is not infringing the customs regulations of foreign countries.

Letters are accepted from private firms for carriage by Diplomatic Bag only subject among other conditions to the examination of their content.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what moneys have been paid to the Post Office in cases where mail for private firms is carried in Foreign Office diplomatic bags.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will suspend the facility whereby private companies convey their correspondence via Foreign Office diplomatic bags during the period of the Post Office industrial dispute.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications he has received from private companies to use the facility of Foreign Office diplomatic bags to carry mail overseas.

It has not been the practice to keep a record of the number of applications received for this facility, but they are granted only most exceptionally.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he held, and with whom, prior to granting facilities to a private firm of management consultants in Epsom for the carrying of that company's correspondence in Foreign Office diplomatic bags; if he is satisfied that such facilities do not infringe the Post Office's monopoly in regard to the carrying of mail; and if he will make a statement.

As I told the hon. Member in my answer on 8th February, no new facilities have been afforded and long-standing instructions exist to govern the use of the Diplomatic Bag. No consultation was therefore necessary. I am satisfied that there is no infringement of the Post Office monopoly.—[Vol. 811, c. 35.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what charge is made by the Foreign Office for the facility enjoyed by a firm of management consultants of Epsom, whereby that private company's correspondence is transmitted by Foreign Office diplomatic bags.

No charge has been made. Since I replied to the hon. Member's Question on 8th February, I now understand that two letters from this firm have in fact been accepted since 20th January for transmission by Diplomatic Bag at an estimated cost of three new pence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has made, or is proposing to make, to Commonwealth countries to induce them to restrain attempts by their citizens to enter the United Kingdom illegally.

Consultation and collaboration with the Commonwealth countries concerned about the problem of illegal immigration is continuous and close. No proposals such as suggested have therefore been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he has co-ordinated or proposes to co-ordinate with the governments of European countries through which Commonwealth citizens pass in their attempts to enter the United Kingdom illegally, to prevent such attempts.

We are in continuous touch with the Governments of the countries concerned and there is close and growing liaison between their police forces and ours.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the Government's plans to assist developing countries in the development of labour-intensive technology.

The resources of the scientific and research units of the Overseas Development Administration are available to help with particular problems and have dealt with a number of enquiries from developing countries. The Overseas Development Administration have also made a number of grants to universities and other bodies, including the Intermediate Technology Development Group, to foster the development of technologies appropriate for employment in developing countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which recipient countries he has had consultations concerning methods by which British aid could increase employment in the developing countries.

This question is invariably a feature of our discussions with developing countries about British aid programmes. We have also tried to increase awareness of the need to create employment opportunities and the problems associated with it by means such as support for the 1970 Cambridge Conference on Employment and training courses at the Institute of Development Studies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to review the effectiveness of British aid in terms of increasing the prospects of employment in developing countries; and whether he will make a statement.

While the problem of creating employment opportunities is primarily one for the developing countries themselves, special account is taken of the possibility of creating productive employment in considering all projects submitted for financial assistance from the British aid programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table corresponding to table 7, page 16, in Command Paper No. 4289, Britain and the European Community, February 1970, updated from October, 1969 to October, 1970.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Ham, South (Mr. Oram) on 2nd December by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.—[Vol. 807, c. 418–20.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a progress report on the extent of co-ordination of official aid and private investment; whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the number of requests which have been received from private investors or other bodies for official aid to be co-ordinated with private investment; and how many of these requests were for co-ordination with their own private investment.

The Government are considering generally means of encouraging private investment in developing countries. One step already taken has been to advise the Confederation of British Industry that the Overseas Development Administration is prepared, at the request of a host Government, to consider providing capital assistance for basic infrastructure associated with particular private investment projects.No requests have yet been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the extent to which official aid co-ordinated with private investment will be tied to British goods and services.

The existing rules and procedures for the tying of British aid will also apply to this use of aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the policy of the Government to co-ordinate all bilateral official aid with private investment.

No. Both have an important and often complementary part to play in economic development, but private investment decisions are for the investor.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, country by country, the number of instances in which the co-ordination of official aid with private investment is at the request of the recipient country.

Much of the capital aid we provide for infrastructure projects helps the private sector, but I could not list the cases in which the Governments of developing countries have co-ordinated their requests for aid with particular plans for private investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries the Government plans to concentrate the major part of official aid which is co-ordinated with private investment.

No such concentration is planned. The Government will consider on their merits proposals for the association of official aid with private investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the priority areas for increased expenditure as the overseas aid programme expands.

We continue to give priority to the reasonable needs of the remaining Dependencies and to technical assistance. Multilateral aid is being increased, mainly through the Third I.D.A. Replenishment and more funds will be made available to the Commonwealth Development Corporation, which is proposing to invest in some countries outside the Commonwealth. Commonwealth countries will continue to attract the bulk of our bilateral aid, but we intend to build up more programmes in foreign countries, including both South-East Asia and Latin America. We have undertaken fresh pension obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the per capita expenditure of the Welsh Regional Hospital Board; what were the corresponding figures for 1960 and 1955; what were the corresponding figures for Wessex, and Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

The per capita revenue expenditure of the Welsh Hospital Board for 1969–70, 1959–60 and 1954–55 was £15·8, £7·8 and £5·2 respectively. I understand that the corresponding figures for Liverpool are £15·9, £7·8 and £5·4 and for Wessex, which did not exist in 1955, £14·9 and £8·0.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of the mobile mass radiography units in Wales.

I am not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been allocated to welfare foods expenditure in Wales in 1970–71 to 1974–75 out of the total stated on page 37 of the White Paper, Command Paper No. 4578; and how the figures differ from those envisaged in Command Paper No. 4234.

The figures are as follows:

£ million
		1970–71	1971–72	1972–73
Cmnd. 4578	…	1·9	0·8	0·5
Cmnd. 4234	…	1·9	1·9

As stated in paragraph 2 on page 38 of Cmnd. 4578, detailed allocations of expenditure to particular services have not yet been made for 1973–74 or 1974–75. The previous Administration's White Paper (Cmnd. 4234) did not include comparable figures beyond 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been allocated to capital and current expenditure, respectively, on community health and welfare services in Wales from 1970–71 to 1972–73 out of the total provided on page 37 of the White Paper on Public Expenditure, Command Paper No. 4578; and how the figures differ from those envisaged in Command Paper No. 4234.

The figures are as follows:

£ million
	1970–71	1971–72	1972–73
Cmnd. 4578:
Capital	2·1	2·7	3·0
Current	12·8	13·7	14·7
Cmnd. 4234:
Capital	1·8	2·3
Current	13·0	13·5

The previous Administration's White Paper (Cmnd. 4234) did not include comparable figures beyond 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce his decision on the application by Rio Tinto for permission to drill in the Snowdonia National Park.

I will announce my decision as soon as possible after I have received and considered my inspector's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been allocated to hospital capital and current expenditure, respectively, in Wales from 1970–71 to 1972–73 out of the total on page 37 of the White Paper on Public Expenditure, Command Paper No. 4578; and how these figures differ from those envisaged in Command Paper No. 4234.

The figures are as follows:

£ million
	1970–71	1971–72	1972–73
Cmnd. 4578:
Capital	8·5	7·0	6·8
Current	53·9	57·4	59·2
Cmnd. 4234:
Capital	8·1	6·5
Current	51·0	54·0

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria he will lay down in regulations on suitable accommodation and facilities for children to take their sandwich lunches in schools.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and I do not propose to make regulations for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to reopen pits closed for economic reasons which are now likely to be economic in view of the anticipated increase in the cost of imported fuels.

No. This is a matter for the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of Australia's exports came to Great Britain in 1939, 1958 and 1970.

56 per cent., 30 per cent. and—in the 12 months ended October, 1970–11 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will tabulate details of the Government Research and Support Contracts to the estimated value of £4·4 million in the current year, indicating the main categories under which this expenditure is analysed, and how the percentage incurred in each has changed over the past five years.

Yes. The information requested is as follows:

EXPENDITURE ON INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT AND RESEARCH CONTRACTS
The main categories, under which expenditure is analysed during the current year, to the estimated value of £4·4 million are as follows:—
		£ million (net)
	Estimate (Original)	Estimate (Revised by Supplementaries)
Industrial Support and Research Contracts with Industry	3·0	2·1
Research work by universities and other research bodies	1·0	0·9
Research and advisory work—grants and fees to outside organisations	0·4	0·1
	4·4	3·1

The percentage of the total for each category in the past few* years is as follows:—
1967–68	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71
Outturn	Outturn	Outturn	Estimate
70	67	64	68
30	33	36	29
—	neglible	neglible	3

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table comparing the discounted value to industry of the old and new investment incentives, as a percentage of the cost of the investment, separating ordinary and development areas and distinguishing between new plant and machinery, secondhand plant and machinery, and industrial buildings, assuming a one-year delay in payment of grants and tax, sufficient profits to claim all allowances, a 10-year life for plant and machinery, a 10 per cent. discount rate and a 15 per cent. initial allowance for industrial buildings in non-development areas.

Yes. The information is immediately available on slightly different assumptions which I hope will be satisfactory to the hon. Member and it is contained in the following table. I must add, however, that the table alone will not be a fully adequate basis for comparison since the question ignores, e.g. the benefit of the cut in Corporation Tax and much of the improved LEA assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he now expects the Dungeness B nuclear station to come into operation; what will be the total capital cost and what will be the cost per unit sent out; and how these figures compare with the original estimates.

The provision of detailed information about individual power stations is a matter of day-to-day management which, under the Electricity Acts, is the responsibility of the C.E.G.B. I am, therefore, asking the Chairman of the Board to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the terms of reference for the Roskill Commission in view of the Commission's failure to publish them with its Report.

The first paragraph of the Report states that the terms of reference were published in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 20th May, 1968, c. 32–9.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will undertake a survey during the present salmon fishing season to examine a sample of the fish caught in British rivers to ascertain the level of industrial effluent contamination, particularly methyl-mercury pollution, in these fish; and if he will publish his findings.

Salmon are included among the fish being analysed for mercury and certain other substances by my Department's Fisheries Laboratory under the monitoring scheme which my right hon. Friend announced on 19th January. The first report on the results of the monitoring arrangements should be published by the autumn.—[Vol. 809, c. 712–14.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list all known subsidies on fuel oil or other materials made within the Common Market by member Governments to horticultural growers.

It would be both difficult and time-consuming to obtain the comprehensive information asked for by my hon. Friend. But it is known that individual member States provide support to their horticultural industries by various means, for example, by tax concessions on fuel-oils. I also understand that the Dutch Government provide interest-free loans to growers in some areas towards fuel-oil costs above a basic figure pending the availability of cheap natural gas in those areas.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to decide on the arrangements for support buying of pigs and pigmeat in the event of the United Kingdom entering the European Economic Community.

This must depend upon the progress of the negotiations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that it represents some 26 per cent. of the total wine trade of this country, what is his estimate of the effect on the British wine industry of Great Britain joining the European Economic Community.

This involves an assessment of demand for British wine in changing circumstances and is primarily a matter for the industry, but we are in consultation with it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the event of Great Britain joining the Euro- pean Economic Community and admitting cattle and fresh meat into Great Britain from Community countries without hindrance, what estimate he has made of the increased work which would fall on his Inspectorate if Great Britain were to exercise her rights under Article 36 in order to keep Great Britain free from foot-and-mouth disease.

The question of how any import inspectorate is operated if we join the European Economic Community will depend on the outcome of the discussions to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Trew) on 5th February, 1971. I should not at this stage try to anticipate the results of these discussions.—[Vol. 810, c. 465.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest information available to his Department on toxic residues in prawns and lobsters in United Kingdom waters.

Prawns and lobsters are included in the samples being analysed by my Department as part of the scheme for monitoring fish and other foods for mercury and for checking on the presence of certain heavy metals which I announced on 19th January. I do not propose to give results in advance of the first report on the monitoring scheme which should be published by the autumn. However, if in the meantime the scheme revealed cause for concern I would bring this to the attention of my expert advisers and announce the action I was taking to protect the consumer.—[Vol. 809, c. 712–14.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the milk production of the counties of Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton and Derby for the year ended June, 1969, and the year ended June, 1970; and what were the beef cow and beef cattle numbers for the years ended on the same two dates.

Estimated sales through the Milk Marketing Scheme, and

					Year ended 30th June, 1969 (million gallons)	Year ended 30th June, 1970 (million gallons)
Leicester	…	…	…	…	35·08	35·42
Nottingham	…	…	…	…	20·77	20·03
Northamapton	…	…	…	…	17·55	17·86
Derby	…	…	…	…	67·69	68·89

					Beef Cows		Beef Cattle*
					June, 1969	June, 1970	June, 1969	June, 1970
Leicester	…	…	…	…	5,383	5,378	112,013	107,279
Nottingham	…	…	…	…	4,826	4,879	64,740	63,460
Northampton	…	…	…	…	4,811	4,895	92,122	92,115
Derby	…	…	…	…	10,446	11,364	109,308	106,155
* Includes animals intended as replacements for either beef or dairy herds.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the New Zealand butter quota were diminished by 1 per cent., 2 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively, of butter sold in the United Kingdom and these figures were allocated to the British dairy farmer, by how much would the returns then available to the home producer increase.

If the New Zealand butter quota were reduced by 1 per cent., 2 per cent. or 3 per cent. of the total amount of butter estimated to be sold in the United Kingdom in the quota year 1970–71 and if United Kingdom milk production rose sufficiently to provide butter in replacement, the United Kingdom Milk Marketing Boards would increase their total income at the current price of milk sold for butter by £1·9 million, £3·8 million and £5·7 million respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that all manufacturers are conforming to the public health requirements in dating frozen and prepacked foods; and whether he will consider introducing legislation to compel manufacturers to agree to a common code.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) on 8th February.—[Vol. 811, c. 61.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he is satisfied that the security forces are adequately protected against the civil population in Belfast, in view of the 69,000 firearms registered there; and if he will make a statement.

Troops undertaking security duties in Northern Ireland are provided with a range of protective devices, but possible improvements are always under study.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if a detached flight of No. 22 Squadron, No. 18 (Maritime) Group, Royal Air Force Strike Command will be stationed at Royal Naval Air Station, Brawdy, to provide helicopter air-sea rescue facilities for the Jaguar Operational Conversion Unit and for the Bristol Channel area generally when Royal Air Force, Chivenor, closes as a flying station in 1972–73.

We plan to deploy Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters in support of the Jaguar Operational Conversion Unit when the latter is established at Brawdy. The precise date of these deployments cannot yet be settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 155 persons of 65 years and over, whose deaths in 1969 were attributable to excessive cold, hunger, thirst and neglect in which hypothermia was a contributory or underlying cause, were in receipt of a supplementary pension; and of these, how many were receiving discretionary additions because of their special need for extra heating.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a complete list of the benefits and services provided to individuals by Government Departments and by local authorities under statutory authority, which are subjected to a means test; and if he will state, in each case, the income limits involved.

For the first part of this Question I would refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's answer to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Mr. Armstrong) on 19th November, 1970, which lists the main national statutory assessments. For other means-tested benefits administered by local authorities at discretion there is considerable variation in availability and practice. The income limits in an individual case will depend on a number of variable factors such as the number of children, housing costs and other expenses; and in some cases there is a scale of reduced levels of entitlement after the maximum qualifying level for the maximum payment of benefit has been reached.—[Vol. 806, c. 482–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost to public funds of providing cheap welfare milk in the last year for which figures are available.

About £26½ million—England—in 1969–70 at the prices then ruling.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the estimated annual savings to public funds of discontinuing the provision of cheap welfare milk to certain families after 4th April, 1971.

About £31 million—England—in a full year at 1971–72 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people in the United Kingdom suffering from asthmatic and bronchial conditions;(2) whether the incidence of bronchial and asthmatic complaints varies depending on geographical location, or living conditions of sufferers; and what studies have been made by or under the auspices of his Department.

Comprehensive figures for the incidence of bronchitis and asthma are not available. The mortality attributed (as the main cause) to these two diseases varies between the sexes, between the countries, between regions, between social classes and between town and country. In addition cigarette smoking has been shown to play a dominant part in the causation of chronic bronchitis. The mortality figures for 1969 are shown in the table below. For social classes the latest available figures are for 1959–63 and are shown as standardised ratios—100 being the average—for comparison between classes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recompense is made to members of the public in receipt of social security payments paid by Giro order when these Giro orders are cashed by an unauthorised person and the money stolen.

Each case is considered on its merits. I have looked into the circumstances of the case about which the hon. Member has been in correspondence with the Oldham office, and the replacement of the Giro order concerned has now been authorised. I am grateful to the hon. Member for bringing the case to my attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of the population of Oldham is of pensionable age; and what is the national percentage.

The Registrar General estimates that at mid-1970 about 17 per cent. of the population of Oldham were of pensionable age, compared with 16 per cent. over England and Wales as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the social security benefits to which strikers and their dependants are entitled, specifying which benefits may be claimed by those currently on strike from the Post Office, and Ford's, respectively.

The entitlement to social security benefits of persons involved in trade disputes, including Post Office and Ford's workers, is the same as that for any other person who is out of work, save that (1) unemployment benefit is not payable to any person falling within the disqualification contained in Section 22 of the National Insurance Act, 1965, and (2) a person who falls within the disqualification in Section 10 of the Ministry of Social Security Act, 1966, is not entitled to supplementary benefit for himself but only for his dependants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he proposes to take to ensure that proper facilities for treatment of children with cerebral palsy will be arranged in the Portsmouth area following the demolition of the Cerebral Palsy Unit at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Hants.

Hospital treatment will continue to be provided by the Queen Alexandra Hospital and other hospitals in the Portsmouth area. The Cerebral Palsy Unit provides non-residential education for young handicapped children and I understand that the continuation of this provision, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Science is under discussion between the local education authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if, in his Department's anti-smoking campaign, he will ensure that the fact that tobacco is a drug will be emphasised;(2) if in his Department's anti-tobacco smoking campaign he will ensure that the fact of the addictive nature of tobacco is emphasised.

The central responsibility for the promotion of health education, including the smoking and health campaign, in England and Wales lies with the Health Education Council. The Council currently regards the anti-smoking campaign as its main priority and is considering the size and scope of future activities in this field.Some of its material has included specific references to the aspects mentioned in the Questions, but the Council feels that the main emphasis of its campaigns should be to warn the public of the very real health hazards of smoking.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hostels were provided by local authorities for the mentally handicapped in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970, respectively.

End of the year figures for local authority hostels in use in England were 134, 156, 182, 206 and 224, respectively. A further 41 hostels are currently under construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent expenditure by local authorities on subsidising his services will be taken into account when assessing their general grant from central Government funds; and whether he will make an estimate of the percentage of such subsidies which will on the ratepayers.

If my hon. Friend is referring to the subsidies local authorities may give in support of rural bus services under Section 34 of the Transport Act, 1968, the whole of such authorities' expenditure is reckonable for rate support grant. Broadly, therefore, only 34 per cent. of the expenditure falls to be borne by the ratepayers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, taking the figures of population at 1951 as a basis of 100,

PLANNING REGION POPULATIONS, INDEX FIGURES (1951=100), SCOTLAND 1951–69
Planning Region				1951	1961	1966	1967	1968	1969
Glasgow	…	…	…	100	103	102	101	101	101
Falkirk/Stirling	…	…	…	100	105	113	115	117	119
Edinburgh	…	…	…	100	103	105	105	106	106
Tayside	…	…	…	100	101	100	99	100	99
Borders	…	…	…	100	95	92	92	92	91
South West	…	…	…	100	99	99	99	98	98
North East	…	…	…	100	98	97	97	97	97
Highlands	…	…	…	100	97	98	97	97	97
SCOTLAND	…	…	…	100	102	102	102	102	102

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, taking the estimated population at 30th June, 1965, as a basis of 100, he will provide index figures for males and females and in total, respectively, of the estimated population at the same date in each subsequent year of each of the planning regions of Scotland.

Estimates of the population by sex for areas within Scotland were not prepared until 1968, and index figures comparing 1968 with 1996, the only other year for which figures are available so far, would be of little significance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how the rise in the rates of pay of staff in mental hospitals compare with the rise in the cost of living index in the years, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971.

There are over 100 different rates of pay for staff in mental hospitals and no general comparisons can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will enumerate all the Departmental committees of inquiry or commissions coming under the responsibility of his Department and he will provide index figures for each subsequent year of the estimated populations of each of the planning regions of Scotland.

The figures are as follows: indicate the dates on which these were set up.