asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the reductions in staff arising from Command Paper No. 4564 will fall on the advisory services, and what proportion on the administrative services.

The total number of staff to be saved and the proportions in different grades will depend on a number of decisions still to be taken. In particular the implications of the new advisory objectives are being worked out in detail and the future of some of the regulatory work undertaken by the advisory services is still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the term of office expires of the four harbour commissioners appointed by him at Newlyn, Cornwall; and, in view of the unsatisfactory state of industrial relations there, if he will consider inviting interested bodies to submit the names of suitable nominees.

The terms expire on different dates, at which I bear in mind all possibilities, including re-appointment, but as I explained in my reply of 29th March to the hon. Member my appointments are not made on the nomination of any other body.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will specify for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his Department, or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

The prices and charges for which my right hon. Friend has the responsibility are kept under constant review.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will specify for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his Department, or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

With few exceptions the Ministry of Defence does not supply goods or services to non-Exchequer customers except incidentally to its main tasks and where there is some defence benefit in doing so. Special conditions apply to the sale of defence equipment to other Governments and to the disposal of surplus stores, which is normally carried out by auction or tender. In other cases the prices charged are designed to recover the full cost incurred by the Department, or in certain circumstances the extra costs. The prices are periodically reviewed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will specify for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his Department or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

The prices and charges for which my right hon. Friend has the responsibility are kept under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the former employees of Blanford Gee Cementation Company Limited who were made redundant from Rufford Colliery in March, 1970, have not received any redundancy pay: and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the former employees of Blanford Gee Cementation Company Limited who were made redundant from Clipstone Colliery, Nottinghamshire, in December, 1968, have not received any redundancy pay: and if he will make a statement.

The question of whether these men are entitled to redundancy payments has been in dispute and the subject of proceedings before an industrial tribunal and in the High Court. I understand that the Company is considering whether to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the High Court's decision. As the company is now in liquidation, if the final outcome is that redundancy payments are due, they will be made out of the Redundancy Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many males were unemployed in the construction industry in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in the month of January in each year from 1960 to 1971, inclusive, and in the month of June in each year from 1960 to 1970, inclusive;(2) what was the estimated number of males employed in the construction industry in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in each year from 1960 to 1970, inclusive;(3) what were the percentage rates of male unemployment in the construction industry in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in the month of January from 1960 to 1971, inclusive, and in the months of June from 1960 to 1970, inclusive.

Following is the information available:

NUMBERS OF MALES REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED, ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF MALE EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT AND RATES OF MALE UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE EDINBURGH TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREA.
	Registered unemployed	Employees in employment (000's)	Rate of unemployment Per cent.
January, 1971	2,779	—	15·3
June, 1970	1,903	—	10·5
January, 1970	2,490	—	13·7
June, 1969	1,341	17	7·4
January, 1969	1,676	—	9·2
June, 1968	1,151	23	4·7
January, 1968	1,327	—	5·5
June, 1967	760	23	3·2
January, 1967	994	—	4·2
June, 1966	431	23	1·9
January, 1966	903	—	3·7
June, 1965	565	21	2·6
June, 1964	551	21	2·5
June, 1963	888	19	4·5
June, 1962	689	19	3·6
June, 1961	454	19	2·4
June, 1960	753	18	3·9

The unemployment figures relate to the numbers of males registered as unemployed who last worked in the construction industry. Figures for January are available for each year back to 1966 but not for earlier years. Employment estimates for local areas are made for each mid-year and the latest are for June, 1969. The numbers of males registered as unemployed who last worked in construction have been expressed as percentages of the estimated numbers of male employees, employed and unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of men over 21 years of age in North Lanarkshire whose gross earnings are less than £15 per week.

I regret that analyses of weekly earnings are not available for counties and other areas smaller than the standard regions of Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of men of 21 years of age and over who are earning less than £15 gross in Scotland.

It is estimated from the New Earnings Survey that in April, 1970, there were about 49,000 full-time men aged 21 and over whose earnings were not affected by absence with gross weekly earnings of less than £15, excluding income in kind and tips but including the average weekly value of annual and other periodical bonus and commission payments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why, on the map accompanying a press release from his Department on 16th March, concerning the Huddersfield Ring Road, Southgate was shown as Northgate, New North Road was shown as New York Road, and Upperhead Row was shown as Upperhead Road; and if he will make a statement.

I apologise for these small inaccuracies in this announcement of a large grant onwards Huddersfield's Ring Road. They arose from human error.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what authority he has given to the Ordnance Survey to change the scale of its maps from traditional to metric measurement; what the cost of such a change would be; and whether he will leave a final decision until after the publication of the White Paper on Metrication.

The Ordnance Survey has used metric measurements for surveying for many years and the National Grid has been metric since about 1940. Following a Government decision in 1969 all Ordnance Survey maps at scales of 1:10,000—approximately six inches to one mile—and larger are now being produced in metric form. Only in one case, the 1:10,000 series, has the scale been changed. The cost of metrication cannot be isolated from the cost of other changes which are being made in design and method. The Survey will shortly be sending my right hon. Friend proposals for metrication of the one-inch map.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what engineering studies he has made into the question of eliminating the objectionable smell which is produced by the Porteous Process for the treatment of sludge at sewage disposal works;(2) if he is satisfied that the Porteous Process for the treatment of sludge at sewage disposal works is efficient in all respects; whether he is prepared to recommend it to all local authorities; and what advice he gives regarding its suitability in all geographical situations in view of the noxious smell produced;(3) what estimate he has made of the advantages of the Porteous Process for the treatment of sludge at sewage disposal works compared with other systems.

Heat treatment processes for sludge, such as the Porteous Process, are used to facilitate mechanical dewatering. The combination has the advantage over the more traditional sludge drying beds that it requires less land and less labour for unpleasant work, and is both faster and independent of the weather.I am not satisfied that any particular sludge treatment process is satisfactory in all circumstances and my advice to a local authority considering a process with which it is not fully familiar would generally be that it should if possible see it in use elsewhere before coming to a decision.The problem of smell is particularly acute at the Canterbury sewage disposal works and the Department's engineers have been associated with the council, their advisers and the manufacturers in their attempts to reduce or eliminate it. The Department has not, however, undertaken engineering studies of the Porteous Process in this connection: these are the responsibility of the manufacturers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sewage disposal works in Great Britain employ the Porteous Process for the treatment of sludge.

I regret that this information is not available but I believe that the number is fewer than 20.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which county boroughs have raised a supplementary rate since 1st April, 1945, and in which years.

I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average amount paid in rates, or for which there is a liability by domestic ratepayers in 1970–71 in the county borough of Nottingham, and in county boroughs with a population between 200,000 and 500,000.

The average domestic rate payment in the county borough of Nottingham for 1970–71 was £34.33.The comparable figures for other county boroughs with a population between 200,000 and 500,000 were as follows:

	£
Bradford C.B.	33·44
Bristol C.B.	47·51
Coventry C.B.	48·62
Derby C.B.	41·97
Kingston upon Hull C.B.	38·17
Leicester C.B.	42·36
Newcastle upon Tyne C.B.	47·09
Plymouth C.B.	46·93
Portsmouth C.B.	58·95
Southampton C.B.	48·80
Stoke-on-Trent C.B.	32·14
Sunderland C.B.	29·96
Teesside C.B.	42·10
Wolverhampton	38·15
Cardiff C.B.	50·47

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will specify, for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his department, or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

In accordance with the intentions announced in Command 4515—"New Policies for Public Spending"—my Department proposes to keep under review the charges made for goods and services and to align them with costs where this is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek to bring up to date the agreement concluded with the Motor Insurance Bureau by the Minister of Transport in 1946, and the notes appended thereto, dealing with the payment of compensation to victims of uninsured drivers.

A revised Agreement was concluded on 1st February, 1971, and the appended Notes have also been revised. The new Agreement records the Bureau's practice in dealing with cases where judgments against uninsured drivers include amounts for both compulsorily insurable and other liabilities. The Notes have been revised to take account, among other things, of the Agreement concluded in 1969 with the Bureau about compensation of victims of unidentified drivers. I have placed copies of the new Agreement in the Library.I am glad to have this opportunity of bringing to notice the valuable part played by the Bureau in these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government's Press and publicity campaign to further support for Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community on reasonable terms will be such as to ensure that all leaflet and material will be supplied to Members of both Houses of Parliament.

I have nothing to acid to my reply of 24th March to the hon. Gentleman, the Member for Swindon (Mr. David Stoddart).—[Vol. 814, col. 138.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will specify for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his Department, or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

In accordance with the policy announced in the White Paper New Policies for Public Spending—Cmnd. 4515—the scope of charges for which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible, and their alignment with costs where this is appropriate, are being examined.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the total number of Parliamentary Questions handed to Members by his Department.

No records are kept of such Questions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will announce the membership of the proposed committee of inquiry into the liquor licensing laws of England and Wales.

As I announced on 8th December in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Abingdon (Mr. Neave), the right hon. Lord Erroll of Hale has agreed to be Chairman of the Committee. The right hon. Lord Shepherd has agreed to serve as Deputy Chairman. The following have accepted invitations to serve as members of the Committee:

• Miss Sheila Black.
• Mr. Robert Cough, C.B.E.
• Mr. Derek Gladwin, J.P.
• Mr. Graham Hill, O.B.E.
• Dr. R. L. James.
• Mr. Richard John, C.B., J.P.
• The Rt. Rev. Simon Phipps, M.C.
• Sir Robert Payne.
• Professor A. R. Prest.
• Dr. M. Sabir.
• Mr. David Wolfson.

The following have accepted invitations to serve as assessors to the Committee:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of fire prevention publicity by Her Majesty's Government in 1970.

About £64,000 in England and Wales for the financial year ending 31st March, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in consequence of the recent decision of the House of Lords in the case of Rowlands v. Hamilton, he will initiate legislation to strengthen the provisions of Section 1 of the Road Safety Act, 1967.

The point has been noted, with others, for legislation in due course.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will specify, for the longest and most convenient period of time since 18th June, 1970, actions that he has taken to reduce the prices of any goods and services which fall within the control of his Department, or for which he has to give Ministerial approval.

All prices and charges which concern my Ministry are kept under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will announce the membership of the committee which is to review the Scottish licensing law.

I am glad to say that Dr. Christopher Clayson, who was until recently President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, has accepted my invitation to serve as Chairman of this Committee. The terms of reference and full membership of the Committee are as follows:TERMS OF REFERENCE

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received since 16th March concerning the recent pay award to nurses; and what replies he has sent.

None apart from Questions which have been asked in this House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when it is expected that the medical centre will be opened in Audley, Staffordshire.

I understand that the Staffordshire County Council hopes to include a health centre at Audley in its capital building programme for 1972–3.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the waiting list for old people to be admitted to Bucknall Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent at the last convenient date.

The number of elderly people awaiting admission to the 725 geriatric beds in the North Staffordshire Hospital Group was 393 at 31st December, 1970. Most were awaiting admission to Bucknall Hospital which contains nearly all the geriatric admission beds for the group. The number of elderly people awaiting admission to other beds at Bucknall Hospital is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he anticipates publication of the Greve Report on homelessness in London.

I am informed that publication is now expected in the latter part of May.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to bring into force Sections 13 and 45 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968.

I have now made an Order which brings both these Sections into force from 1st April, 1971—Statutory Instrument 1971 No. 423. Circular 19/71 issued to all relevant local authorities on 29th March contains guidance on the implementation of Section 45 and further guidance on the implementation of Section 13 will be circulated to them shortly. I hope that both these measures will assist local authorities in the planning and development of their personal social services following the reorganisation brought about by the Local Authority Social Services Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, following the increased level of family income supplement entitlements, what is now expected to be the annual cost of the scheme, and how many married couples and how many single-parent families are now expected to benefit, and how many children in each case, on the assumption as before of an 85 per cent. uptake.

This would depend on the movement of earnings over the next 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the purchasing power of the retirement pension now, taking it as £6 for a single person, and £9.70 for a married couple, respectively, in November, 1969.

The question does not arise since the previous administration did not introduce such high pensions in November, 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will now have the whole of Cardiganshire designated as a special development area;(2) what is the current total of unemployed persons in Cardiganshire; and whether he expects an increase or decrease in this sum by the end of 1971.

No. The circumstances of Cardiganshire do not justify special development area status. At 8th March, 1971, there were 795 persons registered as unemployed in the area covered by Aberystwyth, Llandyssul, Lampeter and Cardigan employment exchange areas. Unemployment is influenced by a number of factors, but I am confident that employment prospects will be improved as the Government's economic and regional policies take effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he proposes to take on the Report of the Mensforth Committee.

I am grateful to Sir Eric Mensforth and his colleagues for their Report on the means of Authenticating the Quality of Engineering Products and Materials. This brings together a very useful assembly of information and advice on an important subject.The Report discusses both mandatory and voluntary quality assurance.Mandatory quality assurance stems from regulations made by Parliament in order to protect the safety, health and welfare of the citizen and the environment in which he lives. Where such regulations lay down product specifications, means must generally be provided for establishing that goods offered for sale conform to those specifications. Both the specifications themselves, and the means of demonstrating conformity, differ from one country to another. This creates the so-called "technical barriers to trade". The removal of such barriers is, and will continue to be, a matter of concern to the Government.The findings of the Report relating to mandatory quality assurance are therefore being urgently studied by my Department in consultation with other Departments.The Government are also concerned with the efficiency of quality assurance arrangements for the large purchases of industrial products which are made by Government Departments and other public bodies, and with avoiding duplication between the inspection arrangements of one public body and another and between public bodies and the private sector. Consultations have begun, in the light of this Report, to determine what further improvements can be made.As recommended by the Report, my Department is consulting the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the British Steel Corporation's proposal to increase steel prices.

The Government have accepted the Corporation's need to raise additional revenue. They have also given careful consideration to a report on the proposed increase from the Iron and Steel Consumers' Council. In the light of this, we have accepted that an average increase of 14 per cent. would be damaging to the competitive position of British industry, and I am accordingly directing the Corporation to limit the increases in steel prices which it proposed to an average of 7 per cent. This will sharpen the situation in which the Corporation will need to achieve its intended financial performance for 1971–72 and will be an important factor to be taken into account in the profound review of the Corporation's affairs which I have already announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many inquiries his Department has received from industrialists seeking expansion or new developments in West Central Scotland since that area was designated as a special development area; and of those inquiries, how many have been followed up by firm decision to expand existing industries or locate new developments in the area.

Since 18th February, 43 inquiries have been received from industrialists seeking expansion or new developments in the West Central Scotland special development area. Twenty-three of these were from firms at present outside the area.So far as I am aware, decisions have not yet been taken following these inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many inquiries his Department has received from industrialists seeking expansion or new developments in areas in Scotland out-with the special development areas, since West Central Scotland was designated as a special development area.

Since 18th February, 1971, areas in Scotland out-with the special development areas have been suggested as suitable locations to 12 firms. In the same period 67 firms have expressed interest in expanding in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of inquiries received by his De partment from German industrial sources about possible industrial investment in Scotland, in each of the past 12 months.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the paper industry about unfair pricing policies of Scandinavian pulp and paper manufacturers; and what action he has taken or proposes to take with regard to them.

A delegation from the industry most recently discussed this matter at a meeting with officials of the Department on 24th March. I am considering their representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) why the number of hospital beds under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area has been reduced to 4,394, as compared with the figure of 4,995 in the 1969 proposals;(2) whether he will take steps to ensure that hospital bed/population ratio under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area will not be smaller than the national average;(3) whether he is satisfied that the 350 new cases per week dealt with by the casualty unit at Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital can be attended to by other hospitals in the Greater Cardiff area, when the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in that area envisage a fall in bed provision of 600 as compared with the 1969 proposals; and if he will make a statement;(4) whether he will refuse to approve any change in the casualty services at Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital unless he is satisfied that comparable services will be provided, not only as to numbers, but also to the convenience and the comfort of the patients and of their families, in view of concern in the Rhymney Valley;(5) what provision is to be made at the Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital for casualty services, in view of the number of cases now treated at the hospital, the needs of industry in the area, and of the schools, for such a service, and the needs of the general population;(6) what out-patient facilities will be provided in the Rhymney Valley under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area;(7) if he will ensure that, under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area, outpatient facilities will not be less adequate than those at present existing;(8) what estimate he has made of the additional time involved for those attending as out-patients the centralised units envisaged under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area;(9) what estimate he has made of the effect of proposals of the Welsh Hospital Board for the reorganisation of hospitals in the Greater Cardiff area, on the total number of beds in that area, waiting lists, pressures upon medical services and the avoidance of the effects of denuding growing areas like Caerphilly of integrated health services.

I must ask the hon. Member to await my right hon. and learned Friend's decisions on Welsh Hospital Board's proposals for the reorganisation of hospital services in the Cardiff area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the provision of ambulance services in the Rhymney Valley and if he will make a statement.

The ambulance services are the responsibility of the local health authorities. I understand that the services in the Rhymney Valley area are satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will give details of consultations which he has had with local health authorities to ensure that ambulance services will be adequate to meet the demands imposed if the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area are approved.

The Welsh Hospital Board received the observations of Cardiff County Borough Council and Glamorgan County Council on its original proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will state what assurances he has received that adequate consultation has taken place concerning the ability of facilities at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary to deal with the estimated 800 new casualty cases per week which will arise if the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area are approved;(2) what arrangements are envisaged to provide a concentration of transport in order to deal with the greatly increased casualty case load at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area;(3) if he is satisfied with the adequacy of proposed public transport facilities to serve the centralised units now envisaged in the Welsh Hospital Board's proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Member is speculating about the reorganisation of the Cardiff hospitals. I must ask him to await the outcome of the consideration which my right hon. and learned Friend is currently giving to those plans.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make arrangements for assistance towards the increased costs of travelling to be borne by poorer patients and their visitors who attend the centralised units envisaged under the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area.

Financial assistance to meet the travelling expenses of hospital patients and their visitors is already available when the need for such help is established.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what evidence he has received from the Welsh Hospital Board, or other sources, concerning the load on medical services of the Rhymney Valley, the size of waiting lists for out-patient and in-patient treatment in such specialties as obstetrics, gynaecology, geriatrics and psychiatry, and the increasing number of casualty cases.

My right hon. and learned Friend receives regularly from the Welsh Hospital Board statistics about the medical services in the Rhymney Valley and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) why he refused to meet deputations from the people of the Rhymney Valley, who sought an opportunity for consultation on the revised proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area;(2) whether he will hold consultations with all persons concerned over the present proposals for hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area.

The Welsh Hospital Board has had extensive consultations concerning hospital reorganisation in the Greater Cardiff area. It has made recommendations to my right hon. and learned Friend, in the light of these consultations and I must now ask those concerned to await the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will seek powers to arrange, at an early date, a referendum in Wales on the issue of an elected council for Wales.

No.