asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the average annual consumption of butter per head of the population of the United Kingdom for the past five years; and what has been the average annual consumption of margarine per head over the same period.

The estimated average annual consumption of butter and margarine in the United Kingdom, in pounds per head, has been:

asked the Minister of State for Defence on what date "A" site hangers at Royal Air Force, Tern Hill, were declared redundant and offered to other Government Department; and what was the last date on which these hangars were in operational use.

The hangars were declared redundant on the 5th January, 1971 and offered to other Government Departments on the 10th March, 1971; part of the site is still in operational use as an A.T.C. gliding school.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the South East Asia Treaty Organisation manoeuvres in the Philippines, the number of British troops involved, the financial cost in total, and that to be borne by Her Majesty's Government.

One assault ship, three frigates, one submarine, six support ships, one Royal Marines Commando Group and two long range maritime patrol aircraft of Far East Command took part in a S.E.A.T.O. exercise in the Philippines during late March and early April. The cost of the exercise was estimated as about £23,500 of which Britain's share was about £5,500. The exercise was one of a regular series of S.E.A.T.O. exercises.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement about British force declarations to the South East Asia Treaty Organisation.

We informed S.E.A.T.O. at the Military Advisers' Conference yesterday that Britain would continue to declare forces to certain S.E.A.T.O. contingency plans.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will tabulate the serious accident rates per 100,000 flying hours for the Royal Air Force from 1960 to 1970 inclusive.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek to arrange for Members of Parliament to have an opportunity to see Dr. Martin Cole's film before she issues any advice to local education authorities as to its fitness or otherwise for showing in schools.

I have already made my own views clear to the House.Arrangements for the showing of a private film to Members of Parliament are not a matter for me.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available unemployment figures for males and females in each employment exchange within the South-West Scotland economic planning region, the percentages of unemployment for males and females, the total percentage of unemployment, the number of unfilled vacancies in each exchange area for skilled males and skilled females, and those for unskilled males and females; and how the figures compare with the past 24 months.

The table below shows the total numbers registered as unemployed and percentage rates of unemployment at April, 1971, and April, 1969. Notified vacancies remaining unfilled, which do not purport to measure the

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of mineworkers presently unemployed in the Easington constituency, and the number of those aged 55 years and over.

At 5th April, 1971, 497 people who last worked in coalmining (minimum list heading 101 of the Standard Industrial Classification) were registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Peterlee and Wingate Employment Exchanges which approximates broadly to the Easington constituency. There is no age analysis of this figure, but a special quarterly return in March, 1971 confined to workers affected by the contraction of the coalmining industry showed that 383 such workers, including 345 aged 55 and over, were registered as unemployed in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he now intends to take to improve occupational health and safety.

The possibility of reintroducing legislation to establish an Employment Medical Advisory Service will be kept in mind as the Government reviews its policy in the field of occupational health. Any general change in the wider field of occupational health and safety must await the report of the Committee on Safety and Health at Work, now sitting under the chairmanship of Lord Robens.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures for males and females in the employment exchanges of Ayr, Cumnock and Girvan, the percentages of unemployment for males and females, the total percentage of unemployment, the number of unfilled vacancies in each exchange area for skilled and unskilled people, respectively; and how the figures compare with the past 12 months.

The table below shows the total numbers registered as unemployed and percentage rates of unemployment at April, 1971 and April, 1970. Notified vacancies remaining unfilled, which do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour, are analysed by occupation in March, June, September and December. The analysis distinguishes vacancies in certain labouring and analogous occupations which can be regarded as unskilled and those for March, 1971 and March, 1970

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of registered unemployed in Newcastle-under-Lyme at the present time and at 18th June, 1970, respectively.

The total numbers registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Newcastle-under-Lyme Employment Exchange at April, 1971 (provisional) and June, 1970 were 1,132 and 874, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest un-

The table below shows the total numbers registered as unemployed at April, 1971 and April, 1970. Notified vacancies remaining unfilled, which do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour, are analysed by occupation in March, June, September and December. The analysis distinguishes vacancies in certain labouring and analogous occupations which can be regarded as unskilled and those for March, 1971 and March, 1970 are shown in the table. All other vacancies, including those for skilled occupations, are shown collectively. Occupa-

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of insured male and female persons, respectively, in employment in each of the planning regions of the United Kingdom on 1st April, or the nearest available date, and the number of unfilled vacan-

The latest employment estimates for regions are for September, 1970. The following table shows information for June and September, 1970 together with the most recent vacancy figures:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the references now before the Commission for Industrial Relations; and which have been made since June, 1970.

The following is the information required:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will state the number of registered disabled unemployed in Newcastle-under-Lyme at the present time.

On 8th March, 1971, 236 registered disabled persons were registered as unemployed at the Newcastle-under-Lyme employment exchange.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to solve the problem of unemployed school leavers in Lanarkshire who cannot find employment; and if he will make a statement.

On 5th April there were 206 school leavers in Lanarkshire still seeking employment and careers officers are continuing their efforts to find suitable vacancies for them. The designation of West Central Scotland as a special development area should help to stimulate the provision of additional employment opportunities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the unemployment figures in the Hamilton area for each of the last three years for men, women, boys and girls, respectively, whether skilled or unskilled, to the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

The table below shows the total numbers registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Hamilton Employment Exchange at April, 1971, April, 1970 and April, 1969. The numbers of wholly unemployed men and women, but not boys and girls, are analysed according to the occupation for which they are registered for employment in March, June, September and December. The analysis distinguishes those registered for certain labouring and analogous occupations which can be regarded as unskilled and figures for

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the present number of men and women, respectively, unemployed in the West Midlands; and what percentage increase this represents over the previous month's figures;

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of unemployed men and women in the Borough of Rhondda at 5th April, 1971; and how these numbers compared with the past six years.

Following is the information:

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the United Kingdom population own their own homes; and what are the comparable figures for each member country of the European Economic Community.

The latest comparable estimates are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of the United Kingdom population is served by main sewage disposal; and what are the comparable figures for each of the member countries of the European Economic Community;(2) what percentage of the United Kingdom population has access to mains water supply; and what are the comparable figures for each of the member countries of the European Economic Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he proposes to make to the Government of the Irish Republic in view of the fact that members of both Houses of the Republic's Parliament have handed over their own guns for use in Northern Ireland.

If my hon. Friend is referring to the unsubstantiated statement by a former member of the Irish Republic Government reported on 19th April, I will not be making representations to the Government of the Irish Republic on this point, but we remain, of course, in close contact with that Government on matters of common concern.

I estimate that about 99 per cent. of the United Kingdom population has access to mains water and that about 95 per cent. are served by main drainage. Comparable figures for the member countries of the European Economic Community are not readily available to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish the latest information about Great Britain's performance under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 1 per cent. target in the year 1969.

The following table includes revised estimates for private investment. The other components of the target are unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to negotiate a consular agreement with Belgium under which bail might be allowed to British subjects arrested and awaiting trial in that country for offences committed there.

A Consular Convention between the United Kingdom and Belgium was concluded on 1st September, 1964, and entered into force on 1st October of that year. Article 35 provides that the appropriate consular officer of one Party shall be informed without delay by the authorities of the other Party whenever a national of the latter State is confined in prison awaiting trial or is otherwise detained in custody. It also provides that the consular officer shall be given the earliest possible opportunity to visit, to converse privately with and to arrange legal representation for any such national. These provisions go a long way towards safeguarding the interests of British subjects who may be charged with the commission of offences in Belgium.There would, however, be serious obstacles in the way of expanding the existing Consular Convention, or of concluding a new Agreement, so as to provide for bail for British subjects. I understand that the system of bail, as such, does not exist under Belgian law. Also such an agreement would have to be reciprocal in effect and there would be objection to limiting the discretion of a British court as regards the grant of bail in corresponding circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent approaches he has received from the Prime Minister of France for support for his policy of working for a West European Confederation of States.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage increase would now be required to bring public service pensions up to their real value at the time of the last increase.

I have been asked to reply.14·4 per cent., on the basis of the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices between mid-March, 1969 and mid-March, 1971.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to introduce legislation to increase pensions of retired teachers.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the purchasing power of the £ sterling compared with 18th June, 1970.

Taking the purchasing power of the £ sterling to be 100p in mid-June, 1970, its purchasing power in mid-March, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, is estimated at about 94p.This comparison is based on the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current amount of United Kingdom gold and foreign currency reserves per head of population and what are the comparable figures for the United States of America, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy, from information available to him from international sources.

The following figures show the latest available published official reserve holdings of gold, convertible foreign currencies, S.D.R. and (where applicable) lending under the General Arrangement to Borrow, in pounds sterling per head of population:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average time taken by the District Valuer to value properties in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to advise him on the problem of rising unemployment with special reference to the development areas.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the shortage of teachers at the latest available date in local authority secondary schools in Aberdeen and in Scotland.

There is no shortage in Aberdeen. In Scotland as a whole, on the basis of the pupil/teacher ratio of 14·5 used for the forecast in Education in Scotland 1969, the current shortage is probably about 1,000, that is, about 300 less than the 1,300 forecast for this session. As indicated however in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur) on 3rd February, my Department is engaged on studies designed to produce a more reliable measure of staffing needs.—[Vol. 810, c. 369–70.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why there has been delay in implementing the Scottish Police award agreed on 25th February, 1971; and when he anticipates the amending regulations will be laid.

Following the Police Council's agreement the Joint Secretaries of the Council prepared a detailed memorandum of agreement applying the award to the various salary scales affected. The regulations which give statutory effect to the agreement had been drafted when the Joint Secretaries found it necessary to amend the memorandum of agreement. I now expect to lay the necessary amending regulations within the next two weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he is giving to simplifying the way in which amending regulations governing the implementaton of new pay awards are introduced, in order to speed up the procedure.

The existing statutory procedure for implementing police pay awards has been operated for a number of years with the full agreement of all the parties concerned, including the police associations, as the best means of safeguarding their interests. I am, of course, prepared to consider carefully any proposals for changes which are put to me by any of the parties concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether or not the occupier of a premises which is not his usual residence, and will be unoccupied on census night, should complete and return a census form in respect of that premises, or section A only, or section A and section C only.

The Census Order and Regulations do not require a return to be made for premises which are not the usual residence of any person, providing no person occupies those premises on Census night. Such premises, however, will be counted in the housing stock as the enumerator makes a record of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many enumerators have been convicted to date for disclosing information in the 1961 census; and how many persons have been convicted for failing to provide the necessary information, or giving incorrect information, at that census.

No cases of enumerators disclosing information in the 1961 census were reported, so there were no proceedings, let alone convictions. The number of persons convicted for failing to provide information was 87.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, how Members of Parliament should fill in their Census forms, whereby they are classified as self-employed, with the House of Commons offices being given as their employer's name and address; how they should fill in details of their employment; and, as these particulars are contradictory, how the computer will be able to deal with the information on a factual basis.

Hon. and right hon. Members should in the usual case record that they are self-employed, that their occupation is "Member of Parliament" and that their place of work is the House of Commons. They are not asked to give the name and address of their employer, but the name and nature of their business. But where a Member is engaged in employment or business additional to Membership of this House, it is for each Member to decide which of his activities constitutes his major employment or business and to record details of that in questions B15 to B17. There is no harm in a respondent giving details of two jobs providing he indicates which is the main one, since the Census asks for details only of the main employment or business and not of any other employment or business.

asked the Secretary of State of State for Social Services in view of the fact that the Census explanatory form, Why this Census Form is Vital, LP7BG states that facts are not to be given to any other Government Departments, if he will give details of how the accuracy and authenticity of the statements made by the form fillers are to be checked; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what specific methods it is proposed to adopt to enable the Census organisation to check whether information in census returns is correct without reference to other Government Departments.

Small-scale sample surveys by interview are conducted to assess the accuracy of Census responses; these surveys are voluntary and are carried out by the Census organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether persons who may not be sure of their place of origin of birth, or their parents place and country of birth, when filling in the Census form may state details unknown; and if he will supply details of how this may be checked in view of the strict confidentiality of the information given by the form fillers.

Only country of birth, and not place of birth, is asked for in the Census form.If a person does not know his, or his parents', country of birth and cannot find this out, he should enter "Not known" against the particular question on the form.A description of methods used to check Census results is given in the General Report on the 1961 Census.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Registrar-General is prepared to accept either husband or wife as titular head of the household in the Census returns; whether in the case of joint heads in a household the forms may be signed by husband or wife or both; if he is satisfied that the public are aware of the position; and if he will make a statement.

Census forms will be accepted in which either the husband or the wife appears as the titular head of the household, and which have been signed by the husband or wife or both. Census enumerators will explain this to anyone in doubt.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the questions asked in the 1971 Official Census that were not asked in the official Census of 1961, for each question stating the reasons for its inclusion.

Other than questions which have been modified since 1961 the questions in the present Census that were not asked in the 1961 Census are:In respect of any person not born in the United Kingdom—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time for appointments to consult the ophthalmic department at the North Staffordshire hospitals.

At present the mean waiting time between referral and consultation is about 14 weeks. Urgent cases are seen without delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in turning the Fanny Deakin Memorial Hospital, Newcastle-under-Lyme, into a hospital for the young chronic sick; and whether he will make a statement.

Conversion work is up to schedule. The hospital is being staffed and equipped and it is hoped that the first younger chronic sick patients will be admitted early in July.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will take steps to increase the remand facilities for girls in the Leicester area;(2) how many girls on remand from courts in the Leicester area in each of the years from 1960 to 1970 have not been accommodated in the Breadsall Remand Home;(3) in cases from the year 1960 to the year 1970, inclusive, in which there was no available accommodation for girls from the Leicester area in the Breadsall Remand Home, where such girls were accommodated during their periods on remand.

The provision of remand facilities is a local authority responsibility. I am not aware of any proposals to provide additional accommodation in the Leicester area; but the question whether facilities in the Leicestershire area are adequate will be a matter for consideration in connection with the regional plan which the Children's Regional Planning Committee is required to prepare under Section 36 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1969.I regret that information to answer the second and third of these Questions is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the effect on dental health of children in Birmingham of fluoridation of the water supply.

I am sending to my hon. Friend copies of a progress report presented to the Royal Society of Health in June, 1970, and of a paper published in the British Dental Journal of 6th April, 1971. These documents show that there has been a considerable improvement in the dental health of those children who have experienced fluoridation from birth, and that the number of children with rampant caries has fallen significantly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of Great Britain's population is now covered by a fluoridated water supply.

Approximately 5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give an assurance that, in considering applications from British European Airways, no pressure will be placed on it to purchase the Lockheed TriStar plane, but that British European Airways will be left free to purchase the aircraft which it considers to be the most advantageous.

We are looking to B.E.A. to make their appraisal of the competing aircraft on purely commercial grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the percentage increase in productivity in the steel industry in each of the last 10 years in each of the countries of the European Economic Community.

There are no generally accepted measures of labour productivity in steel available in internationally comparable terms. To show meaningful changes over time it would be necessary to allow for the changing pattern of output and, especially in the countries of the Community, to take account of steel melted in one country and rolled in another. Variations of the extent to which capacity is used also make year-to-year changes in the employment-output quotent misleading. For the Community countries combined, the underlying increase in labour productivity between 1969 and 1970 is estimated as averaging about 5·8 per cent. a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many advance factories are in operation in Wales; how many have been completed and are still awaiting tenants; and how many are in course of construction.

Since March, 1959, 58 advance factories have been authorised under the Local Employment Acts or preceding legislation. At present 38 of these are in operation, eight are unoccupied, four are under construction and the remaining eight are in the planning stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many advance factories were authorised in Wales in each year between 1964 and 1970, and how many have been authorised since June, 1970 to date.

The numbers of factories authorized under the Local Employment Acts were:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether in view of the increased demand for coal, he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to publish a statement of its policy concerning future pit closures.

No. I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member on 15th December, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what tariff different grades of newspaper and magazine paper imported into the United Kingdom from Canada and Scandinavia will have to bear if the United Kingdom joins the European Economic community; and to ensure that if the United Kingdom whether the Government will take steps enters the European Economic Community tariffs on paper coming from such of these countries as do not also enter the European Economic Community will be lowered.

The current rates of duty published in the Common External Tariff are 7 per cent. for newsprint and 12.8 per cent. for paper for periodicals. However, the Community has established duty-free quota arrangements which permit virtually all imports of newsprint to be made free of duty, and we are considering together how these arrangements might be adapted to the circumstances of an enlarged Community.We hope that the arrangements which Member States of E.F.T.A. are discussing with the Community will reflect, in this as in other sectors, the common desire to avoid re-erecting tariff barriers within Europe. Any modification of the Common Tariff would be a matter for the institutions of the enlarged Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of European Economic Community exports went to developing countries in the latest available year; what

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will press for Welsh to be made an official language within an enlarged European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service on what dates, and at what costs, he took the necessary action to implement the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act so far as it affects his Department proportion of European Economic Community imports came from those countries; and what are the comparable figures for the United Kingdom.

Following is the information for the year 1970:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details giving the amount of tons of New Zealand butter, cheese and lamb which were exported to Great Britain for the year ended 30th June, 1970; to what extent in percentage terms these amounts took account of the total exports of such items; and what the three items represent by value of all New Zealand's exports to the world.

Following is the information:and its various offices; whether all his Ministerial offices have been converted to enable free access to and from such offices for wheel chairs and other appliances as used by the chronically sick and disabled; and whether he will ensure that all such action as may be necessary to implement fully the provisions of the Act is carried out within the next two months.

asked (1) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,(2) the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications,(3) the Secretary of State for the Environment,(4) the Secretary of State for Wales,(5) the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry,

I have been asked to reply.The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970, made mandatory what my Department has been providing for several years at new Crown offices and other Government buildings used by the public. No separate costs for the provision of these facilities can readily be identified.Wherever practicable, facilities for the disabled are provided in existing Government buildings to which the public have access. In other Government offices, facilities are also provided for disabled staff when the need arises.I am satisfied that the provisions of the Act are being implemented in respect of buildings for which I am responsible.