asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget on the spending power of low-income families.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Torrington (Mr. Peter Mills) on 6th April. This set out the net effect of the reduction in the standard rate of income tax, higher child allowances, increased social service charges, family income supplement and larger graduated National Insurance contributions on families with up to four children and earnings ranging from £15 to £40 per week.—[Vol. 815, c. 90.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect his Budget will have on the level of industrial investment; and if he will make a statement.

The Budget proposals will stimulate industrial investment through the improvement in confidence and the prospect of improved profits generated by the increase in the overall level of demand, the cuts in taxation, and the proposals for tax reform.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget on corporate saving.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget on private savings.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect of the Budget on the level of personal savings.

The Budget will help to promote saving in both the company and the personal sectors, including the self-employed, but precise estimates cannot be made with any confidence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget upon the savings of the self-employed.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Michael Shaw).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect his Budget will have on the general level of retail prices.

Favourable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now ease the restriction on the availability of postwar credits.

We have no proposals in mind at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to provide that holders of Government stock on which interest is payable at the rate of 3 per cent. shall in future be entitled to receive interest at this rate, notwithstanding any provisions of the Revenue Friendly Societies and National Debt Act, 1882, the National Loans Act, 1968, and the Decimal Currency Act, 1969.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of treating earned and unearned income on exactly the same basis in taxation assessments.

About £250 million on the basis of 1970–71 figures.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the total income of the central Government in 1971–72 will constitute revenue, what proportion will constitute capital, and what proportion will be required for purposes of money transfers, including the provision of benefits supplied in kind.

The information required is obtainable from Table 13 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.The figures are as follows:Income of central Government in 1971–72 devoted to:

	£ million	Percentage of total
(a) Money transfers
(i) Current grants to persons	4,911	24
(ii) Other	8,790	43
(b) Current expenditure on goods and services	5,972	29
(c) Capital expenditure on assets and stock-building	725	4
	20,398	100

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the effect of his Budget on interest rates.

The Budget measures, taken by themselves, should ease some of the pressures on interest rates compared with what they would have been otherwise; but budgetary action is only one among many influences on the level of rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage change in the level of taxation and its proportion of the gross national product in the year ended October, 1965; and what has been the comparable movement during the 10 months since 18th June, 1970.

The effect in 1965–66 of the changes in taxation introduced in the year ended October, 1965, was to increase total taxation by about 6 per cent., or about 1½ per cent. of the gross national product at factor cost. The effect in 1971–72 of the changes in taxation introduced in the 10 months since June, 1970, is to reduce total taxation by about 6 per cent., or nearly 2 per cent. of gross national product at factor cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total amount by which the yield of taxation will be reduced in the current financial year as a result of tax cuts announced since 18th June, 1970.

Almost £1,000 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the income tax proposals in his Budget on the richest one per cent. and the poorest 10 per cent. of the population, respectively.

Assuming that there are about 30 million tax units within the population of whom about 10 million are not liable to tax it is estimated that the amounts asked for are about £40 million and nil respectively; since the poorest 10 per cent. of the population do not pay the taxes reduced by the Budget proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what computer systems are at present in use in his Department.

The Treasury uses various computer terminals to develop and run economic forecasting models and in connection with the control of Government expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget on the balance of payments.

I have nothing to add to what I said in my Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the value of Government securities awaiting redemption during the course of the current financial year.

The total amount of Government Stock maturing in the year is £1,610 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to meet leaders of the Trades Union Congress in order to discuss with them the implications to the economy of the latest British proposals in connection with the application for entry into the Common Market.

My colleagues concerned and I would always be ready for talks with leaders of the Trades Union Congress about the negotiations and their implications for the economy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that on any known terms of settlement of conditions for Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community there will be a substantial net outflow of exchange in the transitional years of entry; and, taking the known position of existing conditions and known terms of entry as on 1st April, 1971, what this outflow of exchange would be for each year from 1st April, 1971, until 1st April, 1976.

The terms are not yet known. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy, in his statement on 16th December, set out the relevant considerations and estimates for the transitional period. Otherwise I have nothing to add to my reply today to the hon. Member for Faversham (Mr. Moate).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent, other than newspapers, magazines and food, items will be excluded from the imposition of the value-added tax; and to what extent these exemptions differ from or harmonise with those in the countries of the European Economic Community.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 7th April.—[Vol. 815, c. 196.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a further statement on the role of sterling in the light of the new situation arising from the Dutch Government's change of policy concerning sterling's role in the European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether as all food is taxed in each of the countries of the Six which have a value-added tax, he will obtain and publish details of these value-added taxes.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) to what extent the imposition since 1st January, 1971, of a six per cent. value-added tax on essential goods and services, the 14 per cent. on clothes, leather goods, and electricity, the 18 per cent. on household appliances, together with a 25 per cent. on luxury goods, has increased the cost of living in Belgium;(2) whether he is now able to give details as to what extent the increased value-added tax since 1st January, 1971, of 4 per cent. to 8 per cent. of all items other than food has increased the cost of living in Luxembourg.

I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to similar questions by the hon. Member on 6th and 20th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the watch that he has been keeping on the experiences of Belgium and other countries which have imposed a value-added tax, why he will not state whether his investigations have been such as to enable him to state to what extent this tax has affected the rise in the cost of living in Belgium and each of the countries of the Six.

Because the information available does not enable me to isolate changes in costs of living due to the introduction of value-added taxes from changes due to other causes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he proposes to disaggregate affiliation payments received by an unmarried mother and maintenance payments made under a separation order when he reintroduces the non-aggregation rule.

Affiliation payments to unmarried mothers were not affected by the aggregation provisions and no change is proposed. It is proposed that other income now subject to the aggregation provision, including maintenance payments so subject, will cease to be aggregated from 1972–73.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will remove purchase tax from aquafilters in the interests of health.

It would not be justifiable to select these articles for special treatment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the prophylactic value of aquafilters for cigarette smokers; and if, in view of the need to arrest the spread of lung cancer, he will encourage the use of these filters by removing or reducing the imposition of 55 per cent. purchase tax.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will institute an inquiry to make recommendations on more effective ways for the Treasury to act against tax evasion.

No. This matter is continually under review and an inquiry would serve no useful purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of the capital formation is now in the public sector; how this compares with the previous five years; and what estimate he will make to be the trend in the next five years;(2) what percentage of the national income is now attributable to the public sector; how this compares with the pre- vious five years; and what estimate he makes of the trend in the next five years.

I cannot make any estimates of the trend over the next five years without making such a wide range of assumptions as to make those estimates of little value.The available information is as follows:

			Percentage of capital formation in the public sector	Percentage of national income attributable to the public sector
1970	…	…	46	Not available
1965	…	…	44	23
1966	…	…	47	24
1967	…	…	50	24
1968	…	…	48	25
1969	…	…	46	25

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library of the House of Commons a copy of the review carried out by the Inland Revenue into companies subject to shortfall.

I have written to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the £250 million total distributable income, after tax, of the 25,000 close trading companies included in the review by the Inland Revenue, was subject to shortfall.

£1·9 million was assessed as shortfall. The total distributions, a substantial part of which would probably not have been made were it not for the shortfall provisions, amounted to £118 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of his policies designed to stimulate employment.

The growth in unemployment was one of the factors I took into consideration in deciding in the Budget to stimulate output over the coming year. But among the principal causes of the present unemployment is cost inflation and I cannot promise that unemployment will fall until we get a substantial reduction in the level of pay settlements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the present unemployment figure, he will state what action he has taken since 17th April, 1971, or intends taking to improve the employment situation and reduce the present unemployed figure.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table of figures giving the six-monthly depreciation in the purchasing value of a Member of Parliament's salary since October, 1964, when it was raised to £3,250 per annum; and whether he will give this in cash terms and as a percentage of its original purchasing value.

Taking the value of a Member of Parliament's salary as being £3,250 in October, 1964, its value both in cash terms and as a percentage of its original purchasing value in April and October of the years 1965 to 1970 and in March, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, is given in the table below:

			£	Per cent.
1964
October	…	…	3,250	100·0
1965
April	…	…	3,136	96·5
October	…	…	3,104	95·5
1966
April	…	…	3,032	93·3
October	…	…	2,994	92·1
1967
April	…	…	2,941	90·5
October	…	…	2,937	90·4
1968
April	…	…	2,821	86·8
October	…	…	2,787	85·8
1969
April	…	…	2,677	82·4
October	…	…	2,647	81·5
1970
April	…	…	2,557	78·7
October	…	…	2,488	76·5
1971
March	…	…	2,388	73·5

These comparisons are based on the movement in the annual Consumer Price Index adjusted by the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices to obtain estimates for individual months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the total amount of tax allowances made for firms against profits for expenditure on advertising, and, for the same period, the amount allowed to workers for expenditure on the tools for their jobs and fares to and from their place of work.

There is no tax allowance for the cost of travelling to and from work.Information is not available on the other matters.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he will not cease the present practice whereby his Department keep under constant review the prices and charges for which he has responsibility, and initiate a system of monthly reviews of such prices and charges to enable him to show from month to month to what extent, since June, 1970, the Government's policy of reducing prices and costs is operating so far as it affects his Departmental responsibilities; and whether he will make a statement.

Such a change would not be worth while.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of his Budget on the growth of occupational pension schemes.

It is of the utmost importance that as many people as possible should be encouraged and helped to save in order to make provision for their old age. The measures I proposed in my Budget for occupational pension schemes were intended to encourage their growth, and I have every confidence that this will follow.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the evidence known to him from the number of reports and prosecutions for any given period, or on an estimated basis, what amount of revenue the Exchequer is losing through the evasion of the payment of the road fund excise licence, for any stated period.

In 1969 (the latest year for which information is available) just under 400,000 reports of apparent V.E.D. offences were made; there were 145,000 prosecutions; and the Courts ordered payment of £1,545,000 in penalties and back duty.In the same year the vehicle population was some 14,650,000. But it is not possible to estimate the rate of evasion from statistics of enforcement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he received a communication from W. J. Dennis, the chairman of the trade union side of the Joint Industrial Council of the Royal Mint, sent on 7th April; what was the nature of this communication; what was his reply; and what action he proposes to take to rectify the grievances, for which Her Majesty's Government is responsible, as enumerated in this communication.

The letter was received on 14th April and a reply was sent on 20th April. The letter dealt with certain organisational changes at the Royal Mint and indicated no grievances which need to be remedied. I do not propose to take any action.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware that, in consequence of the new charges imposed on the general ophthalmic services, ophthalmic opticians, in many cases, will be obliged to collect money from the patient in excess of the statutory amounts laid down by order; and what action he proposes to recompense ophthalmic opticians for acting as collectors of revenue.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the possibility that charges to patients may exceed the overall sums due to be paid by Executive Councils. In practice ophthalmic opticians will rarely be in this position; but I am considering how best to assess, for payment purposes, changes in the time spent by opticians on health service work generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of his Budget proposals, he will now expedite the raising of retirement pensions.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the current level of unemployment, he will prepare new financial proposals to reduce hardship for persons unemployed and their families.

I would refer the hon. Member to the proposed increases in National Insurance and Supplementary Benefits, details of which my right hon. Friend circulated in the Official Report for 31st March.—[Vol. 814, c. 1507–14.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the fact that the earnings limit allowance for unemployable war pensioners has remained at £104 for the past 10 years, he will now increase it, bearing in mind the increase in the cost of living during that time.

I would refer my right hon. and learned Friend to my reply to him on 2nd February.—[Vol. 810, c. 309.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to assist the shortage of physiotherapists in the National Health Service.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Dormand) on 22nd April.—[Vol. 815, c. 447.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that during school holidays teachers on temporary supply contract are classed neither as employed for insurance contribution purposes nor as unemployed for unemployment and sickness benefit purposes under Regulation 7(1)(j) of the National Insurance Regulations, 1967; and if he will seek a solution to this problem.

I am aware that this is the position where the independent determining authorities decide that the employment of the supply teacher has not terminated but has been suspended during the holidays. We have no proposals to amend Regulation 7(1)(j) of the National Insurance (Unemployment and Sickness Benefit) Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the periodical upratings of social security benefits, increases in food prices will be taken into account.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the proposed increased expenditure by local authorities in 1971 on the disabled and chronic sick.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Alfred Morris) on 22nd March, 1971.—[Vol. 814, c. 64.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to make a statement on the future help to be provided for mentally handicapped children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement of his new policies for the treatment of mentally handicapped children.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Hitchin (Mrs. Shirley Williams) on 6th April. My statement of policy will include special reference to mentally handicapped children.—[Vol. 815, c. 233–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to meet the requirement for local information about the need for, and availability of, services under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970, in particular with a view to assisting those who might benefit from its provisions to identify themselves to local authorities.

I intend to give guidance to authorities about estimating numbers of those in need of services and about local publicity in advance of the coming into operation of Section 1 of the Act on 1st October.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures are being taken to overcome the shortage of residential accommodation for the mentally subnormal.

Local authorities are giving increasing priority to the provision of residential accommodation for the mentally handicapped in their capital programmes. I shall be drawing attention to the scale of development needed in the policy document which I hope to publish in the next two or three months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are awaiting hernia operations at Mansfield and District General Hospital; what is the longest period of time of waiting; and what action he is taking.

118 and two years. There has been a recent increase in the allocation of operating time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the inadequacy of design of gas cookers for use by disabled people; if he will seek to hold discussions with gas appliance manufacturers to find methods of overcoming this; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that Area Gas Boards give advice and assistance to handicapped people, that their Consultative Councils include representatives of voluntary bodies concerned with the handicapped and that standard cookers are modified to meet their needs. But I shall be glad to look further into the matter if the hon. Member will let me have details.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services with what bodies he had had consultations, and on how many occasions, in connection with his intended distribution of the funds which he has earmarked for the investigation and treatment of the disease of alcoholism.

Consultations are in progress with Hospital Boards, Local Authority Associations, the National Council on Alcoholism, the Medical Council on Alcoholism and the British Association of Social Workers covering national aspects. Meetings have been held on at least one occasion with the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, the National Council on Alcoholism, the Medical Council on Alcoholism and the Bridgehead Housing Association. There have also been contacts with others including the Alcoholics Recovery Project, the Salvation Army and the Helping Hand Organisation about problems in particular areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many young chronic sick patients in North Staffordshire are still cared for in wards together with patients over 65 years of age.

At 31st December, 1970, 70 chronic sick patients under the age of 65 were in wards normally used wholly or mainly for the care of elderly patients in hospitals administered by the North Staffordshire Hospital Management Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the criterion of population used to decide whether an area should be served by a doctor, and how this applies at present in the area of Hutton, Brentwood, Essex.

The Medical Practices Committee can refuse to authorise a doctor to take up practice in an area where the number of doctors is already sufficient; but there is no power to direct a doctor to practice in any particular area.In the area of Hutton, Brentwood there were five doctors until last June, when a a partnership of two resigned. The remaining partnership has since taken a fourth partner, and I understand that the Medical Practices Committee and the Executive Council are satisfied that the area is adequately served.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities have day care facilities for people who are too severely mentally handicapped to attend adult training centres.

This information is not available centrally. Day care for severely handicapped adults living at home takes different forms. Some local authorities make special arrangements for them at adult training centres; others provide home training; daily hospital attendance may be arranged. This is a field in which we look to social service and hospital authorities to plan developments together.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of hospital authorities in the sub-normality group which offer organised day care facilities.

At the end of 1969, 44 Hospital Management Committees in England were providing such facilities at a total of 55 hospitals. I would also refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 25th March to the hon. Member for Reading (Dr. Vaughan).—[Vol. 814, c. 217.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for introducing a new comprehensive National Insurance scheme based on the principles of graduated contribution and graduated benefits.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the announcement of our proposals for the reconstruction of the National Insurance scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give full details of the offices used by the Registrar-General and his staff; how many of these offices have inside and outside toilets and bathrooms; and whether he will give details of the academic and other qualifications of the Registrar-General's three most senior assistants.

The office of Population Censuses and Surveys shares accommodation in six buildings in London and also has offices at Titchfield and Southport. All have inside toilets and none outside ones. There is one bathroom. The answer to the last part of the Question is that all are graduates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Registrar-General is supplied with a Government car to get him to and from his office.

A Government car is not provided for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services who will act as enumerators to obtain particulars for the census of the Registrar-General's Department and his enumerators.

Census forms have been collected from members of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and from enumerators in exactly the same way as from other members of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now make a statement about the Chairmanship of the Council for Education and Training of Health Visitors; and when he expects it to begin its work.

I am glad to be able to announce that, subject to completion of the necessary constitutional procedures with regard to the appointment of separate chairmen for these two Councils, Professor W. J. H. Butterfield, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham University, has agreed that he will be willing in due course to accept the appointment of Chairman of the Council for the Education and Training of Health Visitors. The Council was established by the Health Visiting and Social Work (Training) Act, 1962 and held its inaugural meeting on 25th October, 1962. It is not possible to say yet when it will meet under its new Chairman designate.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cause and extent of the recent forest fire in Rothbury and Kielder Forests.

There have been no recent forest fires at Kielder Forest. If the hon. Member is referring to the fires which occurred at Harwood and Rothbury Forests on 14th and 15th April, these apparently spread from moor burning operations on neighbouring land. About 11 acres of plantations were destroyed and 10 acres were damaged.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the annual consumption of horsemeat per head in each of the member countries of the European Economic Community; what is the comparable figure for the United Kingdom; and what safeguards would exist within an enlarged European Economic Community to prevent the export of horsemeat from present European Economic Community member countries to the United Kingdom and to prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption within the United Kingdom.

The annual consumption of horsemeat per head in each of the member countries of the European Economic Community in 1968–69 which is the last year for which figures are available was as follows:

	Kilograms per head 1968–69 (July-June)
West Germany	0·1
France	1·8
Italy	0·8
Netherlands	2·0
Belgium and Luxembourg	3·3

Comparable figures for the United Kingdom are not available since there is no evidence of household purchases of horse-meat, and human consumption is negligible. The E.E.C. requirements for the production of horsemeat for human consumption are no less stringent than our own, which stipulate that the meat must be produced under the same conditions as other meat used for human consumption.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that in the year ending 3rd June, 1970, under special imperial preference conditions of trade New Zealand sent 90 per cent, of its butter, 86 per cent. of its lamb, and 75 per cent. of its cheese exports to Great Britain; and to what extent under the present known conditions of Britain's entry into the European Economic Community he estimates these figures will be affected.

These percentages are not immutable, whether we join the European Economic Community or not, and I could not make the estimate for which the hon. Member asks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many representations he has received from branches of the National Farmers Union requesting that his Ministry should take appropriate action to ensure that farming will, for all practical purposes, be using metric systems of measurement by the end of 1973;(2) if his attention has been drawn to the statement of the Metrication Board, a copy of which has been sent to him, that the change to metrication in farming will begin in 1972 and will for all practical purposes be completed by the end of 1973; and what proposals he has to ensure that this target date is fulfilled;(3) what is the expected expenditure of his Department in 1971–72 and 1972–73 in issuing information and guidance in order to ensure that farming will, for all practical purposes, be using metric systems of measurement by the end of 1973;(4) what proposals he has to publish the 1972 Price Review showing both metric and imperial units of measurement, and to publish the 1973 Price Review showing only metric measurements;(5) on what dates he was consulted by the Metrication Board before the decision was taken that farming should switch to the use of metric measures by the end of 1973 rather than by 1975.

I have received no representations such as my hon. Friend mentions. I have seen a copy of the earlier advertisement by the Metrication Board to which my hon. Friend refers; and also a copy of the Second Report of the Metrication Board "Going Metric—Progress in 1970" published on 6th April, which makes it clear that there is to be further consultation within the agricultural industry and with the Agricultural Departments. It would be premature to forecast what decisions will be reached, and the other consequential points my hon. Friend raises do not arise at this stage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now apply to Eire the proposed import levies on beef, or set out his reasons for exemption.

It is inappropriate to apply to levy arrangements for beef to supplies from the Irish Republic because of the existing arrangements under the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement. The Government of the Irish Republic have, however, agreed that, when levies on imports into the United Kingdom from third countries are in force, the Irish carcase beef export subsidy will be adjusted in line with adjustments in the rate of deficiency payments under the United Kingdom's Fatstock Guarantee Scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the retail price of food has risen since 18th June, 1970.

Between 16th June, 1970 and 16th March, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, the Food Index rose by 5½ per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the British regulations dealing with fowl pest compare with those of foreign governments, from information available from international sources.

Most countries retain some form of requirement to notify. The majority control the disease by a policy of voluntary vaccination with live vaccine. A minority retain some provisions for the compulsory slaughter of infected flocks, but they are not widely enforced. Comprehensive information on movement restrictions is not available, but a number of European countries have power to impose them when the situation justifies it. In general, our present control policies do not differ significantly from those adopted in the majority of overseas countries with broadly similar poultry industries and conditions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the output and financial value of the British poultry packing industry in the last year for which figures are available.

The throughput of poultry packing stations in Great Britain in the year June, 1969-May, 1970 is estimated at about 450,000 tons deadweight. The value of this to producers is estimated at about £100 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will establish an independent inquiry into the fowl pest epidemic in view of the gravity of the present epidemic, the fact that no major inquiry into the disease has taken place since 1962, and that live vaccine is now being used to combat the disease.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 20th April to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Winchester (Rear-Admiral Morgan-Giles).—[Vol. 815, c. 936–7.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assist poultry packing firms in the formation of their future production and marketing policy by making regular reports on the progress achieved in combating fowl pest for the duration of the Live Poultry (Restriction of Movement) Order, 1971.

Daily figures of numbers of outbreaks are made available to the Press and other inquirers: but the need for the movement restrictions depends on the disease risk in the areas concerned, and this in turn is dependent on an assessment of a wide range of veterinary and other considerations which it would be impracticable to make the subject of regular reports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make the appropriate facilities of his Department available to poultry packing firms in order to assist them in finding sources of live bird supply for the duration of the Live Poultry (Restriction of Movement) Order, 1971.

My Department's officials have done what they can to help, but this function is in general more appropriate to trade and producer associations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to make an ex gratia payment to poultry packing firms who before the introduction of the Live Poultry (Restriction of Movement) Order, 1971, took the precaution of vaccinating stock against fowl pest.

No. It would in any event be quite impracticable after the event to determine the extent to which any flock had been fully and effectively vaccinated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give the list of the official engagements which he has booked for 4th May which prevents him from accepting the invitation of the National Federation of Meat Traders' Association to address their Annual Conference.

I shall be in Dublin from 3rd to 5th May at the invitation of the Irish Minister of Agriculture.

asked the Prime Minister how many letters he has received relating to the exercise of his responsibilities during his period of office.

About 88,300.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Scottish Economic Planning Council on Friday, 26th March.

I met the Members of the Scottish Economic Council on Friday, 26th March at an informal working lunch. Members of the Council expressed their individual views freely on a wide range of current topics, and at the end I replied to the points raised.

asked the Prime Minister what changes he has to announce in the membership of the Commission on the Constitution.

Yes. The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the right hon. Sir David Renton, K.B.E., T.D., Q.C., D.L., M.P., as a member of the Commission on the Constitution in succession to the right hon. Selwyn Lloyd, C.H., C.B.E., T.D., Q.C., D.L., M.P.

asked the Prime Minister if, in his next television talk, he will review progress towards the concept of One Nation.

I will bear the hon. Gentleman's suggestion in mind.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if, in order to assist the deaf, he will require the broadcasting authorities to provide visual aids, such as an increased use of captions on television news and other televised programmes.

Programme arrangements are the responsibility of the broadcasting authorities, and I have no power to impose such a requirement.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecomunications how many public telephone kiosks are currently out of order due to vandalism; and what is the average cost and length of time taken to arrange repairs.

These are matters for the Post Office, but I understand that on 30th September last the number of kiosks out of order was 1,697.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will relax the rules governing photography in New Palace Yard so as to permit tourists to photograph Big Ben without exposing themselves to danger from traffic entering or leaving New Palace Yard.

No. Photographs of the Clock Tower can always be taken from the pavement alongside Cromwell's Green. It is undesirable to have a large number of tourists taking photographs in New Palace Yard.

asked the Lord President of the Council what action he has taken or intends to take to fill the forthcoming vacancy of Catering Manager in the House of Commons Refreshment Department; what salary is to be paid; and how this compares with that paid to the present holder of this position.

The post has been advertised and a number of applications have been received, from which a short list has been compiled. A selection meeting will be held shortly.The salary offered is in the region of £3,600 per annum, which was that paid to the last holder of the post.

asked the Lord President of the Council why he will not move to appoint a select committee of hon. and learned Members who are barristers and Queen's Counsel, and solicitors, to examine, and report to the House of Commons on all matters connected with the effect upon Great Britain's legal and judicial system on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, on present known terms of admission.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 24th March, 1971.—[Vol. 814, c. 128.]

asked the Lord President of the Council, in view of the fact that from October, 1964, to March, 1971, former Members of Parliament have seen their contributory pension scheme depreciate in purchasing value from £600 per annum to £441 per annum, if, as an immediate step to alleviate hardship pending the Report of the Boyle Committee, he will take steps to increase these pensions by a minimum of £159 per annum.

No. All Members' pensions were increased by 20 per cent. on 9th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when a Section 13 notice for change of character of any school is pending; and by what authority the local education authority has the right to discriminate against any child by withholding the results of selection tests for grammar school, on the grounds that change of character may take place and thereby the child will be disqualified by reason of domicile.

No significant change may be made in the character of a school without my approval. The administration of selection arrangements is within the jurisdiction of local education authorities but in the matter of choice of school any parent who wishes to contest a decision of the authority has the right of appeal to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what priority she is giving to primary education in the field of the supply of books and equipment.

This is a matter for the local education authorities; but the rate support grant settlement agreed by the Government last December provides for improvement factors of 3½ per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively in the estimates of relevant expenditure on non-teaching costs, including books and equipment, in the financial years 1971–72 and 1972–73 for schools and colleges maintained by authorities. These rates are substantially higher than those in the last settlement which covered the previous two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of students, including serving teachers, in colleges of education in England and Wales in the academic year 1969–70, but excluding students in departments of education in technical colleges and in teacher training centres; and what was the number of such students who completed their courses of initial training.

In 1969–70 the total number of students (including serving teachers) in colleges of education and colleges of education (technical), but excluding departments of education in technical colleges and art teacher training centres was 106,786. 30,616 students in these establishments completed courses of initial training in 1968–69; the figure for 1969–70 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of graduates undergoing teacher training in university departments of education and colleges of education, respectively, in 1964 and at the latest available date.

In 1964, 3,649 and 592 graduates entered courses of post-graduate training in university departments of education and colleges of education respectively. The provisional figures for 1970 are 4,968 and 2,715.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated number of grades of staff employed in the private sector hotel and licensed trades, including public houses and if he will give, insofar as they are available to him, the rates of pay in all cases, the grades which are not covered by a pension scheme and employee entitlement to holidays and sick leave with pay.

The estimated number of employees in employment in hotels and catering in Great Britain, at June, 1970, were:

(Thousands)
	Males	Females	Total
Hotels and other residential establishments	108·7	161·8	270·5
Restaurants, cafes, etc.	43·0	77·5	120·5
Public houses	24·2	52·0	76·2
Clubs	24·9	27·5	52·4
Totals	200·8	318·8	519·6

Separate information classified by sector, grade or skill is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men are waiting admission to courses at the Government Training Centre, Irvine; and how many are from South Ayrshire.

Twenty, including five from South Ayrshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men were undergoing courses in Government training centres in march; and how many were in the age groups, 20–30, 30–35, 35–40, 40–50 and 55–60, respectively.

8,015 were in training on 8th March. Trainees at Government Training Centres were last analysed by age in June, 1970, with the following results:

Age				No. of Trainees
Under 20	…	…	…	193
20–29	…	…	…	4,024
30–34	…	…	…	1,093
35–39	…	…	…	778
40–49	…	…	…	940
50–54	…	…	…	127
55–59	…	…	…	38
60 and over	…	…	…	3
				7,196

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men completed courses at Government training centres in the first three months of this year; of these how many have found jobs at the skill for which they were trained; and how many have yet to find jobs.

Of the 3,090 trainees who completed courses in this period, 2,634 have found employment using the skills for which they were trained. The remaining 456 have not yet been placed in their training trades.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is now the price index for eating out; how this differs from the index for meals on British transport, and the cost of food purchased in stores; what has been the percentage increase since 1st April, 1970, 1965, 1960, 1955, 1950 and 1945, respectively; and what was the index on these dates.

No price index for eating out was compiled by my Department before January, 1968. The index rose by 10·3 per cent. between 21st April, 1970, and 16th March, 1971, and by 30·2 per cent. between 16th January, 1968, and 16th March, 1971. The rises in the index for food purchased in shops in the same periods were 6·6 per cent., and 23·4 per cent. respectively. I regret that I do not have an index for meals on British Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what payments were made under the Redundancy Payments Act in each of the past 12 months.

Total payments to employees in the latest period for which monthly figures are available were as follows:

1970			£
January	…	…	4,996,017
February	…	…	5,257,252
March	…	…	5,400,484
April	…	…	7,125,185
May	…	…	6,415,134
June	…	…	6,251,836
July	…	…	6,837,034
August	…	…	6,270,971
September	…	…	6,243,464
October	…	…	5,531,393
November	…	…	5,984,772
December	…	…	6,226,116

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now seek an opportunity of meeting the Trades Union Congress and/or its General Council to discuss with them their objections to and suggestions for improving the Industrial Relations Bill.

Since last October the T.U.C. have declined to enter into consultations with my right hon. Friend about the Industrial Relations Bill, but he remains willing to discuss it with them at any convenient time.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much money was paid by his Department for in-service training grants to employers in each of the past 12 months.

The following grants have been paid to firms moving into or expanding in development and intermediate areas to assist them with the cost of training workers for new jobs:

1970				£'000s
April	…	…	…	334
May	…	…	…	337
June	…	…	…	313
July	…	…	…	486
August	…	…	…	305
September	…	…	…	316
October	…	…	…	355
November	…	…	…	291
December	…	…	…	266
1971
January	…	…	…	379
February	…	…	…	224
March	…	…	…	443

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to legislate to give effect to the recommendation referred to in Circular 3/70 to enable local authorities to make payments to the Department of Health and Social Security; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend intends to introduce this legislation at the next convenient opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Ripley Urban District Council regarding irregularities in connection with the East Midlands Traffic Commissioner's decision on the Trent Motor Traction Company's application to increase bus fares; and what reply he has sent.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the correspondence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when it is expected that the M62 will be completed through to Hull as shown in the diagram issued by his Department with Press Notice No. 193 of 6th April.

Draft schemes for M62 from Ferrybridge to Balkholme have now been published. Investigation is still taking place on the form of improvements further eastwards.